29th July 2019
WEEKEND UPDATE
England Athletics Senior Championships, Manchester, 27-28 July
Sophie McKinna (coach: Mike Winch; club: Great Yarmouth) successfully retained her shot put title with a 17.74m effort, just ahead of Amelia Strickler (Zane Duquemin; Thames Valley), who produced her second-best ever effort of 17.54m.
Jess Mayho (Birchfield Harriers) improved her personal best in the women’s hammer and reinforced her status as number-two in Britain with a 65.18m effort that saw her take the title.
2018 World U20 4x400m bronze medallist and British U20 400m hurdles record holder Alastair Chalmers (James Hillier; Guernsey) took his maiden 400m hurdles title in 50.20s, holding off Efe Okoro (Tony Hadley; Birchfield) for victory, with Jess Turner (Nick Dakin; Amber Valley & Erewash) clocking 56.31s to take the win, her second-fastest time ever.
Gavin Drysdale and Kayleigh Haggo (both Janice Eaglesham; Red Star) both produced phenomenal world records in their respective race running events, which will make their debut appearance at the World Para Athletics Championships later this year.
Drysdale, the reigning European champion, lowered the best in the RR3 category, clocking 17.26 (-1.0) in the wet conditions. Haggo, in similarly poor conditions, produced a stunning 18.97 (-0.9) in the heats to take the global record for the RR2 class. She later returned to take the title later in the day in 19.19.
European T38 100m and 200m champion Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) won one of two ambulant 100m races in 11.49 (-0.7) while Zak Skinner (Aston Moore; Loughborough Students) (T13), won the earlier one in 11.21. Second in that race was Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker (Coral Nourrice; Newham & Essex Beagles) who posted a time of 11.61 (-0.9) and returned a day later to record a PB in the 200m, 23.44 (-0.5) his revised best.
Ali Smith (Chris Zah; Guildford & Godalming) won the women’s ambulant 100m in deteriorating weather conditions, posting a time of 13.84 (-2.2m/s).
In the field, European F34 shot put champion Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield & Haringey) won the women’s shot put with a best of 7.26m, while Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea; Stevenage & Herts) (T20) won the women’s mixed ambulant long jump with a best of 5.12m while in the men’s equivalent, Steven Stone (Falkirk) (T20) won with 6.47m.
Bayer-Classics, Leverkusen, Germany, 24 July
Ojie Edoburun (Steve Fudge; Shaftesbury Barnet) used the favourable conditions in Germany to his advantage as he ran a World Championships qualifying time of 10.08s (1.9), finishing third in the men’s 100m.
Chris Baker (Graham Ravenscroft; Sale Harriers Manchester) cleared 2.25m on his way to a win in the high jump and David King (James Hillier, City of Plymouth) finished third in the 110m Hurdles for 13.94s.
European Athletics Classic Meetings, Joensuu, Finland, 24 July
Elizabeth Bird (George Harrison; Shaftesbury Barnet) ran a World Championships qualifying time in the women’s 3000m Steeplechase, running 9:36.84 for fourth.
Lina Nielsen (Ryan Freckleton, Enfield & Haringey) and Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) ran close to their personal bests for a one-two finish in the women’s 400m Hurdles with Nielsen clocking the win in 56.91s.
Sam Atkin (Rob Lewis; Lincoln Wellington) would also run just over eight minutes for fourth in the 3000m.
Welsh International, Cardiff, Wales, 24 July
Steve Morris (James Thie; Cardiff) improved his British T20 record on his home track, lowering his mile best to 4:20.99.