21st September 2020

WEEKEND UPDATE - 21/09/2020

ETC September Invitational Throws Series, Moulton, 19 September

Lewis Byng (coach: Stuart Carlaw; club: Stratford-upon-Avon) continued his rapid development in the shot put with his second British Under-20 record in the space of a week, adding another two centimetres onto his own record with a 19.73m throw in Moulton.

Having last weekend broken Curtis Griffith-Parker’s record of 19.30m, which had stood since 2009, Byng returned to the same circle, put together a much more consistent series and was rewarded with every throw being above the 19.20m mark.

His decisive throw came in the fifth round, where he propelled the six kilogram implement out to 19.73m and strengthened his position atop the British Under-20 rankings, and keeps him seventh in the world for 2020.

Results

Gouden Spike, Leiden, Netherlands, 19 September

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill) continued to show her excellent end of season form as she claimed the fastest 200m time in the UK in 2020 with a personal best 23.20s (-1.2) effort in the Netherlands.

The Briton had earlier finished second over 100m to former world champion Dafne Schippers (NED) in 11.59s (0.1), with the Dutchwoman stopping the clock in 11.47s for victory in her homeland, but over 200m, it was all about Awuah.

Her run saw her win by more than a second and shaved 0.04s off her previous 200m best set last year, moving her comfortably to the top of the UK outdoor rankings, edging past Ama Pipi’s 23.23s effort from the indoor season.

Results

International Race Walking Festival, Alytus, Lithuania, 18 September

Following a British record over the 10,000m distance and the British title over 5000m in recent weeks, Callum Wilkinson (Rob Heffernan; Enfield & Haringey) continued his strong run of form by lowering his personal best over the 20km race walk distance. Competing in Lithuania, the 23-year-old revised his best to 81:21, taking 13 seconds off the time he set in Podebrady last year.

He finished fourth in the International Race Walking Festival which was won by Sweden’s Perseus Karlstrom – the world bronze medallist in Doha last year – in 80:58.

Results

DASH Series, Bromley, 18 September

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley) was back on her home track once again on Friday night, recording a personal best over 75m and lowering her 150m season’s best on a good night of action for the Londoner.

In her first 75m race since 2008, Asher-Smith lowered her PB to 8.78s (0.9), before the world 200m champion came home third in the mixed 150m race in 17.00s (1.1), Chizute Ogbedeh (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley) taking the spoils in 16.44s.

European Under-23 Championship 200m finalist Toby Harries (David Sadkin; Brighton Phoenix) claimed a first legal 100m personal best for the first time since 2015 as he clocked 10.55s (1.5) to snatch victory from Ben Snaith (Mick Graham; Newham & Essex Beagles), while Hayley McLean (Chris Zah; Shaftesbury Barnet) took 400m hurdles victory in 57.86s.

Results

Kladno hází a Kladenské memoriály, Kladno, Czech Republic, 16 September

In midweek, Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn; Enfield & Haringey) rounded off her excellent 2020 season with yet another 800m personal best as she took victory in the Czech Republic in 2:01.88.

Boffey was happy to go with the pace early on as the field took the bell in 61 seconds, and with 200m to go, she began to make her move, kicking for home and holding off Finland’s Sara Kuivisto and dip below 2:02.00 for the first time in her career.

Over one lap of the track, Kevin Metzger (Stephen Ball; Sale Harriers Manchester) continued his excellent improvement over 400m, taking another three hundredths off his personal best as he claimed third place in 46.71s, while over 1500m, Archie Davis (Joel Kidger; Brighton Phoenix) produced a season’s best of 3:40.37 that was good enough for fourth position.

Results