4th July 2017
Taylor-Jemmett and Murphy shine as British team take fourth in Tallinn
The British Athletics team secured a very creditable fourth place in the Super League of the European Combined Events Team Championships in Tallinn last weekend – the team’s highest placing since the joint men’s and women’s competition was introduced in 2013.
In challenging conditions with high winds and cool temperatures, Andrew Murphy (Colin Sinclair) got the team off to a great start with 11.31 (-1.1) in the 100m and in the second heat James Finney (Sam Stanislaus) was equally impressive setting a new PB with 11.08.
In the high jump, Finney and Murphy again delivered with Finney equalling his personal best of 2.01m, a height he last cleared four years ago, and Murphy producing a lifetime best of 1.98m.
At the end of day one, an outstanding 23.69 in the 200m for JessicaTaylor-Jemmett (Mike Holmes), despite a headwind of 2.8m/s, ensured the team lay fourth overnight.
The tough conditions on day two took their toll when Finney fell in the 110m hurdles and had to withdraw from the remaining competition. The team picked up some valuable points with Taylor-Jemmett’s second place with a leap of 6.13m in the long jump. In the penultimate event, the women’s 800m, Jo Rowland (Toni Minniciello) closely followed by Taylor-Jemmett were first and second in their heat, seventh and ninth overall, in 2:17.12 and 2:17.13 respectively.
This put the British team back up to fourth going into the final event of the Championships, the men’s 1500m. An outstanding run from Ben Gregory (Aston Moore) finishing in 4:16.44 and a personal best of 4:41.69 from Murphy ensured they held on to that fourth place.
Overall, the event was won by Ukraine with the home country, Estonia in second place.
Full results are available here