1st July 2019

WEEKEND UPDATE

British Grand Prix of Racing Walking (World Championship Trials), Roundhay Park, Leeds, 30 June

Sunday saw a great day of walking in Leeds as the best of Britain battled it out for places on the plane to Doha for the World Championships. World Junior champion Callum Wilkinson (coach: Andi Drake) came of age over 20km as he scored a fine victory, just shy of his personal best, to get the better of Tom Bosworth (Drake). Wilkinson broke the tape in 81.46, with Bosworth coming home in 84.10, but that duo got the better of an international field to secure their places on the plane to Doha. Wilkinson is likely to contest the medals at the European U23 Championships prior to that, however.

In the women’s race, Heather Lewis (Martin Bell) showed her rivals a clean pair of heels, the Welshwoman winning by two minutes in 94.49, a fine personal best. That was a PB and the fifth fastest ever time by a British Athlete. Second was Bethan Davies (Drake) took the silver medal clocking a seasons best of 1:36:59 while Erika Kelly (Northern) took 3rd in 1:42:54

Results

 

European Athletics Classic Meetings, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, 30 June

Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan; Herts Phoenix) smashed her 400m lifetime best on Sunday in Switzerland as she won her women’s 400m race in a stunning 51.22, the fastest time of the day. Having already run a 100m PB this year and looked good over 200m, the step up to 400m showed Williams’ class in another event as well. Third in the A race, Emily Diamond (Benke Blomkvist; Bristol & West) ran a fine 51.74 season’s best, which puts her third on the Power of 10 rankings, which Williams now tops.

Known for its fast times due to being at 992m elevation, La Chaux-de-Fonds often throws up great conditions, with Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Steve Fudge; Sutton & District) another to profit as she ran a personal best of 11.09 (1.9) to finish third in the women’s 100m. In the men’s race Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist; Sutton & District) was fourth in 10.13 (0.1) having run a heavily wind assisted 10.00 in the heats.

The men’s 400m saw Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan; Hercules Wimbledon) run a season’s best of 45.77 for second, whilst Khai Riley-La Borde (Ray Gibbins; Enfield & Haringey) ran a 13.67s season’s best in his heat of the 110mH. Chukwudi Onyia (John Scott; Edinburgh AC) was the only Brit in action in the field, but he set a triple jump personal best of 15.90m for eighth.

Results

 

BMC Grand Prix, Watford, 29 June

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh AC) returned from injury in some style, his opening race of the 2019 season seeing him beat a quality field to secure the World Championship qualifying standard. Contesting the 800m at Watford, Wightman kicked clear to stop the clock in 1.45.55, just ahead of fellow 1500m specialist Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg; Brighton Phoenix) and Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield), that pair also going inside the required time for Doha with 1:45.72 and 1:45.80 times respectively.

Spencer Thomas (Bigg) finished fourth in 1:46.19, inside the European U23 qualifying time, whilst in winning the B race in 1.46.84 Oliver Dustin bagged the European U20 qualifier, becoming the third British junior inside 1.47 in 2019.

The women’s A race was just as good as another 1500m specialist, Sarah McDonald (David Harmer), showed a great turn of pace to streak clear of the field and win in a World Championship qualifier of 2.00.15, a big personal best. Also running well for second and third were Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson; Pudsey & Bramley) and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) who posted times of 2.01.36 and 2.01.47 respectively.

In the 1500m Andrew Butchart (Central) posted his quickest time for almost three years to win in 3.38.84, with James McMurray (Deborah Steer; St Albans AC) hot on his heels in a PB of 3.39.02, whilst Archie Davies (Joel Kidger; Brighton Phoenix) and George Mills (Bigg; Brighton Phoenix) both ran 3:40 personal bests to secure the European U23 qualifying standard.

