21st July 2018
O'HARE SETS NEW SCOTTISH RECORD IN MONACO
Chris O’Hare’s (coach: Terrence Mahon) late decision to fit two races in three days paid off as he set a new Scottish 1500m record on the first of his outings at the Monaco Diamond League.
O’Hare, the reigning British champion and off to the European Championships after a fine run just shy of three weeks ago, clocked 3:32.11 to break his own Scottish record and move sixth on the UK all-time list.
He took exactly one and a half seconds off the mark he set at Monaco 12 months ago to place ninth in a race won by Timothy Cheruiyot in a world lead 3:28.41.
It was justification for a late decision to run in the principality with plans already firmed up to compete over the same distance at the Müller Anniversary Games in London two days later.
He said: “I just went out a little bit too quick. I didn’t want to get stuck and I didn’t want to be the one to bridge any gaps. I only found out on Wednesday night that I was in the race – the plan was only to race on Sunday so I’d done a session on Wednesday morning, which isn’t ideal but I’m still happy with that.”
Scottish compatriot Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman), second at the Müller British Athletics Championships three weeks ago to book his place at the European Championships, was also on personal best form.
Like O’Hare, Wightman has scheduled a double header for the weekend and began with a personal best 3:33.96 for 12th behind O’Hare in that fast 1500m in Monaco.
Wightman will run the 800m in London and bettered his previous best over 1500m by 0.21. that time set during his breakthrough Diamond League victory in Oslo last year, as he continues a good run of form building to the European Championships in Berlin.
There were four Brits in action in total in Monaco with Rosie Clarke (David Harmer) involved in an historic 3000m steeplechase that saw Beatrice Chepkoech break the world record.
Chepkoech clocked 8:44.32 for the new mark while Clarke, who has been in fine form this season and is the reigning British champion and off to Berlin, was 14th in 9:38.71.
Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson) completed the British quartet in action and has been enjoying a great past month, setting a season’s best 4.80m in Germany in the week, but struggled with grip issues and did not register a height in Monaco.