4th July 2022
MULTIPLE BRITISH ATHLETES ADVANCE AT THE EUROPEAN U18 CHAMPIONSHIPS
It was a fantastic first evening for Great Britain and Northern Ireland as every athlete progressed through their respective discipline with a flurry of personal bests and even a National Record.
Mia McIntosh (coach: Jake Awe, club: Harrow) entered the Championships as the one to beat having recorded the European U18 leading time this summer. She further improved upon her European leading time, recording a British U18 record time of 13.22 (+1.4) to comfortably win her heat and qualify for Tuesday’s semi-finals.
McIntosh said, “Coming in wearing the blue number is amazing. It does put more pressure on me, but I channel it into positive energy, and I can’t wait for the next round.”
Daniel Goriola (John Gates, Bexley) powered out of the blocks to dominate his 110m hurdles heat, despite hitting the final hurdle he stopped the clock at 13.40 (+2.5) to record the second fastest time of the opening round.
After the race, Goriola commented, “I feel really good and am coming into these championships confident. I executed my race perfectly, my technique and running between the hurdles felt great. I crushed the last hurdle and clipped the one before so if I can eradicate those mistakes, I will be good for the semi-finals.”
In the 100m, Dejaune Lingard (Ryan Freckleton, Cambridge Harriers) equalled his personal best, 10.50 (+1.4), to win his heat and progress as the third fastest qualifier. He is joined in the semi-finals by 15-year-old Teddy Wilson (Tamunonengiye-Ofori Ossai, BFT Track Academy) who recorded a personal best of 10.53 (+0.7) in his heat finishing second.
Lingard commented post-race, “I’m happy with that, but the job is not done yet. I didn’t get the best start today and I had to work harder than I wanted to, but I’m through and that’s the main thing.”
Following his personal best performance, Wilson said, “It was an okay race; I didn’t get out how I wanted to, so I know what I need to do in the semi-final. I can take a lot of confidence from that run, knowing where I can make improvements.”
In the girls 100m, Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Andre Williams, Harrow) flew out of the blocks and eased to a time of 11.48 (+3.1) to comfortably win her heat.
Wedderburn-Goodison said, “I’m really pleased to get through to the semi-finals, I executed my race well and shut down at 60m to go. My coach and I had a plan coming into today and I’m happy it paid off and I am through to the next round.”
She will be joined in the semi-finals by Renee Regis (Tamunonengiye-Ofori Ossai, BFT Track Academy), who enters the championships as the number three seed and looked well in control as she won the opening heat in 11.66 (+1.7).
Regis added, “Today was all about doing what I needed to do, and I’m looking forward to coming back for the semi-finals tomorrow.”
Iris Downs (Colin Lancaster, Shrewsbury) and Ella Greenway (Joanna Evans, Cleethorpes) safely booked their places in Thursday’s 800m final recording times of 2:07.23 and 2:09.05 respectively.
Downs commented post-race, “I’m really pleased, it was a pretty fast race, they went off quite fast over the first 200m so I had to tell myself to relax, and they will come back to me, which they did. It was much closer than I thought but I had saved something for the final 100m”.
Greenway added, “I can safely say that is the fastest heat I have ever run. The leader took the race out, but I controlled my race and had enough left at the end to outsprint the other girl to qualify for the final.”
In the 1500m, Tendai Nyabadza (Andrew Ross, Harmeny) and Corey Campbell (Alister Russell, Team East Lothian) both qualified for Wednesday’s final in differing styles.
Nyabadza ran 3:54.46 to win heat two of two, while Campbell had to rely upon a fastest non-automatic qualifying spot having finished fifth in the opening heat in a time of 3:55.46. The heat was won in a Championship record time of 3:53.68 by Niels Laros (NED) and the high tempo nature of the heat certainly aided Campbell’s progression to the final
In the field, Libby White (David Watson, Ayr Seaforth) booked her place in the final with a 12.43m (+0.5) leap in the triple jump, whilst in the shot put, Paige Stevens (Alison Grey, Falkirk) and Cleo Agyepong (John Hillier, Blackheath & Bromley) both qualified for tomorrows final.
Stevens recorded a personal best throw of 16.46, which was also a Scottish U18 record, to automatically qualify, while Agyepong threw 15.82, the fourth longest throw of qualification to secure her place in the final.
In the heptathlon, Seren Rodgers (Steve Shaw, Taunton) recorded a throw of 11.73m for 643 points before winning her 200m heat in a personal best time of 25.16 (+1.5) which earned her 872 points. She sits in 10th place overnight with 3140 points.
Reflecting on her four events, Rodgers said: “It’s been a rollercoaster of a day, the hurdles did not go to plan, but I kept a positive mindset and cleared two personal bests in the high jump before coming back this evening to throw my second-longest ever shot and run a 200m personal best.”
Tomorrow morning will see our 2000m steeplechasers Luke Birdseye (Shireen Higgins, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) and Oliver Patton (Robert Hawkins, Kilbarchan) in action. Birdseye will race in heat one whilst Patton goes in heat two.
The 400m girls return for the semi-finals. Charlotte Henrich (Carlo Monticolombi, Invicta East Kent) was the fastest qualifier from the heats and will race in the first of the two semi-finals. Heat three winner Etty Sisson (Grant Barker, Charnwood) goes in the second semi-final.
In the 400m hurdles, Stephanie Okoro (Tony Benton, Havering) competes in heat two whilst Ophelia Pye (David Hemery, Marlborough Athletics) is drawn in the fourth and final heat.
In the 200m, Faith Akinbileje (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley), Jamie Carrott (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood) and Dean Patterson (Norrie Hay, Glasgow School of Sport) will be looking to progress to the semi-finals. Akinbileje and Patterson are drawn in heat two of the girls and boys races respectively, whilst Carrott goes in heat four.
The heptathlon enters its second day as Seren Rodgers (Steve Shaw, Taunton) competes in the long jump and javelin before the evening’s 800m. Meanwhile in the field, Kai Barham (Paul Head, Dartford Harriers) is in action in the hammer throw qualification, whilst in the shot put, Isaac Delaney (Michael Kiley, Preston) will also be throwing for a place in the final.
A live stream and live results will be available on the European Athletics website.