1 June 2009

Castellon, Spain, 31 May 2009

The European Champion Clubs Cup in Castellon saw a welcome return to form for Chris Tomlinson who won the long jump with a leap of 8.15m (+1.6m/s) which was his best jump since improving the British indoor record last year. His mark equalled the A standard for the World Championships and was also his longest jump outdoors since August 2007.

Rabah Yousif also had a fine win in the 400m with 46.68 defeating European indoor silver medalist Claudio Licciardello. In the 100m Tyrone Edgar  finished second with 10.16 (+2.2 m/s) and although the time cannot be ratified because of the following wind it was a good performance as he only finished 7/100ths behind Francis Obikwelu. Rikki Fifton, finished third in the 200m (0.7) with 21.09. Newham & Essex placed 5th overall with 86 points in what is probably the world’s most prestigious athletics club meeting. The winners were Luch Moscow with 118.

Bedford International Games, 31 May 2009

Mark Lewis-Francis (Birchfield) marked his first appearance on the track in 18 months after an Achilles injury with a victory in the 100m at BIG. The 26-year-old claimed victory in the B race in 10.60 seconds. 

Meanwhile, 23-year-old Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield) set a meeting high jump record, with a clearance of 1.89m. "I came close at 1.93m and was nearly there," said Ennis who, missed last summer’s Olympic Games with a serious foot injury.

Other noteworthy performances included a PB for Richard Kilty (Gateshead), U20 with victory in 20.80 (+0.1 m/s) which was well inside the A standard for the European Junior championships. In the U18 110m hurdles there was an excellent performance by Andrew Pozzi (Stratford), with 13.79 (+0.1 m/s) and a big PB for Niall Flannery (Gateshead), in the 400m hurdles with 51.52, both well inside the European A standard.

The men’s 400m had three athletes under 47 seconds with Nigel Levine (Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow),  winning in 46.58 from Chris Clarke (Marshall Milton Keynes), 46.90 and Louis Present (Colchester ), 46.91. Lawrence Clarke (Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow), U20 ran 13.72 (-1.2 m/s) in the U20 110m hurdles for yet another European A standard.

Jodie Williams (Herts Phoenix), ran a useful 23.25 in the 200m (0.1 m/s) to go second in the Pof10 rankings. In the U20 shot, Curtis Griffith-Parker (Cambridge),  recorded 19.30 which was yet another European A standard and increased his lead at the top of the Pof10 rankings. Mervyn Luckwell (Marshall Milton Keynes),  threw 78.82 in the javelin which consolidated his recent good form, while U17 Matti Mortimer (Ipswich), also had a good throw of 65.42 in his competiton.

Robbie Grabarz (Bedford),  sailed over 2.22 in the high jump. Zoe Derham (Birchfield),  maintained her recent good form with 67.73 in the hammer while Eden Francis (Birchfield),  recorded two victories and two PBs in the discus, 59.27 (World B standard) and in the shot 16.53.

Amy Woodman (Birchfield) finished second in the long jump with  6.37 behind Kelly Proper (Ireland), 6.42. In the triple jump Nadia Williams (Shaftesbury Barnett), recorded 13.63 to move into second in the Pof10 rankings.

Sopot, Poland, 31 May
UK record holder Kate Dennison (Sale Harriers) opened her summer season with a best clearance of 4.30m to finish 2nd in the women’s pole vault. Fellow Brit Sally Scott (Gateshead Harriers) was 6th with 3.90m.   

Götzis, Austria 30-31 May 2009

The Hypomeeting in Götzis saw Phylis Agbo Thames Valley) finish in 11th place in a PB of 5952 points. She recorded three PB performances in the the high jump 1.73m, LJ 6.47m and shot put 13.48 and two season’s bests in the 200m 24.57 and javelin 39.79m.

Manchester, 30 May 2009

AT the first British Milers’ Club Grand Prix of the season at Sports City, Manchester there were many encouraging performances with 131 PBs and 130 season’s bests.

