28th May 2019
BANK HOLIDAY WEEKEND UPDATE
IAAF Combined Events Challenge Meeting, Götzis, Austria, 25-26 May
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (coach: Bertrand Valcin; club: Liverpool) continued her dazzling 2019 so far as she won the biggest heptathlon outside of a major championships in Götzis, Austria, with a personal best score of 6813 points.
Kick-starting her campaign by equalling the 100mH personal best (13.29) she set in Gotzis in 2017, KJT pulled a third round shot put of 12.95m out the bag and after a solid 200m to round out day one, the Liverpool athlete led by 177 points with a total of 4034 points.
Picking up where she left off, Johnson-Thompson continued on PB course with an extremely impressive 6.68m (-0.2) long jump, before setting a javelin personal best of 42.92m to all but seal the Götzis title. Rounding things off with a 2:08.28 run in the 800m, just outside her personal best, it was a weekend to remember for the European pentathlon champion.
In the men’s event Tim Duckworth (Toby Stevenson; Liverpool) finished down in 17th place, but did produce a personal best in the 1500m of 4:57.65 respectively. Niamh Emerson (David Feeney; Amber Valley & Erewash) had started well with her second best ever 100mH performance, but was forced to withdraw with injury.
Vitality London 10,000, London, 27 May
Mo Farah (Gary Lough; Newham & Essex Beagles) once again showed his rivals a clean pair of heels as he won the London 10km for the seventh time, crossing the line in his customary Mobot celebration in a time of 28.15, with Andy Butchart (Central AC) second in 28:28, a personal best, and Nick Goolab (Craig Winrow; Belgrave) third in 28.47.
In the women’s race Steph Twell (self; Aldershot, Farnham & District) set a 31:55 personal best to finish as fastest female, but running in the mixed race didn’t count for the national title. That saw Jess Piasecki (Robert Hawkins; Stockport) rewarded with gold in a new personal best of 32:33, ahead of Verity Ockenden (Tony Houchin; Swansea) who also set a 32:39 PB and Tish Jones (Nick Anderson; Belgrave).
Vitality Westminster Mile, London, 26 May
Melissa Courtney (Rob Denmark; Poole AC) provided a major upset as she beat Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill) to take the British road mile title in London, crossing the line in 4:31, with Sarah McDonald (David Harmer; Birchfield) second and Muir third in a closely fought finish.
More predictably Chris O’Hare (Terrance Mahon; Edinburgh) took the win in the men’s race in 4.01, despite the clock showing 3:59 as both he and Jonny Davies (Luke Gunn; Reading AC) crossed the line. Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield) took bronze in 4:02, with those three comfortably clear of the rest.
BIGish Jumps & Throws Fest, Bedford, 27 May
Abigail Irozuru (Tom Cullen; Sale Harriers Manchester) was just 2cm shy of her season’s best with a 6.57m (0.5) winning leap in Bedford, with Dan Bramble (Jonas Dodoo; Shaftesbury Barnet) winning the men’s event in 7.75m (1.1).
Also of note was Zak Skinner’s (Aston Moore; Tonbridge) 6.89m (0.1) effort, the F13 World Para Athletics European silver medallist extending his personal best. Naomi Ogbeta (Tom Cullen; Trafford) also kicked off her outdoor season with a 13.81m (0.7) effort, her best season opener outdoors to date.
In the field, Nic Percy (Vesteinn Hafsteinsson; Shaftesbury Barnet) won the discus with a throw of 61.68m, with two further efforts over 60 metres, whilst Amy Holder (Neville Thompson; WSEH) bettered her PB with a 55.68m throw to take the win in the women’s event, again enjoying a great rivalry with Phoebe Dawson (Mark Champman; Bournemouth) who was less than a metre back.
England Athletics U20/Senior Combined Events Championships, Bedford, 25-26 May
Having taking his first indoor title in January, John Lane (Toni Minichiello; Sheffield & Dearne) took his first England Athletics outdoor title in Bedford with a Championship Best Performance of 7786 points. Ben Gregory (Aston Moore; Birchfield) finished in second, with Lewis Church (David Hull; Tonbridge) third, all three setting season’s bests.
Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover AC) took the spoils in the junior women’s event, also scoring a championship best of 5722 points in her first ever heptathlon, with runner-up Olivia Dobson (Exeter) producing a fine 5552 point total, both women inside the European Junior qualifier.
