LAKE IMPRESSES AS MORE QUALIFY ON DAY TWO OF EURO INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Day two of action saw a handful of British athletes navigate qualifying rounds to progress onwards, including a confident performance from Morgan Lake (Yannick Tregaro, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

In women’s high jump qualifying, and requiring a clearance of 1.92M or a top eight finish to progress, Lake looked a picture of calm as she navigated the round with a clean scorecard.

Opening with a first-time clearance at 1.80m, Lake then smoothly navigated 1.85m at the first time of asking. Finishing up with another opening success at the next height of 1.89m to make it three jumps and three clearances, the 27-year-old will now target more of the same in Sunday’s final.

Speaking afterwards, Lake said: “I’m happy with that. This is what I came out to do and I really wanted to focus on first attempt clearances. The only goal of today was to make the final, I was like, I am going to do it, but I don’t know which way it was going to go, but I am happy with how it went.”

On her new coaching set-up in Sweden, Lake added: “It is going really well. I feel like I really needed a change in set up and change of life going into this new LA cycle. It has been really refreshing. I am really enjoying the training – it is completely different to what I have done before.”

With a top two finish needed to ensure automatic progression, and only two further next quickest spots available, Justin Davies (Martin Rush, Team Bath) squeezed through to the semi-finals of the men’s 800m following a storming closing 100m.

Tucked in at the back of the field through a swift opening 200m, Davies kept to his own running as much pushing and shoving evolved out in-front.

Moving up on the shoulder of Kramer (SWE) as the bell approached, Davies looked to rally down the back straight and did so, moving out and wide to lean himself into a third-place finish with 1:46.56, a time good enough to progress to the semi-finals.

An ecstatic Davies commented: “I didn’t know if I had made it as I crossed the line, it went off very quickly and my thought was to stick to lane 1 as long as possible, but I did run in lane 3 for a bit so that didn’t play out too well!

“I made it through and did what had to be done. I did feel like I had that extra gear as I was sticking to the back out there…it’s fantastic – a great result! Hopefully the semi-final goes the same way.”

Fresh from an indoor personal best less than a month ago, Thomas Randolph (Craig Winrow, Tamworth) attacked his own heat from the off and ensured he was tucked on the heels of leader Clarke (NED) through 400m. Straddling lane two to ensure no risk of being boxed in, Randolph took a notable bump and received a push at the bell, with two major falls behind him a consequence of such.

Perhaps sapped of energy from being knocked off his running, and with only three athletes left on their feet, Randolph was passed on the home straight by Wipfli (SWI) and was forced to settle for third in 1:48.47, the time not enough to progress.

“I put myself in a great position and the last lap happened and massively knocked me off my stride going into the back straight so very frustrating – I don’t know if much can be done about it,” said Randolph.

The third and final of the British men in 800m action, Jack Higgins (Mark Hookway, Tonbridge) faced a tough test as he lined up in the penultimate qualifying round.

Rolling with some early pushing and shoving, Higgins found himself in fourth of the five athletes through 400m as Wyderka (POL) kept the pace honest and the field strung. Fourth through the bell and with an increasing gap opening to the front, Higgins was reeled in by le Clezio (FRA) down the back straight and crossed over in 1:48.12.

Afterwards, Higgins said: “I wanted to get out and managed to get quite close to the front early on, sort of had to force my way into a position that probably wasn’t quite there. Then that third lap it started to get away from me and I couldn’t quite close the gap. It’s my first time at a championships, and I hope it’s the first of many – they’re all learning experiences.”

Women’s 800m action saw an unfortunate trio of misses on qualification, with Erin Wallace (Trevor Painter, Giffnock North) among those to miss out after a third-place finish in her qualifying heat.

Strong off the line, Wallace was pulled along by a notable opening 200m of 28 seconds, as led by Finland’s Maattanen. Needing to find a strong finish after sitting in fifth at the bell, Wallace motored down the home straight to pull herself into third and close contention for a non-automatic qualifying spot, her time 2:03, sadly it did not prove enough.

“Other races I have done (this season) haven’t gone well, and I have come away feeling quite upset about them. In that one I felt I got out quite strong and I kept my composure and tried to push on at the end. That was what I was planning on doing, and was just the result of it,” said Wallace.

Following shortly after, Grace Vans Agnew (Jon Bigg, Brighton Phoenix) settled into third off a conservative and bunched-up opening to proceedings.

Conscious to not allow any notable gap to open to front-runner Horvat (SLV). Vans Agnew looked to strike on the outside coming into the final fifty metres only to run out to track to push into the top two auto-qualifying spots, her time of 2:08.87 for third not enough to see her through to the semi-finals on time.

Post-race, Vans Agnew reflected: “It was just disappointing as I was so close to coming in the top two, but it is what it is. It was a slow one and I knew I had to be top two if I had any chance of going through, a tough one.”

“It was a great experience for me as it is my first champs; I was taking it all in. I didn’t have any expectations of myself and just wanted to enjoy it. I was trying to stay calm in the warm up area and not get too nervous.”

The last of the British trio in women’s 800m qualifying action, Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey), Boffey slotted into the inside line through 400m as the field went through in 63 seconds.