Some of the highlight were: Damien Moss (Rugby & Northampton),  took the A 800m in 1:48.03 while Claire Gibson (Kilbarchan),  won in a PB of 2:02.24. James Brewer (Cheltenham), U23 took the 1500m A race in a PB of 3:40.63 with U20 Niall Brooks (Sale),  finishing fifth in a PB of 3:41.64 and Helen Clitheroe (Preston Harriers) won her race easily in 4:13.98 in a race which saw excellent PBs from U20 Stacey Smith (Gateshead), 4:17.75 and U17 Sarah Kelly (Dundee Hawkhill),  4:19.09. Andy Vernon (AFD),  took the 5000m in a PB 13:43.31 winning by 20 seconds and Katrina Wootton (Bedford),  won her race in 15:45.35 by another big margin of 21 seconds.

New York, USA 30 May 2009

AT the Reebok Grand Prix in New York, Tasha Danvers (Croydon Harriers) took a second off her season’s best with a victory in 55.19 over Olympic champion, Melaine Walker from Jamaica. In her third race of the year, the Shaftesbury Barnet athlete clocked the fourth fastest time in the world this year. Also competing was Nick McCormick (Morpeth Harriers),  who placed ninth in the 5000m with a time of 13:31.12 which was only just over two seconds outside the B standard for the World Championships.

Kalamata, Greece 30 May 2009

Dwain Chambers (Belgrave Harriers) recorded a resounding victory at the Papaflessia meeting in Kalamata with season’s best in the 100m of 10.06 and also winning he 200m in 20.58. The Belgrave athlete’s 100m performance takes him to equal ninth on the world standings this season.

James Dasalou (Croydon),  was second in 10.25 with Leon Baptiste (Enfield & Harringey) taking fourth in 10.43. Baptiste came back to take victory in the second 200m with 20.86 which was a season’s best. Graham Hedman (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies),  recorded a season’s best for victory in the 400m with 46.70.

Greensboro, USA 29-30 May 2009 / Norman, USA 30 May 2009

Michael Bingham (Trafford), won the 400m at the NCAA East Regional Championships in Greensboro in a PB of 45.05 after a 46.19 heat the previous day.

 Toby Ulm (Swindon), finished in fifth place in the 400mH in a PB of 50.23. While at the NCAA Midwest Regional Championships in Norman Gerald Phiri, Sheffield, recorded wins in the 100m 10.13 and 200m 20.53 and Yasmine Regis won the triple jump with 13.75m.

 
Belgrade, Serbia 29 May 2009

The Artur Takač Memorial meeting in Belgrade had many British athletes competing and there were some excellent results.

Stephanie Twell (AFD), had a fantastic run in the 5000m securing victory in a lifetime best of 15:18.47. This represented a massive improvement of 29 seconds on her previous PB. The world junior 1500m champion and three-time European junior cross-country champion moved to third on the UK all-time under-23 lists which was also inside the B standard for the World Championships in Berlin.

European under-23 champion Laura Kenney (Royal Sutton Coldfield), finished in fifth place with 15:40.31 which was her second fastest ever fastest performance while European junior silver medallist Charlotte Purdue (AFD), was ninth in a PB of 16:02.04.

European under-23 100m champion Simeon Williamson (Highgate Harriers), looked a different competitor from his early season performances as he stormed to victory in the 100m. The 23-year-old eased through his heat in 10.26 (+1.0) with Craig Pickering (Marshall Milton Keynes) also progressing through to the final with an identical time, albeit with the aid of a stronger tailwind. In the final, Williamson was slow out of the blocks but powered through to finish in 10.10, however this time will not be ratified because of a 3.0 m/s tailwind.

More importantly, he took the victory on the line from USA’s Rae Edwards, who was also given the same time, with Pickering, taking third (10.16). Ryan Moseley (Shaftesbury Barnett), finished in fifth place in 10.26 which would have been a PB if the wind had been legal.

Andy Turner (Sale) repeated his recent good form with victory in the 110m hurdles, clocking a wind-aided 13.29 (+2.1), defeating USA’s Dextor Faulk (13.44), with Chris Baillie (VPCG), finishing seventh (13.96).

In the women’s 1500m, Charlene Thomas (Wakefield ) and Emma Pallant (AFD) finished third and fourth, clocking 4:14.79 and 4:14.83 respectively.

Joice Maduaka (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies)  was third in the 100m (11.59) and fourth in the 200m (24.42) with Gemma Bennett (Shaftesbury Barnett), taking sixth in the 100m hurdles (13.53).