29th May 2018

WEEKEND UPDATE

Hallesche Werfertage, Halle, Germany, 26-27 May

A strong GB team travelled to the illustrious Halle throws meeting in Germany, with the Campbell brothers Taylor and Bayley shining in the men’s hammer, finishing second and third in their respective age groups. Under 20 Bayley (coach: Paul Dickenson) was arguably the best Brit across the weekend, second in his age category in the hammer with a 72.90m throw, the second best of his career, while Taylor (John Pearson) was third in the under 23 event with 70.78m. In the senior men’s event Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson) was third with 77.05m, Sophie Hitchon (Gustafsson) seventh with 68.74m.

In the discus, junior James Tomlinson (Paul Jensen) set a lifetime best of 57.96m to finish fourth, while Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch) maintained her UK number one status with a 17.37m effort for seventh, just 12cm ahead of Rachel Wallader (Richard Woodhall).

Results

Prefontaine Classic, Eugene IAAF Diamond League, Eugene, 25-26 May

Laura Muir (Andy Young) finished second and Reece Prescod (Jonas Dodoo) third as nine Brits took to the track at the most competitive Diamond League meeting of the season so far in Eugene.

Full Report

World Para Athletics Grand Prix, Nottwil, Switzerland, 25-27 May

The World Para Athletics Grand Prix in Nottwil was brought to a thrilling conclusion on Sunday with Richard Chiassaro (coach: Jenni Banks) setting a European record in the T54 400m and Hannah Cockroft (Banks) just narrowly missing her own world record in the T34 400m.

Full Report

BMC Grand Prix, Watford, 26 May

Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson) undoubtedly produced the run of the night at the biggest British Milers Club meeting of the year, going sub two minutes for the first time to win the women’s 800m. Elation swept across her face as she broke the tape in 1.59.93, over three seconds clear of her nearest rival, much to the joy of the London crowd. In fact it was a great night for her coach, as under 20 Alex Botterill (Henderson) went inside the World Junior Championship qualifying standard with a 1.47.95 run for second in the men’s A race.

Scot Jamie Williamson (George Gandy) won his second major race in a week, backing up LIA victory with a 3.41.59 winning run in the men’s 1500m A race, a big personal best. Northern Ireland’s Ciara Mageean (Steve Vernon) won the women’s A race in 4.09.11, with another Scot, Jemma Reekie (Andy Young) also backing up her Loughborough run with 4.10.10 personal best in second. The other notable run came in the women’s 5,000m as Emily Hosker-Thornhill (Mick Woods) went sub 16 for the first time with a 15.57.35 winning run.

Results

BIG Jumps and Throws Fest, Bedford, 28 May

On an afternoon of field action there were a number of standout performances, none more so than Charlotte Payne’s 63.89m effort in the under 17 women’s hammer, the second best ever by a British under 17 and inside the European Youth qualifying standard.

Sticking with the throws Youcef Zatat produced a fine victory over Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson), the pair throwing 18.21m and 18.04m respectively. In the jumps European Junior medallist Naomi Ogbeta (Tom Cullen) hopped, stepped and jumped her way to a 13.60m season’s best, despite being way behind the board. Meanwhile in the long jump Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton) leapt to 6.25m to surpass the World Junior standard, while in the discus European under 23 medallist Amy Holder (Neville Thompson) produced a personal best of 55.46m to go close to the European standard.

Results: Link to follow

England Athletics Combined Events Championships including U18 & Disability Open Race, Bedford, 26-7 May

Third behind American Chari Hawkins and France’s Diane Marie-Hardy, Emma Nwofor (Linford Christie) set a massive 400-point personal best as she scored 5559, thanks to personal bests in the 200m, high jump and shot put on a cracking first day. In the junior women’s event Jade O’Dowda (Marcia Marriott) not only set a personal best but moved to eighth on the all-time list and surpassed Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s Championship Best Performance – her score 5610 points.

In the decathlon, Welshman Ben Gregory (Aston Moore) was a runaway winner in 7517 points, while Nicolas Gerome won the junior event with a personal best score of 7136, overhauling club mate and defending champion Caius Joseph (Rafer Joseph) by a mere 25 points after an outrageous 4.21.82 1500m, where he knew he had to beat Joseph by over 20 seconds.

Commonwealth T47 100m silver medallist James Arnott (Ryan Freckleton) continued his rich vein of form by winning the ambulant 100m in Bedford. The City of Plymouth athlete recorded a time of 11.35 (0.6), just narrowly outside the time that saw him make the podium in the Gold Coast.

Esme O’Connell (Ian Roberts) won the equivalent, the T20 athlete taking it in 13.47 (-0.7), and later leapt 4.25m in the long jump – the event she won world junior gold in last year.

Elsewhere, in his first race since Dubai in March, Jordan Howe (Christian Malcolm) settled for 12.91 in another ambulant 100m race in the programme.

