Weekend action (Manchester BMC GP, CAU, Geneva, Dakar, Hengelo)

Wow, this promises to be a weekend of relentless action across the board, with large numbers of British athletes in action around Britain, Europe and beyond. So plenty to look forward to and let's do our best to keep pace with goes on around over the next couple of days - it's going to be real hot!

Without a doubt, World and European champion Jessica Ennis is very much anticipated to hog the spotlight as she engages in a fierce tussle against the best the world has to offer over the following couple of days at the highly-rated multi-event meeting of Gotzis, Austria, looking to retain her long unbeaten run and gain an early edge over her main rivals on the global stage of the heptathlon.

Nevertheless, Jenny Meadows, Andy Turner, Greg Rutherford, Andy Baddeley, Shana Cox, Tiffany Offili-Porter, James Dasaolu and Jack Green are a few among many to watch out for around, chasing some solid mental and performance boosts on the circuit, therefore I feel virtually everyone's taste should be satisfied. So let's pick things up one at a time.

New British asset Shana Cox is facing off with former compatrior and Ponce GP winner Natasha Hastings over the women's 400m once again, looking for her first sub 51 secs clocking of the season at the Meeting Grand Prix de Dakar in Senegal tomorrow.

Jack Green, who has been making a superb transition from the U20 territory, is blooded in some high level international action against the likes of American Johnny Dutch, South African Cornel Fredericks and also American Laron Bennett.

Having already improved to a huge PB of 49.55 secs, he will be aiming to draw some invaluable experience and run off his more illustrious rivals well inside the A standard.

I'm under the impression that Commowealth 200m champion Leon Baptiste is heading there too and U23 Muchtar Mohammed is involved in the 800m.

Start-lists:
http://www.meeting-dakar.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=48&Itemid=54

There is going to be a large contingent of British athletes on show at the well-known FKB Games in Hengelo, Holland, on Sunday in honour of great Dutch former Olympic champion late Fanny Blankers-Koen.

Men
100m Craig Pickering, Christian Malcolm
800m Mike Rimmer
110mh Andy Turner
LJ Greg Rutherford
PV Max Eaves

Women
100m Joice Maduaka
200m Abi Oyepitan, Joice Maduaka
800m Jenny Meadows, Emma Jackson
100mh Tiffany Offili-Porter

There is also a wealth of top international stars illuminating the meeting so do check out the starting lists below.

Starting lists:
http://www.fbk-games.nl/meeting/Participants-2011/

Plenty of Brits on show in Geneva, Switzerland, tomorrow so let's get a snapshot of the meeting in terms of athletes on show:

Men
100m James Dasaolu, Harry Aikines-Ayreety, Daniel Talbot, Tremayne Gilling, Elijah Winn, Andrew Matthews, Rick Beardsell, Jonathan Brownie
200m Daniel Talbot, Tremayne Gilling, Elijah Winn, Luke Lennon-Ford, Rick Beardsell, Jonathan Brownie
400m Rob Tobin, Conrad Williams, Graham Hedman, Nick Leavey, Luke Lennon-Ford
110mh Alex Al-Ameen
400mh David Hughes, Rick Yates, Niall Flannery, Matt Sumner, Chris Wakeford
LJ JJ Jegede, Ejekiel Ewulo, Chris Kirk

Women
100m Emily Diamond, Lucy Evans
200m Emily Diamond, Michelle Thomas, Lucy Evans, Sarah Adams
400m Vicky Barr, Nadine Okyere, Kim Wall, Laura Wake, Michelle Thomas, Laura Maddox, Laura Langowski, Sarah Adams
400mh Meghan Beesley, Lauren Bouchard

Starting-lists:
http://www.cag-geneve.ch/atleticageneve/meeting/participants.php?lang=en

In the meantime, Newham & Essex Beagles will be representing Great Britain in the top flight of the European Champion Clubs Cup in Vila Real St Antonio, Portugal, over the weekend.

