13th August 2018

WEEKEND UPDATE

BWAA Grand Prix, Stoke Mandeville, 11-12 August

With the WPA European Championships just one week away, several British athletes competed at the BWAA Grand Prix in Stoke Mandeville to fine-tune their preparations.

Richard Chiassaro (coach: Jenni Banks) – aiming for medals in five disciplines in Berlin – produced some solid displays in windy conditions. Over 100m, he posted his third quickest time of the season, 14.69 (-0.7 m/s) to win the contest.

He enjoyed that winning feeling over three further disciplines. 27.22 (-3.6) was the confirmed time over 200m, 47.19 in the 400m and 1:33.48 in the 800m. He’ll begin his campaign in Berlin a week on Tuesday in the T54 200m final.

Fellow T54 athlete Dillon Labrooy (Jenny Archer) won the 1500m in 3:11.96 whilst he also competed in the 400m and 800m – disciplines he’ll race in next week – clocking 51.25 and 1:40.80 respectively.

Leeds City’s Callum Hall (Ian Thompson) warmed up for his T53 400m and 800m with a time close to his season’s best in the former, posting 54.90, while crossing the line in 1:48.45 in the latter.

Two athletes who will make their international debuts next week were taking the opportunity to race once more in the UK prior to flying out to Germany. Welshman Harri Jenkins (Anthony Hughes – T33) winning the 100m in 18.59 (-1.8) while Shaun White recorded 18.99 (-0.7) which was a season’s best and most notably, just 0.01 seconds outside his personal best.

Coventry’s Paige Murray (Paige Murray) won the T34 200m and 400m, her times 20.52 (+1.3) and 1:15.13 respectively.

Results to follow.

 

Scottish Championships, Grangemouth, 11-12 August

With so much Scottish success as part of the Great Britain team competing at the European Championships in Berlin, a number of stars were missing from the national championships but throwers Chris Bennett (coach: Mick Jones, club: Shaftesbury Barnet) and Kirsty Law (Zane Duquemin, Sale Harriers Manchester) did return from Berlin to take titles on Saturday. Bennett produced a 70.75m effort for gold, 18cm further than he threw in the German capital, with Law also going further with a mark of 53.08m.

Despite solid performances neither hit the standard required to take a share of a £2000 prize pot Scottish Athletics were offering up for winners surpassing a certain standard; men’s hammer was 71.00m and women’s discus 54.00m for reference.

That left the door wide open for Sunday’s winners, Nic Percy (Vesteinn Hafsteinsson, Shaftesbury Barnet) launching the discus to 59.87m, crucially 87cm above the required standard to take home all of the prize money – a great end to his season.

Sunday’s wet weather hampered a number of chances but saw Neil Gourley (Ben Thomas, Giffnock North) take the 1500m title in 3.48.86 and Kirsten McAslan (Michael Baker, Sale Harriers Manchester), also returning from Germany, winning the 400mH in 58.89, her first Scottish senior title. England’s Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson) guested at the event, improving the shot put CBP to 19.10m, continuing his good late season form.

Results: https://www.scottishathletics.org.uk/38553-2/

 

BMC Gold Standard Races, Milton Keynes, 11 August

Jess Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn) continued her strong form over 5,000m, winning by over 20 seconds in 15.37.23 from Emily Hosker-Thornhill (Mick Woods, Aldershot, Farnham & District) and Emelia Gorecka (Chris Thompson, Aldershot, Farnham & District). U23 Jack Crabtree (Alex Hains, Shaftesbury Barnet) won the men’s race in a personal best of 14.07.74, with another U23 Oliver Fox (Richard Llewellyn Eaton, Wells City) second in 14.11.20, also a PB.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=237184

 

BMC Gold Standard Races, Watford, 8 August

Sarah McDonald (David Harmer, Birchfield Harriers) continued her great run of form, further improving her 800m personal best to 2.00.88 to win by four seconds in a women’s only race, whilst her training partner Katie Snowdon (Rob Denmark, Herne Hill) clocked 2.01.63 for seventh in a mixed race.

In the men’s race there was a Brighton Phoenix one-two, Spencer Thomas (Jon Bigg, Brighton Phoenix) edging out Finley Bigg (Jon Bigg, Brighton Phoenix) 1.48.61 to 1.48.97, whilst Scotland’s Jamie Williamson (George Gandy, Springburn) was victorious in the 1500m, crossing the line in 3.42.39, with countryman Sol Sweeney (Andy Young, Perth Strathtay) setting a 3.42.77 personal best in second.

There was a huge personal best for Steve Morris as he took almost two and a half seconds off his previous best, lowering it to 3:54.92. It sets him up perfectly for his tilt for the podium in the T20 800m and 1500m at the WPA European championships next weekend.

Results: https://thepowerof10.info/results/results.aspx?meetingid=237191