The meeting also incorporated the 3000m trial races for the places on the British team for the European Juniors, with European Youth 1500m champion Thomas Keen (Mark Vile; Cambridge & Coleridge) winning the men’s race in 8.18.41, just ahead of Max Heyden (Mick Woods; Aldershot, Farnham & District), whilst Saskia Millard (Luke Gunn; Herne Hill) and Eloise Walker (John Lees; Edinburgh) went 1-2 in the women’s race, both running PBs and inside the European Junior qualifying standards. In the women’s 5,000m Emily Hosker-Thornhill (Woods; Aldershot, Farnham & District) was a clear winner in a fine personal best of 15:46.22, whilst Remi Adebiyi (Darryn McAtee; Newport) ran 9:01.61 in the 3,000m steeplechase, a European Junior qualifier.

Results

 

Bonus Track Meeting, Nottwil, Switzerland, 29 June

Cameron Fillery (Michael Baker; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) continued his progress in the 100m hurdles, the Loughborough University student once again lowering his personal best, as he has done consistently in 2019. With two series of races on offer Fillery first ran 13.69 (0.7), just one hundredth shy of his personal best, before breaking it with a 13.67 (0.7) run in the second series; Fillery duly won both races.

Results

 

British Wheelchair Athletics Association Grand Prix, Stoke Mandeville, 30 June

Danny Sidbury (Christine Parsloe) revised his personal best in the T54 400m, improving by 0.01s, the narrowest of margins, to win the race. Training partner Michael McCabe (Parsloe) also improved significantly, going under 50 seconds for the first time, stopping the clock at 49.47. Dillon Labrooy (Jenny Archer) posted a season best of 50.01, while Mo Jomni (Archer) crossed the line in 52.36. Josh Hartley (Job King) also improved his PB to 54.28, taking over two seconds off previous best.

In her first track event of the season, Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Archer) geared up for the World Para Athletics Junior Championships, posting a time of 63:00 over the T54 400m.

In her first season in para athletics after previously being a swimmer, Fabienne Andre (Archer) posted a PB in the T34 400m of 68.58.

 

Western States 100, California, 29-30 June

British ultra -distance internationals delivered superb performances at the classic Western States Endurance Run 100mile race, run over a course from Squaw Valley to Auburn in California

Tom Evans (Alison Bentham) – bronze medallist at the 2018 world ultra-trail championships – was running his first 100-mile event and finished in third position overall among a class field. His time of 14 hours 59 minutes and 44 seconds was only the fifth time someone has dipped under the 15-hour barrier in the event. The American, Jim Walmsley, won in  14.09.28 breaking his own course record set in 2018 by 20 minutes.

Beth Pascall (Martin Cox) finished fourth in the women’s event in 18.06.51, the highest placing by a British female athlete since Ellis Greenwood’s victories in 2011 and 2012.

Ian Sharman and Paul Giblin finished 15th and 16th respectively.

 

Team East Lothian Open (Track), Meadowmill, 28 June

The European T35 champion Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie) ran a season best over 100m, clocking 14.72 (-1.9) in her first race since February.

Results

 

Bestseller Goleniów Athletics Park, Goleniów, Poland, 26 June

Rabah Yousif took 400m victory out in Poland on Wednesday night, in doing so posting his fastest time since 2015, his 45.23 a World Championship qualifying mark, which puts him top of the Power of 10 rankings. In the men’s 800m Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb; Liverpool) finished third in a season’s best of 1.46.21, whilst Jess Turner (Nick Dakin; Amber Valley & Erewash) also stepped onto the podium with a 56.78 run in the women’s 400mH.

Results

 

Lee Valley Four Fest Open, Lee Valley, 26 June

Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo; Shaftesbury Barnet) was the pick of the bunch competing in London midweek as she won the 100m in 11.25 (1.8), having run 11.40 in an earlier race to edge out Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill) who clocked 11.42. Theo Etienne (Ryan Freckleton) was quickest Brit in the men’s event as he ran 10.26 (1.2), a season’s best.

Results