Action from Day 1 of the London Anniversary Games

The Olympic Stadium was lit up on the first evening of this year’s Anniversary Games with one World record and two British records being broken, together with numerous World Leading performances, Meeting Records, Personal Bests and Season’s Best.

In the women’s 1500m, Laura Muir took nearly half a second off Kelly Holmes’ British record, set when she won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004. Keeping up with the pacemaker, Laura ran a hard race to move clear of second placed Sifan Hassan and clock 3:57.49. Laura Weightman was fourth in a season’s best 4:02.66, Eilish McColgan ran a personal best of 4:03.74 and Steph Twell a season’s best of 4:06.20

 Laura Muir keeps ahead of Sifan Hassan at the start of the last lap.

  Laura Muir with a cheque for $5000 for breaking the British record.

Just as impressive were a GB & NI quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita who clocked 41.81 to win the 4x100m relay by nearly three tenths of a second better than their previous best set at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in 2015. That run, which was also a world lead and a meeting record, will make the US and Jamaica teams in particular take some notice and sets them up perfectly for a tilt at a medal in Rio in August.

 

The French quartet in the women's 4x100m relay

Performance of the night though has to go to Kendra Harrison. The American hurdler who dipped out so badly at the US Olympic trials easily won her heat of the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.40 before going on to run away with the final in 12.20 to break the 28-year old World Record of Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova. In the same event, Tiffany Porter ran a season’s best 12.70 for sixth place with Jessica Ennis-Hill eighth in 13.04 after producing her second best time of 12.76 in her heat.

 

 Jessica Ennis-Hill running 12.76 in her heat of the women's 100m hurdles.

 And being very pleased with the result - her second ever best time in the event

 Kendra Harrison on her way to winning her heat of the women's 100m hurdles in 12.40

And crossing the line

In the final she pulled away even more

 Jessica Ennis-Hill came in eighth in 13.04

 Kendra Harrison overcome with her World Record in a time of 12.20

 

The crowd though had come to see Usain Bolt return to the London track - his 200m race was last on the card. After a false start and a green card had added to the tension, Bolt broke away to take victory in 19.89 – a fine preparation for the defence of his three Olympic titles in Rio. Alonso Edward was second in 20.04 and Adam Gemili third in a season’s best 20.07.  

 Usain Bolt leading from the front in the 200m

 

 

 

In the Diamond League 100m final Jimmy Vicaut, who had run 9.96 in his heat, went clear of the field to win in 10.02. American Isiah Young was second in 10.07, Churandy Martina third with 10.10. Chijindu Ujah finished in 10.16 just ahead of Richard Kilty also with 10.16

Kim Collins suffered a rare setback to clock 12.08 in the final

James Dasaolu wins his heat in 10.14

As part of the stadium refurbishment the track had been replaced with one that matches Rio and the conditions seems to suit the athletes. Shaunae Miller stormed to women’s 400m victory in a world lead 49.55, with Stephenie Ann McPherson, second in 50.40. Christine Ohuruogu ran 51.05 for a season’s best in fifth, the fastest time by a British athlete this year. Emily Diamond was seventh in 51.63, Seren Bundy-Davies eighth in 51.81 and Anyika Onoura ninth in 52.34.

Shaunae Miller winning the final

 Emily Diamond

Eilidh Doyle had to settle for fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.70 as she stuttered on the final hurdle - Dalilah Muhammad winning impressively in 53.90

 Eilidh Doyle on the start line of the 400m hurdles

Dalilah Muhammad winning the 400m hurdles

Heptathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson produced a stunning personal best to clear 1.95m in the women’s high jump just short of a British record height of 1.98m. There was also a season’s best 1.92m for fellow multi-eventer Morgan Lake. The event was won by Ruth Beitia with a third time clearance at 1.98m

