25 July 2011

On a busy weekend with further National Records from Mo Farah and Tiffany Ofili-Porter, there were some encouraging performances from Hannah England and Kate Dennison with lifetime bests in Barcelona.

McCain Birmingham Games, July 23

European and Commonwealth medallist Mark Lewis Francis (Coach: Linford Christie) clocked a more promising windy 10.23 to narrowly win over 100m from Jamaican Remaldo Rose.

Tom Parsons (Coach: Fayyaz Ahmed) won the high jump on countback with a leap of 2.20m.

The 2004 Olympic 200m finalist Abi Oyepitan (Coach: Tony Lester) took a sprint double with times of 11.52 and 23.57.

Results http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=49629

BMC Nike Grand Prix, Stretford, July 23

Andrew Osagie (Coach: Craig Winrow) set a 800m PB of 1:45.63 as he won against an international field to go second in the McCain Power of Ten rankings.

His time was just outside the UKA Olympic A qualifying time of 1:45.60 but was well inside the B standard for both the Olympics and World Championships of 1:46.30.

Matt McLaughlin (Coach: Nadeem Shaikh) went top of the UK Under 17 800m rankings with a 1:51.59 PB in winning the E race.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=49929

Barcelona, July 22

While there were British record performances at the Diamond League at Monaco on the same night, there were plenty of top British performances in Spain.

Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu (Coach: Lloyd Cowan) showed greatly improved form to have her best run of 2011 when she won in 51.49 to go third in the McCain Power of Ten rankings.  Lee McConnell (Rodger Harkins) was a close third in 51.70 and just outside her season’s best while former World medallist Nicola Sanders (Tony Lester) set a season’s best of 51.94 to go fifth in the UK rankings.

Though below his personal and season’s best of 13.22, Andy Turner (Coach: Lloyd Cowan) won the 110m hurdles in a fast 13.33 to confirm his form in the world top 10. UK long jump record holder Chris Tomlinson (Frank Attoh) had another world class jump and finished second with 8.20m.

Hannah England (Coach: Bud Baldaro) was well inside the World Championships (4:05.90)  and Olympic A standard (4:06.00) in the 1500m when she smashed her personal best with a McCain Power of Ten ranking leading performance of 4:01.89.

Another athlete to set a PB was former UK pole vault record holder Kate Dennison (Coach: Scott Simpson) who was second with a height of 4.61m to give Britain two vaulters in the world top 10.

Eilidh Child (Coach: Malcolm Arnold) set a season’s best to finish third in the 400m hurdles with 55.67 and that puts her second in the UK rankings.

Results http://www.spitzenleichtathletik.ch/index.cfm?s=TmpStandard&action=hm7&hmID=7&um1ID=71&contentID=93

Lucerne July 21

European 400m medallist Martyn Rooney (Coach: Nick Dakin) returned to form to win the 400m B race in  45.63, half a second up on his previous season’s best and that time puts him third in the McCain Power of Ten rankings.

Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff) achieved a good 8.09m long jump to finish second.

Barbara Parker (Coach: Sean Burris) set a McCain Power of ten leading performance in the 3000m steeplechase when she won in a time of 9:35.46 which just missed her PB but again had her well inside the Olympic qualifying A mark of 9:43.00.

Marilyn Okoro (Coach: Ayo Falola) just missed her 800m season’s best when she was fourth in 2:01.12.

Results http://www.spitzenleichtathletik.ch/index.cfm?s=TmpStandard&action=hm7&hmID=7&um1ID=71&contentID=93