Chris Tomlinson is opening his season account in the long jump while Steve Lewis goes in the pole vault and Nathan Woodward, James Ellington, James Shane and Abdul Buhari figure among others.

The team:
100m Mark Findlay
200m Ricky Fifton
400m Rabah Yusif
800m James Shane
1500m Frank Baddick
3000m Rory Chesser
5000m Scott Sterling
3000mSC Harun Abdi
110mh Gianni Frankis
400mh Nathan Woodward
LJ Chris Tomlinson
TJ Nick Thomas
HJ Rob Grabarz
PV Steve Lewis
SP Nick Webb
DT Abdul Buhari
HT Simon Brown
JT Chris Hughff
4x100 Ricky Fifton, James Ellington, Mark Findlay, Ryan Scott,
4x400 Erison Hurtault, Tom Burton, Richard Davenport, Nathan Woodward, Rabah Yusif

Full line-ups:
http://www.european-athletics.org/european-champion-clubs-cup-2011/final-entries-confirmed-for-european-champion-clubs-cup-track-and-field-seniors-group-a-and-b.html

On home soil, the BMC Grand Prix series get underway with the first leg that takes place at Sportscity up in Manchester on the same day that city favourite United are facing Barcelona in a mighty final for the Champions League at Wembley, so the place will be buzzing with excitement and anticipation.

Andy Baddeley makes his track season debut over the rare 800m on an apparent outing of speedwork against last year's European Cup 1500m surprise winner Colin McCourt and U23 James Bowness.

Niall Brooks, Stacey Smith, Johnny Hay, Sarah Kelly, Jessica Judd and Andy Vernon will be in action among others in a distance running spree that will spread over the evening.

Starting-lists:

http://www.britishmilersclub.com/bmctimetables/2011/SC_SL.htm

James Dasaolu and Harry Aykeenes-Ayreety have run 10.11 and 10.13 secs, legal by the look of it, in the 100m in Geneva earlier on so have both secured the A standard for Daegu. As a matter of fact, it was a season opener for the former and a big SB for the latter, a former World U20 champion.

With May still to bow out, it's a very promising sign that the UK lists have already improved on last season.

A later correction to the times cited above; James Dasaolu ran actually 10.12 and Harry Aikines-Ayreety 10.17 secs but both times lie still under the A standard for Daegu, meaning that there are four such qualifiers so far.

Incidentally, Meghan Beesley set a big PB of 56.21 secs in the women's 400m hurdles to draw inside the B standard for Daegu and open the race for places on the British team wider now. Her previous best was 56.65 secs which she set twice last season, in Reims (France) first and at the Commowealths in Delhi.

But there was more good news from the men's side of the event as U23 Niall Flannery drove under 50 secs for the first time ever, setting a big PB of 49.88 secs. That represents an improvement of over half a second on the 50.47 secs he set in Bedford at the BUCS early this month.

Conrad Williams just missed out on the Daegu B qualifier as he won his heat in a SB of 45.72 secs, fastest in the UK so far.

Apart from Meghan Beesley, there was a PB of 58.73 secs for U23 now Lauren Bouchard to show that she is firmly back on track.

Nadine Okyere also gets a PB of 52.66 secs over the flat 400m, down from 52.89 secs last summer, but Kim Wall won't be so pleased with her 54.23 secs.

Ben Sumner just sneaked a PB of 50.36 secs over the hurdles lap by a mere hundredth of a second but David Hughes, affected by a knee complaint, failed to finish.

I also don't know what goes on with those 100m times. I see now James Dasaolu and Harry Aikines-Ayreety assigned times of 10.11 and 10.13 secs again. Anyway, whatever the case, they've both gained that A qualifier.

Conrad Williams official time in winning that 400m was 45.71 to miss the B qualifier for Daegu by a mere 0.01 secs, with Rob Tobin following second in a season opener of 45.86 and Luke Lennon-Ford netting a big PB of 46.03 secs.

Graham Hedman opened up his season with 46.30 secs and Nick Leavey set an outdoor SB of 46.63 secs.

