Weekend Domestic Action (McCain City Challenge & England Age Group Champs)

The weekend action on the domestic front has already kicked off at the NIA arena in Birmingham where the Aviva England Age Group Champs are held.

So far, World Youth Heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson has reach a new lifetime best of 6.28m in the long jump while Annie Tagoe set a SB of 7.50 secs and 17-year-old Kirsten McAslan clocked a promising 55.76 secs in the 60m and 400m heats respectively.

You can get a LIVE update on this link:
http://www.englandathletics.org/page.asp?section=1143&sectionTitle=Live+from+the+champs

Loving Gemma Werrett (8.34) and Ashley Helsby (8.37) both setting personal bests in the 60mh at the McCain City Challenge. Also in the same race Rebecca Liddell (U20) set a new best of 8.63 in her first competition since June last year. I presume she's been out with injury.

In the high jump Robbie Grabarz equalled his indoor pb set this season of 2.25. Hopefully he can repeat it, and maybe better it, at the Europeans.

I've just realised that Holly Bleasdale didn't take part, despite being on the provisional start list. Hope she's ok.

Here are the provisional results from the McCain Challenge second and final match in Cardiff that saw London North Lions replace the Sheffield Flames at the top of the series:

http://www.uka.org.uk/EasySiteWeb/getresource.axd?AssetID=66261&type=full&servicetype=Attachment

Apart from Paris-bound Rob Grabarz who cleared an equal indoor PB of 2.25m in the high jump , as already mentioned above by Im-no-athlete, to set up nicely ahead of his European assignment next weekend, new UK Indoor 800m champion Joe Thomas followed in the footsteps of Andie Osagie midweek to show plenty of promise in a substantial absolute PB of 47.94 secs over 400m.

That could also make him a useful hand on the men's 4x400m 'bench' with his previous lifetime best at 48.25 early last August in Cwmbran, Wales.

Gemma Werrett's time lowered her fortnight-old Scottish record by 0.05 secs to a that new figure of 8.34 secs in the women's 60m hurdles and there was a healthy women's pole vault competition that saw both Sally Peake and Emma Lyons go over 4.21m, a new Welsh record by a good 5cm for the former with the latter getting the win on countback in a SB.

In the women's 60m, won by also Paris-bound and very consistent this term Bernice Wilson in a hand-timed 7.4 secs, it was nice to notice Emma Ania in action again even quite a long way from her best to set 7.7 secs in third. Hopefully, she's going to get back in the centre of things of female sprint in Britain when summer comes along.

Luke Fagan was an easy winner of the men's dash in 6.77 secs.

Sinead Gutzmore and Angela Barrett were both in PB'ing mood to land at 13.22m, second further in Britain this term, and 13.09m, a PB and first time ever over 13m, respectively in the triple jump.

Additionally, Scot Rider crept over 18m by a couple of cms for a new UK-leader this season.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson is reported to have set a new UK indoor best in the long jump but I'm not aware of the distance she achieved yet. But that's fabulous news anyway and augurs well for her challenge at the European U20 champs in summer.

She jumped 6.28 as far as I know from watching the results come through this afternoon.

Oh, thanks, I thought she improved that further! By the way, precocious 16-year-old Sophie McKinna threw a huge total PB of 15.70m doubling as a new UK youth best in the shot. By the look of things, she shows more and more capable of fulfilling her dream to become the youngest ever female Brit thrower to make an Olympics next year in London.

Dan Mulhare, who represents Ireland, provided arguably the highlight of the Scottish Senior champs up in Glasgow as he continued on a very consistent trail this season to draw narrowly outside 8 mins in the 3000m, setting a new PB of 8:01.00 for a very comfortable win.

On the other hand, Alastair Hay had a rather disappointing outing as he finished way behind in fourth in 8:23.06. The Scot was quite prominent in the early stages of the outdoor season last year over 1500m when he clocked a big PB of 3:38.9 at Watford.

Promising U20 Emma Nuttall improved her PB by a good 3cm to 1.83m in the high jump to to beat injury-free again Jayne Nisbet who set a SB of 1.80m. As an aside, I've got to say that ms Nisbet is a very impressive presence on the infield!

There was an interesting 400m race on the men's side where U23 Jamie Kerr Bowie edged the win in 47.87 secs ahead of David Martin's 47.95, a mere 0.02 secs outside his recent PB, while turning-20-next month Jade Nimmo leapt to a SB of 6.07m in the long jump.