The meet also incorporated a number of para-athletics races, which also produced some stand out performances, notably T12 Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste) edging out T38 Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) 11.22s to 11.25s (1.9), Young’s time a personal best.
Desert Challenge, Arizona, 24-25 May
Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin; Red Star) kicked off her 2019 season by taking four victories in Arizona in the T53 100m, 400m, 800m & 1500m. Her 16.65s (1.6) 100m time was just four tenths outside her personal best and sets her up well for the season.
BMC Grand Prix, Sportcity, 25 May
U20 800m men Oliver Dustin (Graeme Mason; Border) and Alex Botterill (Andrew Henderson; City of York) led the way on a cold night in Manchester as both men went inside the European Junior qualifying mark, Dustin setting a fine 1:48.01 personal best to take victory, with Botterill less than half a second back.
Lynsey Sharp (David Harmer; Edinburgh AC) set herself up for this week’s Stockholm Diamond League with a 2:06.56 victory in the women’s 800m, holding off Keely Hodgkinson (Margaret Galvin; Leigh), who clocked a season’s best 2:06.70.
The other stand out event on the night was the 5,000m, where Petros Surafel (Mick Woods; Thames Valley) went well inside 14 minutes, winning in 13:52.79, inside the European U23 Championship qualifying time, whilst seventh in the same race Rory Leonard (Morpeth) went inside the European Junior time with a 14.16.35 personal best.
In the women’s race Jess Judd (Mick Judd; Blackburn) was victorious in 15:39.00, whilst in sixth place cross country star Grace Brock from Cornwall set a personal best of 16:08.82 to go inside the European Junior qualifying mark.
IFAM International Outdoor, Oordegem-Lede, Belgium, 25 May
Belgium has been a happy hunting ground for British middle/long distance runners for a number of years now but it proved to be equally good for our 400m hurdlers on Saturday with Seb Rodger (Benke Blomkvist; Shaftesbury Barnet) taking the win in 49.60, his quickest time for two years, to go top of the Power of 10 rankings. Chasing him hard all the way was young Alastair Chalmers (James Hillier; Guernsey) was stopped the clock in 50.14, just 0.03 outside his own British junior record. In the flat event Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne) was the pick of the bunch as he squeezed inside 47 seconds.
In the 800m Joe Reid (Matt Elias; Cardiff) finished fourth in a new personal best of 1:47.77, with Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn; Enfield & Haringey) also in personal best form in the women’s event, fifth in 2:03.84, a European Junior standard and personal best. Will Fuller (George Gandy; Blackheath & Bromley) led the way in the 5,000m, smashing his personal best with a 13:45.88 time, inside the European U23 time.
In the 3000m steeplechase Phil Norman (Tomaz Pilbersek; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) set a stunning 8:29.37 personal best to just miss out on going inside the World Championship qualifying mark, whilst in the women’s races an in form Aimee Pratt (Vincente Modahl; Sale Harriers Manchester) took the win in 9:49.27, a European U23 qualifier, with Holly Page (Jason Marchant; Dartford) hitting the European Junior time with a 10:21.73 clocking.
In the field Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson; City of York) put on a good show, taking victory with a best throw of 19.47m, a season’s best that extends his lead at the top of the Power of 10.
European Clubs Senior Championships (Group A), Castellon, Spain, 25-26 May
Amelia Strickler (Zane Duquemin; Thames Valley) was the stand-out performer out in Spain as she improved her shot put personal best once more, this time with a throw of 17.83m to take victory and move ever closer to the World Championship qualifying standard.
Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley) also produced a strong run as she clocked 53.35s for second place in the 400m. Birchfield’s Kyle de Escofet (Andy Paul) stopped the clock at 10.30s (2.0) for third place in the men’s 100m, with Feron Sayers (Aston Moore; Birchfield) also making it onto the podium as he kicked off his outdoor season with a 7.58m (0.6) effort.
Bruce Longden Coaching Foundation HurdleFest & SteelpleFest, Lee Valley, 27 May
Lucy-Jane Matthews (Andrew Fisher; Southampton) set a UK age-16 best for the 100m hurdles of 13.53s (-0.4), breaking the record of 13.71s, previously held by Sally Gunnell. The time also puts her third in the senior rankings.
Results link to follow.
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