Laura Wake also got a PB of 53.79 secs in the 400m as she has entered the U23 group this season.

Here is a better link to follow the results of the European Champion Clubs Cup in Vila Real St Antonio, Portugal, where Newham & Essex Beagles are competing:

http://www.aaalgarve.pt/portal/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1193:eccc-2011-results-&catid=147:resultados-de-pista-2010-2011&Itemid=152

Meanwhile, back in Geneva Danny Talbot ran a huge PB of 20.54 secs into a headwind (-0.8m/sec) over 200m to go top of the UK rankings as well as gaining the A standard for Daegu.

Meghan Beesley bagged a second PB of 23.72 secs over the 200m to wrap up a very successful day in Geneva, her previous marker at 23.74 posted back in 2009.

In the same race, Emily Diamond improved her own PB to 23.41 secs from 23.47 in her semifinal at the World U20 Champs in Moncton last summer. I don't know the wind yet but they're legal.

49.88 for Jack Green for 3rd, 5th for Muktar (1.48.07)
http://www.the-sports.org/athletics-meeting-grand-prix-iaaf-de-dakar-2011-results-men-s5-c0-b0-g168-t3710-u9-v1.html

Thankyou JJimBoJames, actually Jack Green momentarily pulled up after the first hurdle, picking a slight knee problem, but picked it up and still managed to pull third in his second best time ever in 49.88 secs. Well done to him, he kept his composure superbly to pick himself up into the race and still perform well despite that hiccup.

As he's told me, there's nothing serious with his knee and he'll be alright.

Shana Cox had to endure an uncharacteristic for her below the mark race to finish fifth in 53.68 secs but I don't know details about what went wrong there, Jamaican Patricia Hall winning in 52.01 secs over 400m.

Decent outing by Muchtar Mohammed to come fifth in 1:48.07 in a race won by top Moroccan Amine Laalu in 1:46.65.

Over at the BMC GP in Manchester, Bruce Raeside was a surprise winner of the men's main 1500m heat in a PB of 3:41.69, scratching his previous best of 3:42.89 from 2007, while Daniel Clorley staged a very welcome return to form in a substantial PB of 3:42.66 for runner-up, a European U20 fourth-placer two years ago.

The latter's previous marker was 3:43.53 from that very season.

Middle distance sensation Jessica Judd, just 16, has dazzled again as she powered to a superb win in the women's main race in the 1500m in 4:14.21, a big PB from 4:17.44 last summer. On top of that, she also stormed to the top of the all-time UK U17 lists in the event. Well done to this amazing girl once again, I can't have enough of seeing her racing!

In Portugal, U23 Nathan Woodward has been the highest placed NEB athlete, besides Erison Hurtault's win over the flat in 46.21 secs, known so far in 50.46 secs as Chris Tomlinson's result in the long jump is not out yet.

The early confusion about the times of James Dasaolu and Harry Aikines-Ayreety was due to the fact that referred to different runs as they initially got off to a season opener and SB of 10.11 and 10.13 secs respectively (1.1m/sec) before they came back later in the final where the former was a more convincing winner in 10.12, compared to the former World U20 champion's 10.17 secs.

Therefore, it's been a fabulous day's work from both as they grabbed two A qualifying times for Daegu in a single outing apiece, with Dasaolu showing impressive consistence at this level of times.

The omens look very good for the dash over the season following these early results, taking Dwain Chambers's dominating run of 10.05 secs in Brasil on Thursday into account, and it's going to be very interesting to see how Craig Pickering and Christian Malcolm fare in Hengelo tomorrow.

Danny Talbot may have not started so lively in a 10.39 secs showing in the short dash but saved his best for his specialty where he tore home in a huge PB of 20.54 secs despite a considerable headwind of -0.8m/sec, placing a close runner-up behind home favourite Alex Wilson (20.51).

Back in Manchester, meanwhile, Andy Baddeley has got his track season off to winning ways in 1:48.1 (don't know the precise time yet) from Colin McCourt.

