30th June 2019

HUNT SMASHES BRITISH JUNIOR 200M RECORD AS BRITISH JUNIORS SHINE IN MANNHEIM

The British Junior team starred at the Mannheim Gala with personal bests, European leading marks and British U20 records headlining the performances.

Amy Hunt (coach: Joe McDonnell; club: Charnwood) was arguably the standout performer as she broke Dina Asher-Smith’s British Under-20 record over 200m with a 22.42s (1.7) run to win the women’s 200m.

Hunt’s perfect race also earned her the world Under-18 200m record and places her as the third fastest British woman over the distance this year and backs up her selection in the British team for the European U20 Championships in Boras, Sweden.

Josh Zeller (Adrian Brown; Bracknell AC), also starred as he clocked a European leading mark of 13.26s (no wind), having clocked 13.30s (0.4) in the heats of the men’s 110m hurdles. That time places Zeller as the second fastest British junior of all time, behind only David Omoregie.

Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover) continued her terrific form as she recorded personal best marks in the long jump, javelin, 200m and 100m hurdles over the two-day event.

Mills notched 13.56s (-0.6) in the hurdles as she finished behind Lucy-Jane Matthews (Andrew Fisher; Southampton), who clocked a speedy 13.51s (-0.6) to take victory in a personal best time and added a 32.95m javelin PB to her tally in her second event of the meeting.

A 6.51m (0.6) long jump best then followed on day two of competition for the 2016 European U18 Championship long jump champion, followed by a 200m personal best of 24.13m (107) to round off a near-perfect competition for the teenager.

Seamus Derbyshire (Nick Dakin; City of Stoke) was also in personal best form, finishing in second place in the men’s 400m hurdles in 51.24s, behind British U20 record holder Alastair Chalmers (James Hillier; Guernsey), who won in 50.60s.

Chad Miller (Ryan Freckleton; Hercules Wimbledon) & Tobi Ogunkanmi (Watford) both hit the European Under-20 qualification time with respective 10.43 (no wind) and 10.52 (no wind) times as they locked out the front two places in their races.

There were a trio of personal bests for Joe Ferguson (Lewis Samuel; Leeds City), Praise Olatoke (Colin Sinclair; Kilbarchan) and Fraser Angus (Ryan McAllister; Giffnock North) over 200m with the trio clocking 20.76s (1.3), 20.95 (1.3) and 21.22 (1.3) to occupy the top three places in their race.

On his British debut, Stephen MacKenzie (Linda Nicholson; Pitreavie) recorded a wind-assisted best of 7.49m (2.1) in the men’s long jump, good enough for fifth place, while Marcey Winter’s 59,12s run in the women’s 400m hurdles earned her a second place finish.

James Tomlinson (Paul Jensen; Pembrokeshire) and Ben Hawkes (Eric Davison; Worthing) both took respective second-place finishes in the discus and the hammer respectively, with 58.32m and 69.50m respectively. Sarah Omoregie (Gareth Lease; Cardiff) also notched a sixth place finish in the shot put with a 14.46m.

The men’s 4x100m relay team ran a best of 40.04s on day one of competition, with the women’s team recording a best time of 44.29s, also secured on Saturday. The relay teams have been working together with the British Athletics Futures Relay Programme.

With new additions coming into the team in Mannheim, they have highlighted their good progress and preparation for the European Junior Championships.

Full results from this weekend’s action in Mannheim can be found here.