3rd July 2017
Weekend Update
Away from the World Championships Team Trials, a number of athletes put in some impressive performances both at home and abroad.
Paris Diamond League, Italy, 1st July
Andrew Pozzi (coach: Benke Blomkvist) moved to third on the UK all-time list for the men’s 110mH as he finished second in a world class race at the Paris Diamond League meeting. Racing against a world class field, Pozzi claimed second behind Jamaican Ronald Levy following an inspired run which saw him cross the line in 13.14 (-0.1m/s) to take five hundredths of a second off his old best, moving one place higher on the all-time list in doing so.
Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan) was also in action and he finished sixth in a competition won by Mutaz Essa Barshim with a sensational 2.35m clearance. Grabarz ultimately had to settle for a best effort of 2.24m, before returning to Team Trials the next day where he took victory with a 2.26m clearance.
Bauhaus Juniorengala, Mannheim, Germany, 1-2 July
Having missed the trial event in Bedford through injury, Rechmial Miller (Ryan Freckleton) returned to form in style with a 10.28 (2.2) win in the second heat; the first was won by European Junior bound Oliver Bromby (Sara MacDonald-Gray) who stopped the clock at 10.34 (1.7). In the 200m Jona Efoloko (John Smith) took victory in 21.14 (1.4) to bounce back from his false start in Bedford.
In the women’s 200m Alisha Rees (Willy Russell) and Maya Bruney (John Blackie) were second and fourth in the fastest 200m with times of 23.62 (0.8) and 23.80 respectively. There were also solid showings for the 4x100m relay quartets, the women second in 44.74, with the men third in 39.98.
Lauren Russell (Coral Nourice) booked her spot on the team for the aforementioned European Junior Championships with an impressive 53.89 personal best to win the women’s 400m. Second in Bedford, the Bedford AC athlete now has the required qualifying time having taken 0.03 off her time set three weeks ago.
Divine Oladipo (John Hillier) underlined her hopes for a medal at the European Junior Championships as she finished third in the shot put with a 15.72m effort, exactly the same distance as she threw in Bedford three weeks ago. Joel Leon Benitez (Alan Richardson) was also third in the pole vault with a 5.30m clearance.
BMC Gold Standard Races, Stretford, Manchester, 27 June
Halifax’s Max Burgin (Brian Burgin) set a stunning new European age 15 800m best with his 1.49.42 run for third behind a pair of foreign athletes. Burgin’s old personal best of 1.50.04 was set on the same track just a month ago, improving his U15 British record of 1.53.1 set last summer.
In the 3,000m double Paralympic medallist David Devine (Anthony Clarke) looked back to his very best as he set a personal best of 8.31.68 for second place in the ‘A’ race.
ISF World Schools Championships, Nancy, France, 26-28 June
Isabelle Boffey (Douglas Stone) continued her winning ways in the 800m, stopping the clock at 2.08.86 to win by some two seconds. She now heads to the Commonwealth Youth Games in the Bahamas aiming for gold.
Amber Anning (Stephen King) was also a clear winner in the women’s 400, winning by two second in a new personal best of 54.23 to put her fourth on the U20 Power of 10 rankings. She also leads the U17 300m rankings.
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