Emelia Gorecka, just 17, was another distance wonder girl to capture her own fair share of spotlight as she won the 5000m in a big PB of 15:51.20, knocking over five secs off her previous best of 15:56.87 at the same venue a year ago tomorrow.

I'm particularly impressed by Eilish McColgan's fourth place, not knowing her time in the race yet, since she was ill in the morning and was looking highly unlikely to run.

Eilish McColgan's time, the daughter of great Eliz, was a very good debut of 15:53.87 in Manchester earlier on while U20 Annabel Gummow also caught the eye with a big PB of 15:53.27 a place ahead as eight girls ducked under 16 mins in that race.

Here are selected results from the Sportcity Grand Prix in Manchester:

Men
800m Andy Baddeley 1:48.56 (SB), Jack Bolas (USA) 1:49.53, Colin McCourt 1:49.91 (SB), Ed Jackson 1:49.94 (SB), James Bowness (U23) 1:51.05, ..., 8.Paul Bradshaw 1:51.99
B: Rick Ward (U23) 1:51.20, ..., 5.Tony Whiteman (V35) 1:52.58,..., 7.Graeme Oudney 1:52.98
1500m Bruce Raeside 3:41.69 (PB), Daniel Clorley (U23) 3:42.66 (PB), Paul Robinson (U23) 3:43.25 (PB), Steve Mitchell 3:43.59, Stephen Davies 3:44.10 (SB), Niall Brooks (U23) 3:45.05 (SB), Mark Draper 3:45.62 (SB), James Thie 3:47.89 (oSB), Harvey Dixon (U23) 3:48.13, Andy Vernon 3:48.52
B: Adam Cotton (U20) 3:44.70 (PB), Eoin Everard (IRL) 3:45.51, Adam Bitchell (U23) 3:45.70 (PB), Steve Fennell 3:46.68 (PB)
E: Cameron Boyek (U20) 3:49.45 (PB)
5000m Tom Humphries 13:48.94 (PB), James Walsh 13:49.09 (PB), Jon Thewlis 13:54.65 (PB), Joseph Sweeny (IRL) 13:56.42, Jonathan Hay (U20) 13:57.16 (PB), Jon Mellor 13:58.99 (SB), ..., 8.James Wilkinson (U23) 14:04.16 (PB),..., 11.John McDonnell (U23) 14:08.65 (PB)

Women
800m Lynsey Sharp (U23) 2:06.16 (SB), Stacey Smith (U23) 2:06.61, Rose-Ann Galligan (IRL) 2:06.72, Charlotte Best 2:06.95 (SB), Celia Taylor 2:06.98, Tara Bird 2:07.17, Sarah Kelly (U20) 2:07.90 (SB), Vicky Griffiths 2:10.18 (SB)
1500m Jessica Judd (U17) 4:14.21 (UK U17 Best), Stacey Smith (U23) 4:14.22 (oSB), Stevie Stockton 4:14.58 (SB), Orla Drumm (IRL) 4:15.37, Liz Brathwaite 4:15.81 (SB), Josephine Moultrie (U23) 4:17.66 (PB), ..., 9.Catherine Riley 4:22.09 (SB), 10.Kate Avery (U23) 4:22.31 (PB), ..., 14.Georgie Peel (U20) 4:27.16
5000m Emelia Gorecka (U20) 15:51.20 (PB), Lauren Howarth (U23) 15:51.49 (PB), Annabel Gummow (U20) 15:53.27 (PB), Eilish McColgan (U23) 15:53.87 (PB), Emma Pallant (U23) 15:54.40 (PB), Beth Potter (U23) 15:55.83 (PB), Lauren Deadman 15:56.84 (PB), Kerry Harty 15:58.67 (PB), Hannah Walker (U23) 16:09.93 (PB)

Chris Tomlinson made an impressive season debut as he won the long jump with a windy 8.28m (3.1m/sec) at the European Champions Club Cup in Portugal so there looks to be shaping up a very exciting situation at the top end of the event.

