24th December 2018

YEAR IN REVIEW: JULY

As the summer track season got into full swing, an action-packed July saw national records tumble, bumper medal hauls won at age-group championships and the first ever Athletics World Cup, presented by Muller, all this after a stellar British Championships to kick off the month.

 

1) Lorraine Ugen set a world leading mark and lifetime best of 7.05m in the women’s long jump at the Muller British Athletics Championships, with Beth Dobbin claiming the British 200m title in a Scottish record 22.59.

The performances from the duo earned them selection onto the British team that would take part in the Athletics World Cup, presented by Muller, and the European Championships in Berlin.

There were Championship records for Dina Asher-Smith and Morgan Lake in the 100m and high jump respectively.

 

2) Each member of the British team came away with at least one medal from the European Mountain Running Championships in Macedonia.

Emma Gould marked her senior debut by taking an individual bronze in the senior women’s race along with a team bronze, while Anna MacFadyen and Scarlet Dale took individual silver and bronze respectively in the junior women’s event on their maiden British appearances.

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3) 110m hurdler Sam Bennett set the British Under-18 record with a stunning 13.19s run at the European Youth Championships in Gyor, Hungary, to take one of six gold medals at the championships.

On the ‘Super Saturday’ of the championships, World Under-18 leader in the high jump, Dominic Ogbechie added to the gold tally, as did the endurance runners Keely Hodgkinson (800m) and Kane Elliott (1500m), with Ethan Brown adding 400m silver to the tally.

Max Burgin went on to claim a sixth British gold the following day as he clocked a World U18 lead of 1:47.36 for victory, while on the first day of the championships, Thomas Keen sealed 3000m gold after a storming performance.

Emily Williams added 1500m silver while Karl Johnson won 400m Hurdles bronze.

 

4) The British Under-20 team collected a hat-trick of gold medals and smashed age-group records on a memorable fourth day at the IAAF World Junior Championships. Jake Norris threw 80.65m for a British U20 hammer record, while Niamh Emerson maintained her overnight lead and produced a storming 800m run to take heptathlon gold and an overall PB in the pouring rain in Tampere.

The day drew to a close with Jona Efoloko and Charlie Dobson taking a 1-2 in the men’s 200m final, with the former setting a personal best 20.48 and moving fourth on the all-time junior list.

The British team would go on to win a total of seven medals in total – Kristal Awuah taking 100m bronze and anchoring the 4x100m relay team to a medal of the same colour, with the men’s 4x400m relay team taking bronze also – to finish fifth in the medal table.

 

5) The British team ended the inaugural Athletics World Cup, presented by Muller, in third position, aided by an excellent showing from the women’s 4x100m relay team on the final day of action at the London Stadium.

Other victories for the British team came from Team Captain Lorraine Ugen in the women’s long jump, while Holly Bradshaw took maximum points on the first day of action.

The inaugural winners of the Athletics World Cup were Team USA with winners including Sam Kendricks and Vashti Cunningham.

 

6) Sophie Hahn and Kare Adenegan set the London Stadium alight with world records in their respective T38 200m and T34 100m races in times of 25.93 and 16.80s respectively. For Sophie, it was the first time any female T38 athlete had gone sub 26 seconds, while Kare broke new ground, becoming the first female T34 athlete to go sub 17 seconds.

The weekend of the Muller Anniversary Games saw Tom Bosworth set a world record in the 3000m race walk as he clocked 10:43.90 for victory, with Karsten Warholm and Abdallelah Haroun setting national records in the 400m hurdles and 400m respectively.

Ronnie Baker pipped Zharnel Hughes to 100m victory in 9.90, with the latter recording 9.93 to hold off Akani Simbine (9.94s). In total, six of the nine-man field went under the 10-second barrier.

Sifan Hassan went on to set a national record and world lead for the mile of 4:14.71, as Greg Rutherford waved goodbye to the London Stadium in the men’s long jump.

 

7) Dan Greaves rounded off the month by breaking the European F44 discus record in Manchester, adding 67cm onto his previous best, which he set in Swansea in 2014. The record would prove ideal preparation as he prepared for the World Para Athletics European Championships in Berlin the following month.

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