Away from Great Britain and Northern Ireland’s bronze medal at the European Athletics Team Championships Super League (day one report / day two report) and the Doha Diamond League which saw Daniel Rowden achieve an Olympic qualifier in the 800m and Holly Bradshaw finished third in the pole vault, there was lots of athletics action ongoing over the bank holiday weekend.

Portland Track Festival, Oregon, USA, 28-29 May

Lizzie Bird (coach: Pat McCurry, club: Shaftesbury Barnet) moved to second on the UK all-time list in the women’s 3000m steeplechase and went inside the Olympic qualifying standard with a time of 9:26.73. The time moved her ahead of Helen Clitheroe in the standings and put her in a solid position to qualify for Tokyo.

On Saturday, Charlie Da’Vall Grice (Brighton Phoenix) and Jake Heyward (Mark Rowland, Cardiff) both clocked Tokyo qualifying times in the men’s 1500m. Grice set a time of 3:33.81 for second in the race, while Heyward broke the 31-year-old Welsh record with a time of 3:33.91.

In the women’s 1500m, European indoor silver medallist, Holly Archer (Andrew Parmenter, Cambridge and Coleridge), ran a PB with a time of 4:07.20.

Results: https://live.athletictiming.net/meets/10078/events

IFAM Outdoor, Oordegem, Belgium, 29 May

Jessica Turner (Nick Dakin, Amber Valley and Erewash) ran inside the Olympic qualifying standard in the women’s 400m hurdles as she recorded a PB of 54.77 to win the women’s 400m hurdles. She moves up to 8^th in the UK all-time list as a result of the fantastic run.

In the men’s 400m, Joe Brier (Matt Elias, Swansea) also produced the best of his career as he moved his lifetime best down to 45.84.

https://www.atletiek.nu/wedstrijd/chronoloog/35025/

Platinum PT Qualifier, Boston, USA, 29 May

European Indoor champion Amy-Eloise Markovc (Chris Fox, Wakefield) ran inside the Olympic qualifying standard for the 5000m in Boston with a time of 15:05.96.

After missing the 10,000m time by 0.91 seconds recently, this was an excellent response and sets her up well for next week’s European 10,000m Cup.

http://www.trianglewebscore.com/

Belfast Irish Milers Meet, 29 May

Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson, Pudsey and Bramley) ran an Olympic qualifying standard in the women’s 800m in Belfast, running a superb race to post a time of 1:58.52 which was a lifetime best. It is only the third time she has dipped under two minutes and her first time under the 1:59 barrier.

https://www.irishmilersclub.org/results-page

BMC Grand Prix, Manchester, 29 May

Oliver Dustin (Graeme Mason, Border) produced one of the races of his career as the European U20 champion won the men’s 800m in a time of 1:45.71 which was a personal best.

Dustin finished ahead of Commonwealth medallist Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg, Shaftesbury Barnet) who clocked a time of 1:46.32.

Jessica Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn) warmed-up for next week’s Muller British Athletics 10,000m Championships and European 10,000m Cup with a win in the women’s 1500m in a time of 4:07.92.

Results: https://www.britishmilersclub.com/result/manchester-sport-city-grand-prix-29th-may-2021-results/

NCAA East Preliminaries, Jacksonville, USA, 26-29 May

Amber Anning (Brighton and Hove) continued her fine start to the 2021 season as she lowered her PB in the 400m to 51.78.

Elsewhere, Katy-Ann McDonald (Adijat Mumunie, Blackheath & Bromley) recorded a career best in the women’s 800m, her time 2:01.67.

https://live.athletictiming.net/meets/10078/events

England Athletics Combined Events Championships, Bedford, 29-30 May

Jade O’Dowda (Toni Minichiello, Newham and Essex Beagles) led three Commonwealth qualifying performances in the senior heptathlon, while junior winner Abigail Pawlett (Joe Frost, Stockport T&F) secured a World U20 Championships qualifier at the England Athletics Combined Events Championships in Bedford this weekend.

Meanwhile, on a day of great performances and often close competition, Lewis Church (David Hull, Tonbridge) took the senior decathlon title and Callum Newby (Edinburgh) dominated the junior equivalent.

Read the reports from England Athletics. Day one and two.

BIGish, Bedford, 31 May

Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) cleared an outdoor season best of 1.93m and narrowly missed a bar at 1.96m in the high jump at Bedford International Stadium. Also, Nikki Manson (Giffnock North) jumped an outdoor PB of 1.90m in the competition.

Tom Gale (Denis Doyle, Team Bath) won the men’s high jump with a best of 2.27m, a height he cleared on his second attempt.

F20 shot put world champion Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson, Deeside) threw 13.77m on her fifth attempt. It is just 14cm off her PB and will give the Paralympic bronze medallist a boost ahead of the Tokyo Paralympic Games.

Results: https://www.bedfordgames.co.uk/results-may-2021

Central Coast Micro Meeting, Hartnell, USA, 29 May

In his first competition since 2019, Commonwealth champion Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson, Border) opened his season with a throw of 78.08m in the men’s hammer.