Greg Rutherford is competing in Hengelo tomorrow and looks poised for something very good on the back of a windy 8.20 last weekend at a low-key match in Milton Keynes. By the look of things, a new UK record shouldn't be ruled out any time now.

In the high jump, Rob Grabarz came second with an outdoor SB of 2.20m.

Pretty good session for the Brits at the NCAA West Regionals in Eugene as Tom Farrell qualified as fourth from his heat in 13:34.83, his second fastest time ever, and also U23 Ross Millington clocked a big PB of 13:36.39 to go through as fastest loser.

Rory Fraser made it by right through the first slower heat in fourth place in 13:48.74.

In the 1500m, David Bishop came third in the first heat in 3:44.69 and Chris O'Hare as fourth from the second heat in 3:47.13 to make it to Drake too.

Qualified as a fastest loser was James Alaka, apparently suffering from a hamstring problem, in the 200m in 21.17 secs (0.5m/sec).

Full results:
http://www.flashresults.com/2011_Meets/outdoor/05-26-NCAAWest/Day3.htm

Sportscity Grand Prix, Manchester, full results:

http://www.britishmilersclub.com/bmcstorydisplay.aspx?storyid=625

Kris Gauson was also safely through as he occupied third in his heat in 3:46.83 in the men's 1500m at the NCAA East Regionals in Indiana, as was Hannah Brooks who came second in her own affair in 4:17.21 in the women's metric mile.

Kirsty Legg also edged through her heat in 4:27.51.

Full Results:
http://iuhoosiers.cstv.com/livestats/m-track/ncaaprelim11/

Andy Baddeley comfortably takes the men's 800m at the Sportcity GP:
http://www.athleticos.org/coverage/238816-2011-BMC-Grand-Prix-Sport-City/video/492872-Mens-800m-A-Race

Jessica Judd stuns her seniors in the women's 1500m in the fastest ever time set by an U17 girl over the distance:
http://www.athleticos.org/coverage/238816-2011-BMC-Grand-Prix-Sport-City/video/492885-Womens-1500m-A-Race

I've got to admit I'm a little mystified by the girls's tactics in the main heats of both the 800 and 1500m where they were far too sceptical or reluctant about going with the pacemakers and chase some fast times.

For some of them chances of good fast races to get times won't come in so often so they should make the most of those presented with. It's a slippery slope when you start asserting yourself like a strong finisher, even if only at domestic level.

So well done to Jessica Judd for also taking it up and forging the pace all the way when none else looked really eager to. Stacey Smith could be excused on the grounds of running two races in quick succession though.

The men's 1500m A race with Bruce Raeside and Daniel Clorley:
http://www.athleticos.org/coverage/238816-2011-BMC-Grand-Prix-Sport-City/video/492814-Mens-1500m-A-Race

The B race where 800m U20 speciallist Adam Cotton made a big breakthrough in a winning big PB of 3:44.70 while Steve Fennell looks to be gaining pace from race to race to clinch another PB in 3:46.68 for fourth on the trot:
http://www.athleticos.org/coverage/238816-2011-BMC-Grand-Prix-Sport-City/video/492816-Mens-1500m-B-Race

The men's 5000m won by Tom Humphries while U20 Johnny Hay dipped under 14 mins for the first ever time further behind:
http://www.athleticos.org/coverage/238816-2011-BMC-Grand-Prix-Sport-City/video/492838-Mens-5000m-A-Race

Really heartening performances by Talbot, Dasaolu and Double-A there in Geneva. Does anyone know what sort of shape Simeon Williamson and Tyrone Edgar are in? I know both have been out for a while, if they and, say, MLF came back fit and firing I think we'd have a genuinely competitive domestic sprint scene with several guys knocking on the door of 10 sec flat.