Results

Vitality London 10,000m, London, 28 May

Mo Farah (Gary Lough) coasted to victory on the streets of London, his second race since the marathon five weeks ago, crossing the line in 29.44, four seconds clear of Richard Allen (Mick Woods). In the women’s race Steph Twell (Geoff Wightman) was an impressive winner, just six seconds down on her personal best set in 2014 after a solo run for victory.

Results

Vitality Westminster Mile, London, 27 May

In a tight finish Chris O’Hare (Terrance Mahon) made the trip home from his training base in the United States worth it, as he edged out Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg), both men awarded 4.03 times for the one mile road race. The ladies race saw Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Melissa Courtney (Rob Denmark) break the tape in 4.35, one and three seconds clear of her training partners Sarah McDonald (David Hamer) and Rosie Clark (Harmer) respectively.

In the wheelchair races David Weir (Jenny Archer) was the clear winner in 3.09, whilst Nikki Emerson (Ian Thompson) took the ladies race from Mel Nicholls (Job King) in 3.55.

Results

IFAM, Oordegem, Belgium, 26 May

Over in Belgium more than 100 Brits were in action, making the trip into Europe for the quality competition and favourable conditions.

Perri Shakes-Drayton (Chris Zah) ran her quickest 400m since that horrible knee injury at the World Championships in 2013, winning the women’s B race in 52.00, inside the standard required for the European Championships in Berlin later this summer. There was also a season’s best of 52.49 for Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker), good for third in the A race.

Picking up where he left off in Loughborough last weekend Grant Plenderleith (David Lothian) set another 400m personal best as he won the B race in 46.34, moving ever closer to the 46.00 European standard. In the C race Welshman Owen Smith (Matt Ellias) went even quicker as he won in 46.24, a season’s best.

Jess Turner (Nick Dakin) had an impressive winning run in the 400m hurdles, stopping the clock at 56.62, a season’s best and just half a second down on her lifetime best. Lina Nielsen (Lawrence Lynch) was second in the B race with a season’s best 57.91. Second in the men’s A race, Seb Rodger (Stephen King) also recorded a season’s best of 49.74 and another European standard.

In the middle-distance races Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb) was the big winner as he produced the second fastest time of his career, 1.46.79 to place second in the 800m A race, although agonisingly just outside the European mark. In the metric mile Jake Heyward (James Thie) was just two tenths outside his lifetime best as he finished second in the B race in 3.42.31, Archie Davis (Joel Kidger) setting a personal best of 3.43.09 in sixth.

Over 12.5 laps there were a string of strong performances headed by Lewis Moses (Alex Hains) who smashed his personal best with a 13.47.81 run, whilst under 23 Emile Cairess (Phil Townsend) set a 13.54.43 personal best in the B race. GB junior international Aimee Pratt (Vincente Modhal) took a further four seconds off the personal best she set last month, winning the women’s 3000m steeplechase in 9.50.17. Equally there was a personal best for Jonathan Hopkins as he finished third in the men’s race in 8.30.52, inside the European qualifying mark.

Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman) was the big winner in the field, winning the long jump with a 6.66m season’s best as she looks back to her very best form.

Results

NCAA East Regional Championships, Tampa, Florida, USA, 24-26 May

Divine Oladipo (John Hillier) finished fourth to book her ticket to the NCAA Championships, however most notably she launched the shot out to 17.37m, the longest throw ever by a British teenager. Elsewhere in the field Joel Leon Benitez (Alan Richardson) was third in the pole vault with a best of 5.35m.

Results

NCAA West Regional Championships, Sacramento, California, USA 24-26 May

In California the British endurance contingent were on good form, Josh Kerr (Joe Franklin) won both his heat and final with ease, the latter in 3.42.62, while Amy Eloise-Neale was fourth in the 5,000m in 15.29.89, just outside her best. Alice Wright (Joe Franklin) and Charlotte Taylor were second and third in the 10,000m, 32.19.03 to 32.20.25, with Wright doing most of the front running. In the field Nic Percy (Vesteinn Hafsteeinsson) was second in the discus with 58.17m.

Results

International Meeting, Palafrugell, Spain, 26 May

As he did at the Loughborough International last weekend 400m man Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams) improved his season’s best to 45.63 thanks to another victory in Spain. In her first race for almost a year Shona Richards (Jon Bigg) opened her season with a 59.33 clocking for sixth in the 400mH.

Results

Lekkoatletyczny Mityng Gwiazd, Radom, Poland, 27 May

A huge 4.0m/s tailwind denied Megan Marrs (Jerzy Maciukiewicz) a personal best as she clocked 13.23 for second place in the women’s 100mH.

Results

IAU 24-hour European championships, Timisoara, Romania, 26-27 May

There was joy all around for the British team at the IAU 24-hour European championships as every member of the squad won a medal due to success in the overall team competition. The men’s team secured an excellent silver whilst the women also made the podium with a bronze medal.

Full Report