HOST OF SUCCESSFUL BRITISH QUALIFIERS ON MORNING TWO IN APELDOORN

Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Rob Denmark, Poole AC), George Mills (Thomas Dreissigacker, Brighton Phoenix), Andrew Robertson (Alex O’Gorman, Sale Harriers) and Jeremiah Azu (Helen James, Cardiff) were the pick of the qualifying bunch, as a host of British athletes progressed on morning two at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

The quickest in Europe this year and therefore starting as the event favourite, Courtney-Bryant lived up to her billing with an assured win through women’s 3000m qualifying and was joined in doing so by compatriot Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood) following heat one.

Setting out steadily, the field was taken through the opening kilometre in a comfortable 3:19 by del Buono (ITA), with Courtney-Byrant keeping a close eye on proceedings from second, and British champion Nuttall tucked into the middle of the pack in around seventh.

It was much of the same for the next kilometre, with the pace lifting only slightly as those back in the pack began to shuffle and consider their moves, and Nuttall finding herself sitting quietly towards the very back and therefore needing to trust a kick to move through.

The first burst came from Garcia (SPA) just after the 2000m mark, a move which Courtney-Bryant tagged on to, and one that began to string the field out as three were left stranded the back of the pack. Courtney-Byrant was poised on the shoulder of Garcia, with Nuttall keeping calm back in eighth place with 400m to run.

With Courtney-Bryant looking confident up front – Nuttall produced what she needed to as she kicked hard over the final 200m to reel in Marquez (SPA) and drag herself up into the sixth and final qualifying spot, Courtney-Byrant running 9:08.19 for the win, Nuttall posting 9:08.97.

“I just wanted to sit in second, see what was going on and be ready to strike if someone else did. It was nice, it’s a bit nerve wracking being the heats – so it was nice to get that done. I felt really in control – the nerves went away as soon as I started running, I felt really good,” Courtney-Bryant said post-race.

On her own race and performance, Nuttall said: “I got the job done. It was a little bit messier than I would have liked, but in a slow race like that, you kind of get a lot of pushing and shoving and I was just trying to stay out of trouble, and it worked out. I have been feeling really good in training, I got the win at the British Championships which was really great, and I felt so good in that race which was a massive confidence booster for me.

The first Brit in action on morning two, Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter) took her British senior team debut in her stride, the 18-year-old showing maturity beyond her years to join Courtney-Bryant and Nuttall in navigating her way qualifying.

With Vindics-Toth (HUN) deciding to take on the frontrunning after the race looked at risk of grinding to a halt, Fitzgerald quickly settled herself into fifth place keeping out of trouble with a bit of breathing room both in front and behind.

Looking relaxed, and moving through into fourth as a group of six began to breakaway at 1600m, Fitzgerald was aware of her surroundings and what was required as the pace lifted a little courtesy of Meyer. Running wide to avoid any jeopardy on the steep inside lane one, Fitzgerald took the bell in fifth and would stay there, coming home in 8:58.44 to secure clear qualification.

Speaking afterwards, she said: “I’m excited – I was a bit nervous going into that heat as I thought anything could happen, someone could fall and I may not get through to the final.

“Now I am in the final, no one is expecting anything of me. I am already in top 12 in Europe as I have made that final so I am happy with that. I have nothing to lose, I am going to go out there and fight for it.”

In the men’s equivalent, George Mills and James West (Helen Clitheroe, Tonbridge) were first up for Britain as they lined up in heat one. Gold and silver medallists at the British Championships respectively, and with Mills in the form of his life following a British record over the distance earlier this year, a top finish six was the name of the game for both.

West quickly opted to put himself up on the shoulder of early leader Thorwirth (GER), and was quickly joined by Mills as the field ticked off the first kilometre in 2:50. Mills took on the running shortly after, hitting the front to inject a little pace and thin out the field, with West shadowing.

Split on places by Sweden’s Almgren with four laps to run, Mills turned the screw as the field began the string out and break, with West maintaining his third-place position and looking comfortable.

Keeping a keen eye on the stadium’s big screen to ensure there was no trouble to come, Mills opted to ease off as he coasted over the line in 7:50.87 to bring up the win, with West following shortly behind with 7:51.13 for third.

For Mills, the reflections were clear as he said: “It’s job done. I didn’t want to mess around today pushing for positions – so after the first km, I thought ‘I’m strong enough, so I’ll just front run’. I knew that 6 people wouldn’t be able to beat me if I did that.”

Satisfied with his morning’s work, West said: “I feel really good, coming to a European Championships is really tough and you are always really nervous for the heats. I think it’s a really good field out there so to get through with no dramas quite comfortably it’s a real big positive going into tomorrow.