Wow, Katarina Johnson-Thompson looks on fire in Birmingham as she has equalled her PB of 8.57 secs in the 60m hurdles in the heats! She's definitely over her last summer problems and gearing up to something special in summer.

For good measure, Marilyn Nwawulor, who enjoyed a PB of 7.46 secs in taking second behind a schorching Annie Tagoe's 7.41 secs (PB) in the 60m yesterday, ran close to her recent PB in 8.55 secs in the heats but I don't know her time in the final yet.

Ben Robbins beat his & my clubmates U15 400m Scottish Record I believe. 51.36 with the rest of the year to improve a little more....

Also, if Joe Thomas can maybe replicate his relay form, he may more than a useful inclusion in the 4x400 squad. I think he ran a 45 split in Delhi for Wales.

Andy Rozzi has also set a swift 7.79 secs in the heats but that was over the junior sticks.

Kirsten McAslan wins the women's U20 400m in a huge PB of 54.66 secs, previous best at 55.53 this season, but Victoria Ohuruogu is a disappointing last in 58.42...

In the men's U20 version, it's 16-year-old Josh Street that gets top place on the podium in a big SB of 48.11 secs.

I think Andy Pozzi time was amended to 7.79 but still excellent.

U17 Yasmin Miller qualified for the final of the U20 women's hurdles with a new pb of 8.53!!

Well, there has got to be some mix-up over the women's U20 hurdles final there. Katarina Johnson-Thompson's mark of 8.50 secs appears nowhere now and I see that the final is scheculed for 4:10pm...

Superb performance from Yasmin Miller, that was an improvement of 0.09 secs on her PB!

The results I'm looking at have the following lsabre

<U20 women's 60m hurdles qualifiers - Sarah Lavin 8.80, Catherine McMancus 9.01, Marilyn Nwawulor 8.55, Georgia Atkins 8.94, Yasmin Miller 8.53, Katarina Johnson-Thompson 8.57, Jazmin Sawyers 8.89, Rebecca Brown 9.01. The final is at 4:10pm>

Katerina Thompson has just set a new pb of 1.83 in the high jump.

Yeah, that has been a superb weekend all around for Katarina with three PBs out of three events she contested, setting a UK U20 record of 6.28m in the long jump yesterday followed up by indeed a 8.50 secs in the hurdles for runner-up and that 1.83m in he high jump!

Staying a little at that high jump, Isobel Pooley cleared a new PB of 1.86m to clinch the title that takes ever closer to world class on the international U20 scene.

In the hurdles, it was Marilyn Nwawulor that eventually prevailed in a substantial new PB of 8.47 secs ahead of Katarina and Yasmin Miller in third in 8.57 secs, her second fastest ever.

Desiree Henry was an impressive winner in the U20 women's 200m in a marginal new PB of 23.92 secs, Jenny Batten followed as runner-up in 24.12 secs and 60m champion Annie Tagoe was a distant third in 24.57 secs. Excellent job by the girls!

Menwise, Andy Rozzi replicated that heat time of 7.79 secs to gain an easy win and Liam Clowes set a PB of 21.39 secs to take the 200m.

A correction as concerns sprint prodigy Desiree Henry, still into her 15. That 23.92 secs winning time in the final would have been a marginal PB but for a stunning 23.78 secs earlier on in the heats!!

Furthermore, Guy Learmonth impressed once again as he powered to a 1:49.11 clocking over 800m, his second fastest ever a week on his new Scottish U20 record and all-time UK U20 runner-up of 1:48.58 in Sheffield. It looks like David Sharpe's UK record will stay put unless the Scot can find another race before the indoor season is out.

It was good to see Ricky Stevenson back in action after that mysterious 'jogging' last hundred that saw him finish well behind in the field in 4:04.97 during the mile in New York, having led through 1500m in 3:43.1. I guess he may have possibly sustain some injury that unfortunately robbed him of a potential win and forced him to a premature end to his indoor season.

Anyway, Ricky raced again after over a whole month to win the Snake Lane 10 at Pocklington in 48:03 ahead of also miler Jonathan Taylor, who came home well behind in 49:43, to show that he's back fit and place his preparations ahead of summer back on track.

Marathoner Dan Robinson, 11th at the Worlds in Osaka in 2007, was also in action on the road to take the Bourton-on-the-water annual race up in the beautiful Cotswolds in 30:08.