Making a decisive move for the front at the bell, Boffey pushed from fourth to second to be in contention for auto qualifying, only to be passed by fast finishers around her down the straight, her time of 2:04.28 not enough to progress.

Boffey said: “I just got in a major bash with 250m to go. I just needed to get into some clear space and I just went a bit too early. I’m disappointed in myself because that wasn’t my race plan. I’m just frustrated with myself – I am calmer and more collected than that.”

There were mixed fortunes for Britain’s three representatives in the women’s 400m heats, with qualification for Ama Pipi (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey), victory then followed by disqualification for Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove) and a personal best but sadly no progression for Poppy Malik (Grant Barker, Harrow).

Starting in lane four she produced a strong opening 150m before sweeping inside for the curb at the break in second place. Working hard down the back straight while needing to fend off the highly experienced and multi-medalled Swiety-Ersetic (POL) and Jichova (CZE).

Fading a little down the home straight but still working hard, Pipi initially claimed fourth place in a time of 52.18, before a disqualification for Jichova saw the Brit bumped up into third to claim one of the non-automatic qualifying spots available.

Outdoor British record holder Anning had appeared to cruise to a win in the first qualifying heat. Running from lane six, Anning led at the bell as the field broke. Looking smooth and controlled down the back straight, she extended her lead down the home straight cross over in 51.03 for a commanding victory, only to then be disqualified for a lane infringement over the opening 200m.

In qualifying heat two, Poppy Malik found herself fourth at the break and working hard to keep in touch with the fierce pace set up front by home favourite Klaver (NED). Running flat-out all the way through to the line, Malik clocked a personal best of 52.62 to come home in fifth, a personal best by 0.04 seconds.

Malik said: “I’m a little bit split. Part of me is so, so grateful to be here it is such an amazing experience and I’ve learnt so much more already. Half of me is a little but disappointed, I did want to run faster, but I’ve got so many more races ahead of me.”

Featuring two British representatives, the men’s equivalent saw Alex Haydock-Wilson just miss out on men’s 400m qualification courtesy of a non-automatic qualifying spot after a third place finish in his heat.

Facing down a tough start-list in the second of five heats, and with a keen eye needed on fast-finishing Frenchman Soudril and home favourite Phifjjers (NED), Haydock-Wilson pushed out fast and took the bell out in the lead.

Ensuing shoving off the bend saw the Brit bumped down into third, then fourth, before more jostling saw Haydock-Wilson back into third place into the straight. Pushing for the line while moving wide and into lane three, Haydock-Wilson crossed over in 46.83 for third, with a time that just missed out on H qualification.

He said: “I wasn’t ready for the boxing match! It felt quite comfy, it just all got tangled. I was like ‘oh this is lost’, but then I was going through and feeling well ‘you know what I am still going fast, I have strength in my legs’. But we got to that last 30 and I’d just not found my stride and didn’t get to wind it up.”

Efekemo Okoro (Felipe Siqueria, Birchfield Harriers) then lined up in the penultimate heat, the outdoor 400m hurdles specialist facing something of an uphill task running out of lane one. Fighting his way into fifth at the bell, though with a field of four breaking away in front of him.

Working all the way to the line, Okoro clocked 47.05 for a commendable fifth, though not enough to progress.

He reflected: “I am a little gutted, but it is what it is; I did my best. It wasn’t easy from lane one. It is a nice atmosphere and it is good to put on a Union Jack and run for the country.”

In horizontal jumps qualifying action, British champion Alice Hopkins (Linford Christie, Oxford City) marked her first British senior appearance with a tenth-place finish in women’s long jump qualifying.

Chasing the automatic qualifying mark of 6.65m or a top eight finish, Hopkins fouled her first attempt before notching a 6.46m attempt in round two. Unable to improve on this in round three, Hopkins closed her three attempts with 6.35m to sadly bow out of the championships.

Post-competition, Hopkins said: “The Tuesday when I found out I was in the team I was 19th, and it was top 18 to go, so I thought ‘it is what it is’. Then I was in the dentist chair and my friends texted me to say I had moved up to 18th – so I was thinking this was a bonus for my indoor season. I had some individual goals to get a personal best and win the British championships, so to come here is a bonus, and I am proud to put the GB vest on.”

Senior team debutant Efe Uwaifo (Daniel Hooker, Harrow) was the final British athlete in action, competing in men’s triple jump qualifying, with 16.70m the auto-mark or a top eight finish required to progress.

Requiring some of the jumps of his life to trouble a finalist spot, the British indoor and outdoor champion registered a no-jump with his opening effort before improving to 15.66m with his second attempt. With a final leap of 15.34m he finished 16^th in the qualifying round.

He said: “It is one of those things, the opportunity and the experience was great for me but now I know what it is like hopefully next time I won’t have the same issues.

“I started my indoor season in good shape but over the last few weeks I had a few nagging injuries that has disrupted my training and rhythm of my jumping. So I have tried to come here with a different run up that would be a bit more consistent but the runway was really fast! I fouled all my warm-ups so came in to the competition without having a clean run up.”

Tonight’s session starts with women’s 400m semi finals at 19:58 CET

Great Britain & Northern Ireland have won one medal at the European Indoor Athletics Championships:

Gold

Silver

Bronze

 Mixed 4x400m Relay

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