Edoburun secures gold on day two in Bydgoszcz

Ojie Edoburun (Coach: Jonas Dodoo) secured Britain’s first medal at the Euro U23 Championships in Poland – claiming the 100m title in the Zawisza Stadium.

And his Bydgoszcz gold made it a superb double for the 21-year-old as he followed up a similar success at the Euro Juniors in Sweden two years ago.

Edoburun shrugged off the effects of a stomach problem to win in 10.14 – only two hundredths shy of his PB – with his British team-mate, Reuben Arthur (Ryan Freckleton), coming home in fifth place (10.39).

‘I’m thrilled to be European U23 champion and I’m delighted to go so close to my PB in a championship final,’ said Edoburn, who is the sixth British winner of the U23 title.

‘I won the U20 gold in Sweden two years ago so I guess now I have to be aiming for the Senior one at the Europeans in 2019! Seriously, it means a lot to have followed up on what I did in 2015 and to show that I can fulfil my potential.

‘I went to Rio last summer and credit to those who picked me for that because it helped give me so much motivation and I want to thank my family, my coach and British Athletics.

‘Last night, I was really struggling. My stomach wasn’t great and I’d a chest cough and I just couldn’t believe it was happening this week.

‘But, in the end, I was the fastest guy on times here and I’ve proved fastest in the races. That means a lot to me because you have to get out there and, really, you don’t have any excuses when you stand on that line.’

Edoburn’s emotions contrasted sharply with those of Imani Lansiquot (Dodoo) minutes prior to the men’s final.

The Brit was nursing an injury to her left leg since the semi-final and was disappointed with a fourth place after a photo finish in a time of 11.58 with Germany’s Sina Mayer. Poland’s local heroine, Ewa Swoboda, took the gold.

Taylor Cambell (John Pearson) was another to experience the bitter taste of fourth place in Bydgoszcz. The hammer thrower lost out on a medal by a single centimetre with his 70.59m deferring to 70.60m by Germany’s Alexej Mikhailov for bronze.

‘It’s heart-breaking, really,’ said Campbell. ‘To come fourth in any competition is the worst and then to do so by the smallest margin there is in the throws makes it even worse. I got the 70.59 in my first throw but just could not build on it unfortunately.’

There was a fourth place, too, in the long jump final as Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Zivile Pukstiene) reached a best of 7.83m.

Three British athletes contested the Women’s 10,000m final won by Turk Yasemin Can in a Championship Record of 31.39.80. Phoebe Law (Mick Woods) added to the list of fourth place finishes (33.40.75) with Jenny Nesbitt (David Walker) just behind in sixth in 33.50.37. Philippa Bowden (Mick Woods) came home in eighth in 34.04.57.
‘I’m really happy with fourth in that company,’ said Law. ‘The girl in front kicked away and I couldn’t get it back – the gap became too much. There was confusion over the laps remaining, definitely, but Jenny’s watch was beeping so that helped us.’

Amy Holder (Neville Thomson) featured in the Women’s discus final and finished ninth with a best throw of 51.81m.

Laviai Nielsen (Frank Adams) has a 400m final to look forward to on Saturday evening after a heat win in 52.80.

‘I’m looking forward to it and I don’t think there is a clear favourite,’ said Nielsen.

‘From my point of view that’s quite nice because two years ago I was clear favourite. I think this time I feel more like the underdog and can focus just on what I’m doing. Hopefully I will get a decent lane draw.’

It was similar for Cameron Chalmers (James Hiller) as he ran 46.32 to take the third automatic qualifying slot from his semi-final to get the job done.

The 200m Women were involved in heats and Ama Pipi (Ronnye Harrison), with 23.37 seconds, and Finette Agyapong (Coral Nourrice), with 23.04 both made into the semi-finals. That was a PB for a delighted Agyapong – quicker by two tenths from 23.24.

There were sprint hurdles qualifications early in the day for Yasmin Miller (Robert Smith), Khia Riley-La Borde (Ray Gibbins/Richard Turner) and James Weaver (Laura Turner-Alleyne). In the semis, With Miller duly qualifying for the final in third in 13.40.

In the pole vault, Charlie Myers (Chris Boundy) went through at 5.25m, whilst Amy Griffiths (Rob Denmark) in the 1500m and Daniel Rowden (Richard Thurston/John Stow) in the 800m also enjoyed safe passage to their respective finals.

Jess Turner (Nick Dakin) did the job required, too, with 58.54 for second in her 400m heat and Jack Lawrie (Roy Buchanan) repeated that in exactly the same fashion, second of three automatic places, with 50.40. Then Jacob Paul (Marina Armstrong) made it three out of three progressions in the 400m hurdles with a run of 51.04 – again for a very straight-forward second place.

In the men’s 3000m steeplechase heats, another two British athletes made a final – Daniel Jarvis (Mick Woods) and Jamaine Coleman (Andy Bibby). Coleman won the second heat in 8.50.15 but Jarvis had to wait on his time of 8.52.65 before being confirmed as 13th, as 15 athletes progressed.

Heptathlete Katie Stainton (Kelly Sotherton) ended her competition with a second place in the 800m in 2.13.17 and that took her to 5836 points – and seventh place overall.

‘I was looking for a top eight finish even though this is my first champs – so I’m very happy with seventh,’ said Katie.

‘That was with a shocking high jump that was 10cm below my PB, which cost me a lot of points. I think last year I’d have crumbled with that happening in the second event but it’s good I didn’t here and the points tally is not too far off my PB.’