What can you say about Jessica Judd other than 'wow'? She's close to, or at the top of global age-group rankings for 800, 1500 and 3000m now. Only Anna Laman of Australia stands between her and No 1 in the 1500m rankings - will we see another Bannister/Landy style long distance duel between these two girls in years to come? As Laman's season is now over Judd has every chance of taking top spot before the northern hemisphere summer is out. While Judd's performance pretty much eclipses everything else at that meet I think an honorable mention should go to the women's 5000m where eight athletes dipped under 16 mins - only 13 did that for the whole of last year.

Simeon Williamson has been back in full training in Jamaica and will be returning to action this season but he will be a question mark having missed nearly two years of action.

Tyrone Edgar had a couple of poor outings Stateside in April so I guess he headed back into some more training to shore up his racing. I don't know whether he's suffered any setback but looks like in full training now.

The women's 5000m at the Sportcity GP with some fine performances from Emelia Gorecka, Lauren Howarth, Annabel Gummow and Eilish McColgan from the U20 and U23 classes this season:

http://www.athleticos.org/coverage/238816-2011-BMC-Grand-Prix-Sport-City/video/492894-Womens-5000m-A-Race

By the way, Tom Parsons has cleared a SB of 2.27m at the third attempt at the CAU in Bedford earlier on, bettering his outdoor form by a good 4cm.

U20 hot prospect David Bolarinwa has got off to a perfect start of a marginal PB of 10.38 secs (0.2m/sec) in the heats of the men's 100m at the CAU.

In the women's hurdles, Gemma Bennett set a SB of 13.19 secs legal - don't know the exact wind yet.

Meanwhile, Reese Hoffa demonstrated his intentions to reclaim the global top of the men's shot as he stamped his authority on a world-class field from the very first round with a world-leading put of 21.39m.

Olympic champion Thomasz Majewski, Poland, was runner-up with a SB of 21.39m to go equal fourth in the world and Christian Cantwell looks to be picking up with a SB of 21.15m for third.

Canadian Dylan Armstrong, an arguable No1 in the early exchanges of the season, could not either make the top four or go over 21m this time, a best of 20.96m on the day, edging ahead of Adam Nelson (20.92) in a high quality contest.

http://fbkgames.nl/uitslagen_2011/re0850040.html

David Bolarinwa has set a second PB of 10.35 secs in a matter of an hour while Deji Tobais equalled his with 10.30 secs in different heats of the semifinals of the men's 100m at the CAU in Bedford.

Where are you locating results for the CAU Meet ?

A second below par display in quick succession by Mike Rimmer who slumps to last but one in 1:46.79 in a not particularly fast men's 800m, won by European Indoor champion Adam Kszczot (Jesus, what a sequence of consonants in a single name!) in 1:45.11 from Kenyan Boaz Lalang (1:45.31).

I do hope that he isn't affected by any low blood values and he's simply coming back from some slight setback...

I'm picking up some results on Twitter or links from there, Tianjing.

I'm hearing 12.77 (1.0 wind) for Tiff O-P, but results taking forever to load

It is so JJimBoJames!

Jenny Meadows leads Emma Jackson to a 1-2 in Hengelo, 1.59.76 to 2.00.24 PB

For comparison, in the same race last year, Jenny ran 2.03.14 for 6th

David Bolarinwa has won the final of the men's 100m in a third PB in as many races today of 10.29 secs (1.5m/sec) at the CAU. Fabulous start from the youngster who promises a lot more!

Pickering 10.23 (1.1m.sec) for 5th in Heat 1 in Hengelo

Saw it a little earlier on myself, JJimBoJames, but that result service is a real torment!! I think it's a matter of time before Emma joins the sub 2 mins club now. Further, that's two wins out of two races for Jenny so far and her first sub 2mins this season.

Agreed - going to be a massive fight for the Daegu places in both the 8 and 15.

Wish some of the 'fringe' 1500m women would just give the steeple a go, and see what they can do - seems ludicrous having world class women sat watching a major champs at home

Thanks for the result on Craig Pickering, couldn't access it myself at all! *laugh*

That's his fastest since 2009 and a B standard for Daegu by the way.