27th July 2020
WEEKEND UPDATE - 27/07/2020
Guernsey Open Meet, St Peter Port, 26 July
Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias; Guernsey) recorded his first ever sub-50 second 400m hurdles clocking with a dominant performance in his native Guernsey, winning in 49.87s.
Chalmers went out hard from the off and had already passed fellow competitors Peter Curtis and Sam Wallbridge by the time he hi the start of the backstraight.
The British U20 record holder fought off fatigue down the home straight and despite clipping the final barrier, he propelled himself across the line to the delight of the crowd as he stopped the clock in the third fastest time in the world this year.
Speaking on Instagram after the race to his brother, 400m specialist Cameron, he said: “It was the hardest race of my life. I came off the top bend and I was done already. I came down the home straight and saw that the clock said 49-seconds and I chucked myself over the line and I did it.”
Kingston-upon-Hull Pilot, Hull, 26 July
Reigning British shot put champion Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson; City of York) continued his good season with a 19.82m effort in the East Riding of Yorkshire to win his third competition of the year. The performance was almost 60cm down on his personal best of 20.41m, thrown a fortnight ago in Hendon, but continues his excellent run on British soil, having not lost a shot put event in the UK in over two years.
On the track, British indoor 200m champion Andrew Morgan-Harrison (Alex O’Gorman; Kingston-upon-Hull) returned to action with a 100m and 200m double-header, taking victories in both events in his home city.
He recorded a 10.78s (-2.3) 100m time just 0.07s outside his lifetime best and into a strong headwind, backing it up with his fastest ever outdoor season opener over 200m, stopping the clock in 21.10s (1.0).
Back to the Track, Clermont, Florida, United States of America, 24-25 July
It was a weekend of mixed emotions for Matthew Hudson-Smith (Lance Brauman; Birchfield) as he recorded his fastest 200m time of his career, just 24 hours after pulling up in the 400m.
Hudson-Smith’s clocking of 20.60s (1.9) in favourable conditions on the East Coast of America shattered his previous best set back in 2013 by over two tenths of a second and moves him to the top of the British rankings for 2020.
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Tiffany Porter (Jeff Porter; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) and Cindy Ofili (Jeff Porter; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) underlined their class with excellent performances in the final, both opening up their outdoor season with strong sub-13 second times.
In the wind assisted heats, Porter cut the tape second in 12.74s (3.0), with Ofili third in 13.04s and the pattern was the same in the final, with Porter cutting the tape second in 12.92s (1.3), with her sister close behind in 12.95s (1.3). Britany Anderson (USA) took the spoils in 12.82s.
BMC Gold Standard Races, Stretford, 25 July
European U20 1500m bronze medallist Josh Lay (Anthony Love; Rugby & Northampton) came within eight tenths of a new personal best as he took men’s 800m in Stretford with a 1:48.70 showing.
It proved to be a case of Lay against the clock as he steamed away from Tom Dodd and Ben Lee to confirm top spot by more than three seconds and moved up to ninth on the British rankings for 2020.
In the women’s 800m, all athletes once again ran in their lanes for the full duration of the race, with Georgie Hartigan (Bev Hartigan; Birchfield) shaved eight tenths off her previous lifetime best as she secured victory in 2:04.60, with 2018 World U20 1500m finalist Francesca Brint (Luke Gunn; Sale Harriers Manchester) bagging a near three-second season’s best in second place in 2:07.49.
Joe Ferguson (Lewis Samuel; Leeds City) returned to action in style as he recorded a season’s best 21.18s to take victory in the men’s 200m in Manchester. Ferguson had to work to hold off the challenge of 4x100m finalist Sagesse Nguie (Derek Fraser; Trafford AC), who recorded a season’s best 21.45s for second place, with Elijah Lewis (Lewis Samuel; Rotherham) third in 22.42s.
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