“It’s one of the highest quality fields at the whole meet and is pretty much filled with Olympic finalists from Paris last year, so I’ll just put myself in contention and will see what I can do.”

Adam Fogg (Cory Leslie, Coventry) lined up in the second of the two heats to close off British interest in the morning’s session, with company from defending champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen (NOR) and second-ranked European Niels Laros (NED).

Keeping on the heels of leader Magnusson (ICE) as the field went through the opening kilometre in 2:50, and with Ingebrigtsen typically coasting at the back of the field, Fogg kept to the safety of second place until proceedings really got going.

That came at the 2000m mark – again led through by Magnusson, in a time 5:31 – as attacks began to come from all sides, with Fogg moving out a little to avoid trouble on the inside.

At 600m to run, Ingebrigtsen swooped on round to set more hares running, Fogg battled hard as the pace lifted. Chasing hard and sat eighth down the back straight, Fogg crossed over in 7:57.68, sadly outside of the top six required to progress.

Post-race, Fogg said: “I gave it 100% and just didn’t quite have it in the end. The standard is so high these days and obviously I have to be absolutely at my best to get through to a final like that.”

Men’s sprints action saw three representatives in the 60m qualifying heats, with late call-up and vastly experienced Andrew Robertson leading the way as he breezed through heat one in a season’s best of 6.60 for the win.

No stranger to the international scene in a British vest, Robertson blasted out from lane seven and never relented, a dip for the line seeing him take victory with some daylight back to Burnet (NED) in second with 6.62.

Ahead of recovery for the evening ahead, Robertson said: “It felt OK to be fair. The first rounds are relatively the trickiest rounds because everyone is feeling out the field and they want to set a good example and get in a good performance. I was in quite a stacked heat there with a guy who has ran 6.56 this year, so it was very important I stayed professional and executed the best race possible.”

Jeremiah Azu (Helen James, Cardiff) joined Robertson in taking victory in his heat with a time of 6.58, the quickest through qualifying. Coming courtesy of some imposing top-end speed and a casual lean for the line to out-dip Illovszky (HUN), Azu’s closing 20m is sure to keep others watching closely come the semi-final and final later today.

Azu said: “I qualified in first, which is great. I didn’t get out too well as I probably fell asleep a bit on the start. But these guys are always going to send it in the heats as that’s their final. I’m just saving the energy and taking it round by round.”

John Otugade (Tom McNab, Shaftesbury Barnet) will also line up in this evening’s semi-finals as he made it three qualifications from three, navigating his heat to claim the fourth and final top four qualifying spot out of heat two.

Made to work hard having been left a little in the blocks, the senior team debutant recovered well and found his top end speed to dip over in 6.63 seconds

“Obviously, I am not too happy with where I finished, I am happy I got through though that’s the main thing. I do tend to start quite slow at championships so it’s about upping it a notch in the next round and getting through to that final. That’s where my head is at right now,” commented Otugade.

In field qualifying, Serena Vincent (Mike Winch, City of Portsmouth) produced a best throw of 16.07m to bow out of the women’s shot put. Entering the competition with a season’s best of 17.07m, her throws on the day – 15.52m, followed by 16.07m left her 18^th overall in the qualifying pool.

Post-competition, Vincent said: “It wasn’t what I planned or hoped for but unfortunately every single one I threw just flicked off my finger. It happens. Obviously, I am going to go back take a look at it, understand what went wrong, and learn from it. That’s all I can do.”

Featuring as part of invitational para athletics events hosted as part of the championships, Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller, Bournemouth) produced a best effort of 6.33m to finish fifth in the men’s long jump.

Unable to post a legal mark with his first three efforts, Sinnott first went out to 6.23m in round four, before then finding a further 10cm with his next jump, his sixth and final effort then 6.10m.

In sprints action, Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) and Ali Smith (Leon Baptiste, Guildford & Godalming) lined up in the women’s mixed para-athletics 60m, Hahn posting 8.08 seconds to finish fourth, with Smith running 8.42 for sixth.

On the experience and her race, Hahn said: “I’m really pleased with that, being a mixed classification I thought if I could get in the top four that would be a massive achievement, so I am happy with that.

“It was good – I’m a 400m athlete so it can be difficult to get going in the 60m!” commented Smith.

“It was an amazing experience, we need more of these events incorporated, it is invaluable as it is really important to push para sport.”

Great Britain & Northern Ireland have won two medals at the European Indoor Athletics Championships:

Gold

Silver

Bronze

Mixed 4x400m Relay

Revee Walcott Nolan, Women’s 1500m

All results from the European Indoor Athletics Championships can be viewed here, along with the event timetable.