20th January 2020
WEEKEND UPDATE - 20/01/2020
London U20/Senior Games, Lee Valley, January 18-19
CJ Ujah (coach: Ryan Freckleton; club: Enfield & Haringey) kicked off his indoor season in flying form as he hit the 60m qualifying mark for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Nanjing, China, with a blistering 6.61s in Lee Valley.
Ujah backed up his 6.61s with a 6.62s later in the day, with Andrew Robertson (Sale Harriers Manchester) second in 6.66s. Theo Etienne (Ryan Freckleton; Hercules Wimbledon) later outlined his credentials as he clocked 6.63s to also hit the qualifying mark, finishing as runner-up to Ujah with Oliver Bromby (Southampton AC) third in a personal best 6.68s.
Elsewhere, Spencer Thomas (Jon Bigg; Brighton Phoenix) edged out training partner Archie Davis (Jon Bigg; Brighton Phoenix) 1:50.93 to 1:50.95 to claim victory in the men’s 800m, with Khahisa Mhlanga (Mick Judd; Herts Phoenix) continuing her return to form with a 2:05.21 run for victory.
Yasmin Miller (Stephen Martin; Derby) clocked a season’s best 8.26s to win the women’s 60m hurdles from Heather Paton (Benke Blomkvist; Birchfield) in 8.35s, the former just one tenth outside the qualifying time for the World Indoor Championships.
Cross Internacional de Italica, Santiponce, Spain, January 19
Kate Avery (Shildon) led the senior women’s top performances in Spain as she achieved a top-10 finish owed to a 31:03 clocking in Spain. The Cross Challenge series leader was followed home by Dani Chattenton (Kyle Bennett; MK Distance Project) in 14th in 31:12, with Jessica Gibbon (Reading AC) and Hannah Irwin (Guildford & Godalming)19th and 25th respectively in 31:46 and 32:28.
Georgia Hayes (Rob McKim; Reading AC) stole the show in the Under-20 women’s race as she edged out Spain’s Angela Viciosa Villa by three seconds to take top spot in 18:06. Holly Smith (Andrew Carter; Vale Royal), Imogen Wood (Diarmuid Devery; Cornwall AC) and Courtney Howard (Brian O’Hare; Exeter) all followed her home in fourth, fifth and sixth respectively, clocking 18:41, 18:51 and 19:07.
Josh Cowperthwaite (Martin Peevor; Middlesbrough Mandale) and Henry McLuckie (Geoff Watkin; Shaftesbury Barnet) took respective second and third place finishes in Spain in the junior men’s race in 23:41 and 24:01 respectively, with Cowperthwaite just eight seconds off matching Hayes’ result in winning.
BMC Cardiff Open, Cardiff, January 19
European Under-23 Championship 1500m silver medallist Piers Copeland (Bob Smith; Wimborne) opened up his 800m season with a 1:49.80 clocking in Cardiff as he won the men’s race from Zak Curran (Craig Winrow; WSEH).
World Under-20 Championship finalist Francesca Brint (Luke Gunn; Sale Harriers Manchester) opened her season with 800m success in the women’s race, stopping the clock in 2:11.42 for victory. There was also a good showing from George Mills (Jon Bigg; Brighton Phoenix) as he won the men’s 1500m in 3:44.68.
Lotto Cross Cup, Hannut, Belgium, January 19
There were podium finishes for Andy Vernon (self-coached; Aldershot, Farnham & District) and Stephanie Barnes (Pieter Desmet; Bristol & West) in Belgium as they took respective second and third place finishes in the senior races.
Vernon had to dig in late on to hold onto second spot, stopping the clock in 30:12, while Barnes kept herself in the mix throughout the race and secured the final podium spot in 23:39.
Simmons-Harvey Invitational, Ann Arbor, Michigan, January 18
Josh Zeller (Adrian Brown; Bracknell) continued his excellent start to life in the United States over senior height hurdles with a personal best 7.90s to take victory, having clocked 7.91s to win his heat.
Clemson Invitational, Clemson, South Carolina, January 17-18
Lorraine Ugen (Dwight Phillips; Thames Valley) began her 2020 season with her best jump for over a year as she won the women’s long jump with a 6.74m effort in South Carolina.
Ugen’s won the competition by just over a metre with her fifth-round effort, having led from round one with a 6.52m attempt. On the track, Sam Bennett (Steven Surety; Basildon) continued his good start to the season with a personal best 8.03s in the men’s 60m hurdles.
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