British athletes star in Continental Tour meetings in Székesfehérvár and Bydgoszcz

World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting, Bydgoszcz, Poland (Irena Szewinska Memorial)

Four British athletes – Cameron Fillery, Elliot Giles, Jemma Reekie and Rabah Yousif triumphed in Bydgoszcz at the World Athletics Continental Tour bronze meeting

There was a commanding display from Jemma Reekie (Andy Young; Kilbarchan) in the women’s 1500m as she recorded another victory to add to her ever-growing list this season. After comfortably holding the inside line behind the pacemaker for much of the contest, she powered on once she had the freedom to push the pace, moving away from her opponents to win in 4:09.01.

Amy Griffiths (Rob Denmark; Aldershot Farnham & District) ran a solid race for fourth in 4:12.30 while Erin Wallace (Andy Young; Giffnock North) sliced over two seconds off her personal best with her new mark standing at 4:12.57; she placed in fifth.

There was another strong showing in the middle-distance events, this time from Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield) who won a stacked men’s 800m contest. Giles, like Reekie, ran a sensible race, holding the inside line and pushed on over the final 200m and held off the chase of Marco Arop (CAN) and Joseph Deng (AUS) to take the win in 1:45.18.

In a scrap for the line amongst the rest of the field, Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet) claimed sixth in 1:46.45 while Guy Learmonth (Justin Rinaldi; Lasswade) was 10^th in 1:47.21.

The evening had started off in the best possible way for the British contingent as Cameron Fillery (Michael Baker; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) secured victory in the men’s 110m hurdles final. He was just 0.01 seconds outside his personal best in the process, his time recorded at 13.55 (+0.6), to mark a fantastic return to the action for the European U23 bronze medallist.

Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles) produced a valiant effort to hold off Poland’s Kajetan Duszynski and seal the victory over 400m, setting a season best of 46.39; both athletes given the same time.

The women’s 800m was another highly entertaining contest which saw Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill) and Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson; Pudsey & Bramley) come home in third and fourth respectively.

As all the athletes lined up behind the pacemaker on the back straight, the race came to life in the last 250 metres. As the Pole Joanna Joswik pushed to the front, Muir sat on her shoulder as they entered the home straight but with several athletes still in contention it was all to play for.

Benin’s Noelie Yarigo ran a superb closing 100m to take the victory while Muir was overtaken by Sofia Ennaoui (POL) in the last few strides, and the fast finishing Bell was narrowly behind her compatriot in a time of 2:00.40 to Muir’s 2:00.34.

In the final race of the evening on the track, Piers Copeland (Bob Smith; Wimborne) and Sol Sweeney (Andy Young; Perth Strathtay) competed over the unique distance of 2000m. The former showed his pedigree over a sprint finish, overhauling several athletes to claim fourth place in 4:57.61. As for Sweeney, he finished in eighth, recording a time of 5:06.26.

Daryll Neita (Rana Reider; Cambridge) was fifth in the women’s 100m final in a time of 11.31 (1.3). It was an improvement on her heat where she ran 11.45.

Emily Diamond (Benke Blomkvist; Bristol & West) and Ama Pipi (Linford Christie; Enfield & Haringey) were sixth and eighth respectively in the women’s 400m final, crossing the line in 52.96, a season best for Diamond, and 53.80 for Pipi.

Results

World Athletics Continental Tour Gold Meeting, Székesfehérvár, Hungary (Gyulai István Memorial)

The World Athletics Continental Tour was back underway in Székesfehérvár, Hungary at the Gold meeting event with a top three performances for Adam Gemili, Laviai Nielsen and David King, while there was a personal best for Jessie Knight.

It was a busy evening for Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley) as he ran over 100m and 200m with just over an hour in between those races. He placed second behind Noah Lyles (USA) over the 100m as he recorded a season best of 10.28 (+0.3) for second place.

He later returned for the 200m where he clocked 20.56 (+1.3) which was an improvement from his run at the Monaco Diamond League. He was third while the race was won, again, by Lyles in 20.13.

Earlier in the programme there was a season best for Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey) and a personal best for Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong; Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) in the women’s 400m.

Nielsen improved on her season opener from Sopot, finishing strongly to finish third in 52.24, while Knight, who specialises in the 400m hurdles, recorded a PB on the flat, posting a time of 52.52 to continue her superb form in 2020.

Dai Greene (Benke Blomkvist; Swansea) opened his season with a time of 51.06 in the 400m hurdles, coming home in fourth behind David Kendziera (USA) who won in 50.00.

After opening her season last week in Turku, Abigail Irozuru (self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester) was back in long jump action, leaping a best of 6.46 metres on her third attempt. Sporting a woolly hat due to the wet and windy conditions early in the event, Irozuru followed that effort with 6.33m, 6.37m and 6.36m which saw her finish in fifth overall, just down on her season best of 6.52m.

Shara Proctor (Rana Reider; Birchfield) exited the competition after three jumps with 5.76 metres the furthest of her series; only the top eight progressing to the latter part of the event.

In an untidy men’s 110m hurdles A final, Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon) was sixth in 13.60 (0.3) after clipping the last few hurdles.

In the B Final, David King (City of Plymouth) ran one of the quickest times of his career, stopping the clock at 13.51 (+0.9), just 0.03 seconds shy of his personal best. He was a contender for the win across the contest but a strong finishing Jason Joseph (SUI) just pushed him into second.

In the field, there was a seventh-place finish for Lawrence Okoye (Croydon) in the men’s discus, his best effort of the competition coming on his fourth attempt, measured at 62.53 metres.

Results