16th May 2016

Weekend Update

16 May 2016 

SEC Championships, Tuscaloosa, Alabama, 12-14 May

In his fifth race of the weekend, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (coach: Dennis Shaver) smashed his 200m lifetime best, missing John Regis’ British record by just 0.01 as he stormed to victory in 19.95 (+0.4m/s)

Starting the day by anchoring the Louisiana State University 4x100m relay team to victory, the former European Junior 200m champion won the 100m in 10.16 (+1.0) before his scintillating 200m performance. His 19.95 run is a British U23 record.

In the decathlon, Tim Duckworth (Toby Stevenson) improved his personal best by 124 points as he finished fourth. His 7709 points is the third best score ever by a British teenager.


IPC Grand Prix, Tempe, Arizona, 13 May

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones) opened his outdoor season with a new personal best, which will also be a world record once ratified by the IPC, of 16.13m to take victory.

Days after recording a one second personal best to win 200m gold at the Invictus Games, Dave Henson (Roger Keller) went better again in Tempe with a T42 200m world-leading time of 24.71 – shaving nearly two seconds off his best time in 2015.

 

XI International Meeting Kern Pharma Grand Prix, Sauleda, Spain, 14 May

Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie) was also in world record breaking form clocking 27.93 over 200m. The T37 100m champion was also only marginally outside her 100m world record set in Doha last year posting a time of 13.68.

Cox was not on her own as Georgina Hermitage (Paul MacGregor) took a massive chunk out of her T37 400m world record time as the double world champion clocked 61.30 to edge closer to the one minute barrier.

Shelby Watson also broke two world records in the T33 100m/200m posting times of 20.97 and 37.38 respectively. 

Maria Lyle (Tabo Huntley), who won three medals at last year’s IPC Athletics World Championships showed her early season form doubling up to run 14.60 and 29.86 in the 100m and 200m respectively.

Paul Blake (Robert Ellchuk) ran a great race to win the men’s 400m in 54.98, while Zac Shaw (McDonnell) continued his bright start to the outdoor campaign crossing the line in 11.43 to take the win in the T12/13 100m race.

http://www.meeting-disabled.cat/public/X-competition.php

 

Meeting Elite de Montgeron-Essonne, France, 15 May

Lawrence Clarke (Samba-Koundy Giscard) and David Omoregie (Benke Blomkvist) were fourth and fifth in a strong 110mH field. On a windy day the pair clocked 13.64 and 13.68 (both +2.9) in the final, having run legal 13.81 and 13.78 times in the heats.

In the high jump, Allan Smith (Bryan Roy) was second with a best clearance of 2.22m.

England Athletics Combined Events Championships, Bedford, 14-15 May

Jessica Taylor (Mike Holmes) surpassed her personal best with a score of 5913, set when securing bronze at Glasgow 2014, to secure the title. A 23.67 200m saw her lead overnight, and she wrapped up victory over U23 Katie Stainton (Kelly Sotherton) thanks largely to winning performances in the long jump (6.18m) and the 800m (2.15.62). Stainton also recorded a big personal best with a score of 5777.

Sam Talbot (Eldon Lake) won the U18 competition by some margin with a score of 7035, as did Niamh Emerson (David Feeney) in the U18 women’s with a 5540 total. Both athletes bagged European Youth qualifying standards.

England Athletics U20 /Senior Combined Events Championships, Bedford, 14-15 May

A monster 80cm personal best moved Kylie Grimes (Phil Peat) up to fifth in the Paralympic Rankings with 16.62m in a series that also included two other throws over 16m. Grimes switched to athletics from wheelchair rugby in 2014, initially racing and subsequently making her mark in the club throw.  

There was also a strong performance from T53 wheelchair racer Mo Jomni (Jenny Archer), who recorded a time of 15.87 over 100m backing up his personal best performance of 15.48 from last weekend in Stoke Mandeville.   

Danny Nobbs (Tim Newenham) showed that he is coming into form at the right time going over the 22m barrier for just the fourth time in his career. In a strong series of throws, the F54 seated javelin thrower went out to 22.20m, 22.21m and 21.94m.

http://england.athletics-uk.org/entryforms/140516_entries.asp

 

Hammerwurfmeeting, Frankisch Crumbach, Germany, 14-15 May

Chris Bennett (Mick Jones) opened his 2016 campaign by defending his title thanks to a new personal best throw of 75.46m. He defeated a quality line-up, which included Mark Dry, who finished fifth with a best of 72.61m. Bennett’s throw was also a European qualifying standard.

