17th August 2020

WEEKEND UPDATE - 17/08/2020

Memorial Wiesława Maniaka, Szczecin, Poland, 16 August

British record holder in the women’s pole vault Holly Bradshaw (coach: Scott Simpson; club: Blackburn) continued her build-up towards the Müller British Athletics Championships with victory in the women’s pole vault courtesy of a 4.70m clearance.

Bradshaw made light work of taking victory in the competition and her opening clearance of 4.50m secured top spot, backed up by second time clearances at both 4.60m and her winning mark of 4.70m. Once again, she went for the British outdoor record with three efforts at 4.82m but wasn’t able to get herself over the bar as she took her second victory in three outdoor meetings in 2020.

On the track, Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) was a fraction outside her 400m hurdles personal best as she took victory with a 55.45s effort. From lane four, Knight produced an excellent performance that saw her take victory by more than seven tenths of a second, with Lina Nielsen (Ryan Freckleton; Shaftesbury Barnet) fourth in 58.01s.

In her second of two meetings in a matter of days, Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson; Pudsey & Bramley) led a British one-two over 800m and moved fourth on the British 2020 rankings with a 2:00.28, with Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow; Guildford & Godalming) second in 2:00.99.

Oliver Dustin (Graeme Mason; Border) recorded a 1000m personal best of 2:29.83 to take fifth place, with Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles) also recording a fifth place finish over 400m, with a season’s best 46.89s.

Results

Loughborough August Invitational, Loughborough, 16 August

A host of athletes produced strong showings at the Loughborough Invitational, led by Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson; City of York), who moved up to fifth on the all-time British list with a 20.65m effort in Loughborough.

There was more shot put success from Lewis Byng (Stuart Carlaw; Stratford-upon-Avon) as with the senior weight, he launched the implement out to the second-best effort by a junior athlete with an 18.56m throw, a one-metre forty centimetre PB.

In the women’s equivalent, Amelia Strickler (Zane Duquemin; Thames Valley) propelled the implement out to a season’s best 17.61m, as Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; City of Stoke) winning the women’s long jump in 6.39m (0.0).

World Para Athletics medallists impressed in their season openers, with Stef Reid (Aston Moore; Charnwood) leaping to a season’s best of 5.24m (0.7), with Dan Greaves (John Godina; Charnwood), stepping into the circle for the first time in just shy of a year producing a best of 54.34m in the men’s discus.

On the track, Jessica Turner (Nick Dakin; Amber Valley & Erewash) matched her 400m personal best with a 52.77s showing in her first race of 2020, while in his first ever 400m, World Under-20 200m silver medallist & British Athletics Futures Programme athlete Charlie Dobson (Benke Blomkvist; Colchester) clocked the second fastest time by a Brit in 2020 with a 45.84s performance.

Andrew Morgan-Harrison (Alex O’Gorman; Kingston upon Hull) clocked an outdoor 200m PB in 20.74s (-0.4), and over 150m, World Para Athletics 100m silver medallist Thomas Young (Joe McDonnelll; Charnwood) won the ambulant race in 17.00s (0.2).

In the elite wheelchair field, World Para Athletics T54 400m bronze medallist Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow) led the field home in 51.81s, with Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins; Kirkby) second and Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks; Leeds City) third in 52.12s & 59.91s respectively.

Results

True Athletes Classics, Leverkusen, Germany, 16 August

Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Steve Fudge; Sutton & District) moved to the top of the British rankings for the 2020 season and third in European standings with an 11.16s (0.1) effort in Germany. Lansiquot eased through her heat in 11.27s (0.4) and then went quicker yet again in the final, clocking a time just 0.07s off her personal best.

In the men’s equivalent, CJ Ujah (Ryan Freckleton; Enfield & Haringey) clocked 10.27s (0.7) in the heats, but failed to finish in the final. In the field, Chris Baker (Graham Ravenscroft; Sale Harriers Manchester) notched a season’s best of 2.20m for fifth place in the high jump.

Results

Meeting EACPA Open, Pontoise, France, 15 August

Lizzie Bird (Pat McCurry; Shaftesbury Barnet) smashed the British 2000m steeplechase best with a 6:11.79 performance in France, taking almost 10-seconds off the previous best time set in 2017.

Lennie Waite’s 6:21.31 was obliterated by Bird as she took on the distance for the first time in her career and built on a near two-second personal best over 1500m earlier in the week, having clocked 4:14.6 in Stretford.

British compatriot Aimee Pratt (Vicente Modahl; Sale Harriers Manchester) was also inside the previous British record with a 6:18.48 run that saw her home in fourth position in her first outdoor track race of the 2020 season.

Results

Puma Jump’n’Run, Dortmund, Germany, 15 August

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill) thrived with a sprint double in Dortmund in horrible conditions, winning both the 100m and the 200m with season’s best times in both events and moving up to second on the British rankings in both.

Her first 200m of the season saw her cut the tape in 23.56s (-0.4), three tenths outside her personal best, while in the 100m, Awuah notched a season’s best of 11.53 (0.9) in the heats, before storming away from the field in the final, winning in 11.59s (-0.5).

Over 1500m, the ever-improving Josh Lay (Anthony Love; Rugby & Northampton) shaved more than half a second off his personal beat as he took first place in the sixth 1500m race of the day as he won in 3:38.18, with Adam Clarke (Geoff Watkin; Aldershot, Farnham & District) fifth in a season’s best 3:40.53.

Over 5000m, Sol Sweeney (Andy Young; Perth Strathtay) took sixth position in 13:54.52, ahead of European U23 10000m bronze medallist Emile Cairess (Philip Townsend; Leeds City), who notched a season’s bet of 14:07.52 for ninth spot.

Results

 

Resisprint International, La Chaux de Fonds, Switzerland, 15 August

Chris McAlister (Marina Armstrong; Thames Valley) recorded his second victory of the outdoor season and his first over 400m hurdles as he stopped the clock in 50.23s in Switzerland.

In the B race, McAlister produced a strong lap of the track, easing to victory in the fifth fastest time of the competition, with Frenchman Wilfried Happio the fastest on the day in 49.11s.

Results

 

Grand Prix Sopotu, Sopot, Poland, 13 August

2018 World Under-20 Championship 800m finalist Alex Botterill (Andrew Henderson; City of York) led a string of second places by British athletes in Poland as he produced an impressive performance over 800m, clocking a personal best and holding off multiple global medallist Adam Kszczot (POL) in the process.

Botterill clocked an impressive 1:47.09, taking over six tenths off his previous best set during the indoor season, and was just 0.1s away from taking victory as Poland’s Michał Rozmys claimed the win. Fellow British Athletics Futures Programme athlete and European U20 Championship 800m gold medallist Oliver Dustin (Graeme Mason; Border) recorded a season’s best 1:48.16 to kick start his season.

Laviai Nielsen (Christina Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey) notched a season’s best of 52.39s, the second fastest time of the day over 400m, just 0.03s off victory as she continued her good start to 2020, with twin sister Lina recording a season’s best 57.48s over the 400m hurdles.

European Cross Country mixed relay gold medallist Alex Bell clocked 2:43.28 in her first track 1000m of her career, taking second place exactly one second behind Angelika Cichocka, while Rabah Yousif was second over 300m in 33.27s.

Results

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