6th July 2020
WEEKEND UPDATE - 06/07/2020
Rieti Trophy Meet, Reiti, Italy, July 4
Andrew Pozzi (coach: Santiago Antunez; club: Stratford-upon-Avon) opened his 2020 outdoor season with victory in Italy and a world leading time as he became one of the first British internationals to return to competitive action since the coronavirus pandemic.
Pozzi, who lives and trains in Italy, clocked 13.44s (0.2) in his heat, to take the victory and move above Switzerland’s Jason Joseph in the current world rankings. He followed up his opening round victory with another solid showing in the final, stopping the clock in 13.48s (0.8) to ensure he continued his unbeaten start to 2020, following a faultless indoor season.
Showdown in Otown, Montverde, Florida, July 4
Across the Atlantic in the United States, Matt Hudson-Smith (Lance Brauman; Birchfield) and Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley) kicked off their 2020 seasons with respectable showings in Florida.
Hudson-Smith climbed to the top of the British rankings and moved to second fastest in the world this year after taking victory by a hair in the men’s 400m with his fastest time for almost a year, stopping the clock in 45.55s, just ahead of Jhon Alejandro Perlaza, who cut the tape second in 45.56s.
For British champion and world 4x100m silver medallist Gemili, he put himself top of the British rankings for 2020, courtesy of a best effort of 10.39s (-0.1). In his two races in the sunshine state, he clocked a 10.51s (0.2) time that saw him home in fourth position from his preliminary race.
In his final, he stepped things up and notched his season’s best of 10.39s (-0.1) to take victory by 0.03s from American Jaylen Bacon, who clocked 10.42s.
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