In the women’s competition there was a season’s best of 67.07m for Sarah Holt (John Pearson) as she finished sixth.

http://www.hammerwurfmeeting-fraenkisch-crumbach.de/meeting-2016/

Leicestershire & Rutland County Championships, 14-15 May

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine) ran a rapid 22.99 in the 200m but unfortunately for the T42 Paralympic and World champion was aided by a +2.5 tailwind. He also ran 12.64 in the 100m. Commonwealth Games gold medallist Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell, guide Chris Clarke) was also in action in the 200m, running 25.24.

http://www.lraa.org.uk/news/county-championships-latest-update.aspx


Altis Summer Series #1, Phoenix, Arizona, 14 May

Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff) jumped a legal 8.24 (+0.9) and a windy 8.36 (+2.8) in his last competition in the USA before returning to the UK.

BMC Grand Prix, Sportcity, Manchester, 14 May

35 year old Jenny Meadows took victory in her first outdoor 800m of the season, showing age is but a number. Winning by almost a full second, Meadows stopped the clock at 2.01.29, inside the Olympic qualifying standard. Alex Bell (Aaron Thomas) was second in 2.02.22, with Hannah England (Bud Baldaro) running a very solid 2.02.97 for third.

In the women’s 1500m it was another Bud Baldaro athlete who stole the show, Sarah McDonald winning in a new personal best of 4.10.81 ahead of Jess Judd (George Gandy) in 4.12.45. In sixth, Sabrina Sinha (Peter Mullervy) went inside the European Youth Championship qualifying mark with a 4.18.72 run.

The men’s 1500m was dominated by Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman) in 3.41.89, whilst  Bobby Clay (Rob Denmark) won by over 150m in the women’s 3000m, running a solo 9.13.97.

10 of the 16 athletes in the men’s 5000m took advantage of good conditions to run personal bests. They were led home by Ben Connor who ran 13.53.74, with Charlie Hulson (Steve Vernon) also inside 14 minutes with a 13.54.24 run.

In the women’s equivalent Elinor Kirk (Vernon) took victory from multiple time World and European mountain running medallist Emma Clayton (Andrew Henderson). The duo clocked 15.41.51 and 15.44.38 respectively.

Rarely run at senior level, Jonathan Hopkins (Ridley Griffith) outkicked Luke Gunn (Baldaro), 5.35.63 to 5.35.77 over 2000m steeplechase.

http://www.britishmilersclub.com/content/bmcitemdisplay.aspx?itemid=1185

Sparkassen Meeting, Ellwangen, Germany, 14 May

Laviai Nielson (Frank Adams) clocked the second fastest time of her young career, winning the 400m in 52.28. In her second race back after an injury-hit 2015 Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon) was second in 53.69. In the women’s 100m, Darryl Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) took the win in 11.47 (+1.7), with Bianca Williams (Tawiah-Dodoo) third in 11.70.

Pure Athletics Elite Invite, Clermont, Florida, 14 May

After clocking a windy 13.57 at the same track two weeks ago, Gabriel Odujobi (Tony Jarrett) recorded a new lifetime best of 13.64 as he finished second in his 110mH heat. That performance, in what is turning out to be a breakthrough year for the 28 year old, puts him top of the Power of 10.

 

Somerset County Championships, Yeovil, 15 May

World champion Hollie Arnold (Anthony Hughes) underlined her status as the one to beat at the Paralympic Games this summer, as the F46 javelin thrower marked a season’s best of 39.88m.  

 

Cayman Invitational, George Town, Cayman Islands, 14 May

At the meeting Usain Bolt used to open his season, Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills) who trains with the Jamaican, finished second over 200m in 20.70 (+0.3m). Delano Williams (Neil Harrison) was fifth over 400m, clocking 46.22.

Adidas Boost Athletics Meeting, Herzogenaurach, Germany, 13-15 May

Desiree Henry (Rana Reider) continued her strong start to 2016 with a third place finish in a quality 100m field, clocking 11.23 (+1.2). Chris O’Hare (Terrence Mahon) was also in action, finishing fourth in a rare outing over 800m in 1.49.47.

Big 12 Championships, Fort Worth, Texas, 13-15 May

Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson) got his Olympic hammer campaign underway with a winning performance, courtesy of a final round 74.81m.

ACC Championships, Tallahassee, Florida, 13-15 May

Zak Seddon ran 8.34.85, just one second outside his personal best, to finish second in a quality 3000m steeplechase final. He missed out on gold by less than half a second, whilst Will Gray (Bud Baldaro) was fifth in a personal best of 8.45.82. They sit second and third on the Power of 10.