O’DOWDA ENJOYS MAGNIFICENT PENTATHLON OPENING, WHILE FOUR QUALIFY THROUGH TO FINAL EVENING

Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham & Essex Beagles) enjoyed a magnificent opening to the women’s pentathlon, while there were successful progressions for Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York) in the men’s shot put, and the trio of Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley), Joy Eze (Michael Donnelly, Gateshead) and Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood) in the 60m on the final morning of action at the European Indoor Championships in Apeldoorn, Netherlands.

Up at the crack of dawn to get her women’s pentathlon journey underway, O’Dowda kicked off a stacked day of competition with the 60m hurdles. Chasing a good start to proceedings, she delivered just that as she ran a clean and swift race to clock a huge personal best of 8.30 – her previous quickest being 8.45 – to rack up 1061 points.

Commonwealth bronze medallist in 2022, O’Dowda continued her magnificent morning in the high jump, with first-time clearances at 1.75m and 1.78m followed by second-time successes at 1.81m and 1.84m.

The best was yet to come though, with a brilliant clutch third-time clearance at 1.87m, a new personal best, bringing up a shriek of delight and 1067 points. Two failures followed at 1.90m, before O’Dowda decided to retire and turn her attention to the shot put.

With three attempts to play with, O’Dowda opened by throwing out to 13.46m to add 2cm to her lifetime best and bring up a third personal best from three events, the distance good for 758 points. 13.26m followed in round two, with a closing 12.88m effort seeing her wrap up her first three events with a total score of 2886 to see her placed in third heading into the long jump and 800m later today.

Speaking after her morning, she said: “It feels great – I wasn’t too sure what to expect coming into the championships, so to run a PB in the hurdles and then PB in the high jump…it’s like ‘woah – off to a good start’. It’s one event at a time – focus on that one, then onto the next.”

The British team were represented by three women in the men’s 60m, British champion and vastly experienced Bianca Williams first up in the first of five heats, with the first four from each going straight through, and the next four quickest on time going through as non-automatic qualifiers.

In fine form over 60m having produced no less than five personal best times this year – the most recent a run of 7.16 just last week in Madrid – Williams was out well, with her acceleration phase moving her through from 30m or so to dip over in 7.20 for second place and a secure progression.

Speaking before then preparing for the afternoon to come, Williams said: “It was nice actually to get going I have been here for a couple of days now. I feel like my start could be a lot better but the pick-up and everything else was good. It’s always the first race you get really nervous, especially when you are waiting so long”

Next up on track, Joy Eze followed Williams’ lead to also progress, clocking exactly the same time as her countrywoman – 7.20 – to bring up a third-place finish in her heat after a blistering start that saw her out in front through 40m. Notably, the time is her second quickest time ever following a 7.19 personal best set last month.

Ecstatic after her British senior debut, Eze said: “That was amazing. I couldn’t believe it; it was so surreal. To go from watching the European outdoors last year to now being in it, it’s like a full circle moment.

“It’s been different to what I’m used to in terms of do the juniors, I’m more used to performing in the first few days so it has been good to sit back and watch the rest of the team. It’s been inspiring really; it’s made me ready to go today.”

The final of the trio to compete, Amy Hunt ensured it was trio of successes as she too progressed, her fourth-place finish bringing up a new personal best of 7.17 seconds in a race which also six other personal bests and a European U23 record set.

Keeping her cool after the field were pulled back not once but twice, and despite being left in the blocks somewhat, Hunt turned on the jets to motor through in the final fifteen metres and dip over for fourth and a revision of her quickest ever time.

That felt really good after the chaos of the start, I don’t know why they kept recalling us it was a bit of a mess but everyone else is dealing with the same thing, so you just have to get going,” Hunt said.

“I really thought my execution was terrible in that race so to come away with a PB is really good, and it means in the semis we can just ‘unleash the beast’. Imagine what I can do when I get it right!”

In early field qualifying action, British team captain Scott Lincoln chased the auto qualifying mark of 21.00m, or a top eight finish, to progress in the men’s shot put.

No stranger to the international stage in a British vest, Lincoln threw out a notable 20.54m with the first of his three efforts. Followed up with a foul in round two, Lincoln then produced 19.77m with his final effort to conclude the qualifying in fifth place and comfortably heading through to this evening’s final.

Speaking afterwards, Lincoln said: “This time of the morning is hard because we are not caffeine-d up, and I usually am for competition. I am trying to keep as much energy as possible to go into the final later. I knew after round one I should be in the final with that throw so I went through the motions. I am all set for later. A couple of the favourites have dropped out, and it is all to play for.”

Great Britain & Northern Ireland have won four medals at the European Indoor Athletics Championships:

Gold

Jeremiah Azu, Men’s 60m

Bronze

Andrew Robertson, Men’s 60m

Mixed 4x400m Relay

Revee Walcott Nolan, Women’s 1500m

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