23 July 2012

Many of Britain’s athletes were finalising their preparation for the Olympics and pride of place must go to Steve Lewis (coach: Dan Pfaff) who set a British record in the pole vault to show he could genuinely be a medal contender in London.

BUPA Great North 10km, Gateshead, July 22

Olympic marathoner Scott Overall (Robert Chapman) got a morale boosting win in 29:34.

Gemma Steel (John Nuttall) won the women’s race in 32:56.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=61044

National Junior League, Bromley, July 22

IAAF World Junior 100m finalist Sophie Papps (Neil Dodson) won the 100m in 11.78 from Barcelona 200m finalist Dina Asher Smith (John Blackie) who timed 11.85.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=63304

Fribourg, Switzerland, July 21

Joel Fearon (Michael Khmel) improved his PB from 10.34 to 10.33 in the heat and then 10.25 in winning the final. That mark puts him equal seventh in the McCain Power of Ten rankings with Olympic trials winner Dwain Chambers.

Results: http://www.caf.ch/public/resultats/met0148.pdf

Szczin, Poland, July 21

Steve Lewis (Dan Pfaff) beat many of the world’s top vaulters and smashed the British record with 5.82m to go top of the McCain Power of Ten rankings, but also fifth in the world rankings. It added two centimetres to Nick Buckfield’s 14 year-old record.

Results: http://forsport.info/

BMC Grand Prix, Solihull, July 21

There were mixed fortunes for Britain’s Olympic-bound middle distance runners.

Team GB 1500m representative Andy Baddeley (Andrew Hobdell) could only finish third in his speciality in 3:41.50, his first loss at 1500m outdoors this year, while Niall Brooks (Norman Poole) won easily in a season’s best of 3:40.04.

In the C race, Jack Crabtree (Neil Canham) set a UK age 15 record of 3:52.06.

Olympic 800m runner Michael Rimmer (Poole) won the 800m in a sprint finish in 1:47.01. Junior Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg) took a second and a half off his PB to finish fourth in 1:47.23 to put him top of the McCain Power of Ten under-20 rankings.

In her return after an achilles injury, world silver medallist Hannah England (Bud Baldaro) fared better than in her comeback race at Crystal Palace with second in the 1500m in 4:10.43 behind Jemma Simpson (Mark Rowland) who timed 4:10.07.

Barbara Parker (Sean Burris) and Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan), Olympic bound at other events, set respective PBs of 4:11.52 and 4:13.19.

In the C race, 17-year old Ffion Price went into the under-20 top 10 by taking over seven seconds off her PB to win in 4:22.21 from twin sister Rhianwedd, while in ninth, Clare Elms set a world age 48 best of 4:32.63.

In the 800m won by Canada’s Hilary Stellingwerff, Tara Bird (Ayo Falola) set a PB of 2:02.72 to go into the top 10 rankings.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=63364

Aviva SIAB Schools International, Ashford, July 21

England dominated the event, taking a 1-2 in the vast majority of events.

Wales did win a double in the throws though as Adele Nicoll (Andy Brittan) who heads the UK shot and discus rankings won with respective marks of 13.16m/44.34m In the pole vault, Harry Coppell (Coach: John Mitchell) improved his PB from 4.70m all the way up to 4.93m to go well clear at the McCain Power of Ten under-17 rankings.

Matt Sherling (Adrian Webb) set a record in the boys 1500m with a front-running 3:51.71 to take over two seconds off Johan Boakes’ 28 year-old record.

Bobby Clay (James Roberts) set a PB in the girls’ 1500m race of 4:24.91 to improve her time at the head of the under-17 rankings.

Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake) won the long jump with a PB 6.10m/0.8 which now heads the under-17 girls’ lists.

Results: http://www.thepowerof10.info/results/resultslookup.aspx

British Masters Championships, Derby, July 20/21

Angie Copson (Ian Wilson) set world W65 records in the 1500m (5:35.18) and 5000m (20:13.23).

Results: http://www.bmaf.org.uk/results/bmaf2012tf.asp

Samsung Diamond League, Monaco, July 20

Andrew Osagie (Craig Winrow) set another PB of 1:44.48 to increase his advantage in the 800m rankings after finishing eighth in the 800m. Also in top class form was Robbie Grabarz (Fayyaz Ahmed) who was second in the high jump in a world class 2.33m, just losing on count back to world champion Jesse Williams of the USA.

Marilyn Okoro (Ayo Falola) got some good scalps in the women’s 800m finishing fifth in 1:59.75.

In finishing third in the pole vault with 4.62m, Holly Bleasdale (Julien Raffalli) took an even bigger scalp as Olympic champion and World Record holder Yelena Isinbayeva failed at her opening height.

Chris Tomlinson (Frank Attoh) finished third in the long jump with 8.01m/0.7 and Martyn Rooney (Nick Dakin) finished sixth in the 400m in 45.52.

Results: http://www.diamondleague-monaco.com/en/Program/Overview/