16 August 2010

In a weekend packed full of track and field action, there were impressive performances from athletes timing their seasons with perfection to target Commonwealth Games slots:

BMC Gold Standard Races, Tipton, August 15

At Tipton Charlotte Purdue (coach: Mick Woods) ran a sensational 10000m. Having missed the World Juniors through injury, she put herself in line for a spot in England’s Commonwealth Games team when she ran well inside the 33:00 qualifying time with 32:36.75. That time – which smashes Charlotte Dale’s UK junior record -also puts her third in the Power of Ten senior women’s rankings and was a PB by almost a minute.

In second place, Sonia Samuels (David Sunderland) went fifth in the rankings with 33:03.26, agonisingly missing the standard by a few seconds. It was a personal best for Samuels, and she had already run 33:08.89 in the European Cup and 33:34.97 in the Aviva Trials.

Welsh Junior cross-country champion Dewi Griffiths went top of the Under 20 men’s POT rankings for 10,000m when he was third in a time of 30:19.37.

Results here http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=37441&event=10000&venue=Tipton&date=15-Aug-10

San Diego Half Marathon, August 15

Claire Hallisey (Coach: Keith Brackstone) finished second woman in 72:22, to go fifth in the POT rankings

Results here http://www.afchalf.com/cgi/results.pl

Bedford International Games, August 15

There were some timely performance from the throwers on the eve of the Commonwealth Games selection meetings.

Laura Whittingham (Coach: Esa Utriainen) produced the star performance, smashing the 60m barrier and her PB to go second in the POT rankings and third all-time in the UK with a Games record throw of 60.98m which should mean she is named in England’s team. The previous record stood to Olympic champion Tessa Sanderson’s 60.64m in 1996.

Additionally Junior Izzy Jeffs (Simon de Wilton) went top of the Under 20 lists and third in the senior lists with her big 54.89m PB throw which is also over England’s 54.00m guideline while Jo Blair (Mark Chapman) went fourth with her 52.66m.

Rebecca Peake went top of the POT Shot rankings with a 16.76m victory, which is over the 16m selection guideline

The top quality competition was the men’s discus won by Olympic champion Gerd Kanter in 67.31m though Brett Morse (Nigel Bevan) underlined his consistency over the 60m barrier by placing third in 62.18m the day after a strong Aviva London Grand Prix performance, while junior Zane Duquemin (John Hillier) enjoyed a huge breakthrough with a 59.11m throw to go sixth in the senior lists, and a PB by over 6 metres.

In a top quality hurdles race which saw a clash between four of Britain’s top six, Gemma Bennett (Tony Jarrett) moved to third in the Power of Ten rankings with a 13.31 clocking which put her ahead of Sara McGreavy who ran 13.52 and Zara Hohn (Rudolph Paul Hohn) and Angellta Broadbelt-Blake (Mike Afilika) who ran 13.62 and 13.64.

Scott Rider (John Hillier) went second in the POT rankings with a Games record of 18.95m in the shot though missed his PB by just 2 cm though was over the 18.50m guideline.

Richard Davenport (Nick Dakin) set a Games record of 50.50 in the 400m hurdles in beating American Adam Kunkel.

Abe Oyepitan (Tony Lester) ran a season’s best in the 100m to move into the POT top 10 with a 11.44 clocking.

And after his excellent midweek long jump, Greg Rutherford (Frank Attoh) won his 100m race in 10.44.

Finally, Mike Floyd (Kevin Madden) set a PB in the hammer of 70.45m to go fifth in the POT rankings and give himself an excellent chance of England Commonwealth Games selection as he was over the .70.20 guidelines.

Results here http://www.thepowerof10.info/resultsfiles/2010/34183_6002_16082010065258_Big_2010_results.pdf

BMC PB Classic, Tipton, August 14

Kyran Roberts (Coach: Delyth Brown) went fifth in the POT Under 15 800m rankings with a personal best run of 2:00.9.

Results ere http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=35639&event=800&venue=Tipton&date=15-Aug-10

Kessel, Belgium, August 14

Richard Yates (Coach: Stephen Ball) won the 400m hurdles to equal his season’s best with 49.93 which places him fifth in the Power of Ten rankings.

In the 400m, Nadine Okyere (Coach: Joe Caines) ran her first sub-53 400m when she finished third in 52.99.

Results here http://www.toastit-live.be/results/2010/aug/14_za/schedule.html

Watford Open, August 11

In finishing second in the BMC 800m race, Jessica Judd (Coach: Jeremy Freeman)  ran a PB 2:05.81, which is a UK age best for a 15 year-old and puts her a very close second in the POT rankings to Katie Snowden’s 2:05.7.

Jasmine Finlay (Coach: Barry Hearn) went fourth on the Under-15 1500m rankings with a 4:35.94 clocking.

Andrew Osagie (Craig Winrow) won the 800m in 1:47.49.

http://www.britishmilersclub.com/bmcstorydisplay.aspx?storyid=586

Brighton Open, August 11

In her 3000m debut Sky Draper (Coach: Kevin Draper) went second in the Under 15 girls POT rankings with a 9:55.26 clocking.

In her first season, Katy Bird took 10 seconds off her 1500m PB with 4:31.46 to go fifth in the U17 POT rankings and finish just ahead of Clare Elms who set a British W45 record of 4:31.87, who is 30 years her senior.

Results here http://justiming.co.uk/images/documents/brightonopentrackresultsfull.pdf

Gothenburg, August 10

Although Greg Rutherford (Coach: Dan Pfaff) wasn’t fit enough to compete in Barcelona but he made a great comeback in his first competition for a month when he won the long jump with a distance of 8.10m.

Tom Lancashire (Norman Poole), who has been focusing more of late on 1500m, ran his fastest 800m for four years when he finished second in a time of 1:46.74 and that puts him fourth in the POT rankings. Ed Aston (Mike Smith) set a PB of 1:47.02 in fourth place.

American Collegiate champion Charlotte Browning set a three scond PB in the 800m with 2:02.52 where she was sixth.

And finally World Junior champion Sophie Hitchon (Derek Evely) wasn’t in her Monkton form of 66.01m but a 64.34m throw placed her a solid fourth.

http://88.131.109.176/folksam/goteborg/Resultat.php

Trafford Open, August 10

The 2007 European Junior 800 runner up Emma Jackson (Coach: Alan Morris) set a lifetime best of 2:01.47 which temporarily moved her to fourth in the POT rankings.

World Junior 800m finalist Sarah Kelly (Liz McColgan) smashed her 1500m PB to go top of the Under 20 rankings with a 4:14.15 timing.

http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=36317