 Katarina Johnson-Thompson going over 1.95m

 And very pleased with the result

 It was a frustrating night for Morgan Lake though, despite her 1.92m clearance

There was a fast early pace in the men’s 800m which Frenchman Pierre-Ambroise Bosse took full advantage of to win in an impressive 1.43.88 season’s best. British 1500m man Charlie Grice was ninth, but his 1.45.53 bettered his PB by nearly 1.5 seconds

Silas Kiplagat won the Emsley Carr Mile in 3.53.04 ahead of fellow Kenyans Timothy Cheruiyot and Vincent Kibet. Briton Jake Wightman smashed his personal best with 3.54.20 for fourth place

 Wightman starts the Emsley Carr Mile

Kiplagat wins the Emsley Carr Mile

Mo Farah gets ready for the London Anniversary Games

Reigning double Olympic, World and European champion Mo Farah was the star of a press conference called by British Athletics ahead of competing in the 5000m at the London Anniversary Games last weekend.

The London OlympicStadium was the scene of Farah’s greatest achievements as he won the 5000m and 10,000m in front of an incredible home support. He answered a variety of questions, but in which Russian athletics and BPL (football) featured heavily.

Looking forward to the London Anniversary Games - not long now!

The London Anniversary Games starts on Friday evening and the line up is looking good.

I've seen Usain Bolt twice - once collecting his 100m gold medal at London 2012 and then at a Press Conference in Glasgow two years later, so I'm looking forward to seeing him in action at last in the 200m on Friday, and then Mo Farah closing the event with the 5000m on Saturday.

Mo Farah, 5000m , Diamnond League, Birmingham, June 2016

The joys of being an outfield photographer

When you are photographing an event like athletics there are two types of position.  Infield access allows the photographer inside the track.  Outfield access lets the photographer move to a few pre-defined locations around the track but usually is best within a 'pen' at the end of the back straight so that you can photograph finishers head-on.

Unfortunately, as an outfield photographer in a static position, there are times when you will become invisible to camera-crew, officials and anybody else who can wander freely onto the track in front of you just as you are about to press the shutter.

Camera-crew, British Athletics Championships. Birmingham 2016 - see Tom Bosworth trying to unsuccessfully photo-bomb the picture?

We always need to be mindful as well of who we may be blocking.  Luckily, British Athletics do have a very good and efficient media team who look after the photographers and keep us mostly on the straight and narrow!

Mo Farah confirmed for 'Super Saturday' at the Muller Anniversary Games

Double Olympic and World Champion Mo Farah will return to the scene of his London 2012 victories as part of his preparation for the Rio Olympics.  It will be the first time that he has raced over 5000m at the Olympic Stadium since he won Olympic gold there four years ago.

Mo Farah, world record for the two-mile, Birmingham February 2015

Jessica Ennis-Hill is also confirmed for 'Super Saturday' which will also feature Jonnie Peacock, David Weit and Hannah Cockroft.  The event is now taking on the tag of 'Rio in a weekend' - just two weeks before the Opening Ceremony in Rio.

See more at: http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/london-anniversary-games/

Action from Day 3 of the British Athletics Championships

Matthew Hudson-Smith (Birchfield Harriers) clocked 44.88 in winning the men's 400m to book his place in Rio and join the other 37 athletes who secured automatic Olympic selection at the British Athletics Championships.

Dina Asher-Smith (Blackheath & Bromley) won her first 200m British Championship in 23.11 just ahead of Desiree Henry (Enfield & Haringey) in 23.13 as they both qualified for Olympic places.  It was the same margin of victory in the man's 200m with Adam Gemili (Blackheath & Bromley) clocking 22.44 ahead of Danny Talbot (Birchfield Harriers) in 22.46, with them both qualifying for Rio.

 

Andrew Pozzi (Stratford-upon-Avon) ran a PB of 13.31 in the men's 110m hurdles ahead of Lawrence Clarke (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) in 13.44, with them both also qualifying for Rio.

 

 David King (Plymouth) winning his heat of the men's 110m hurdles.

Jazmin Sawyer (City of Stoke) won the women's long jump with 6.75m, edging out defending champion Shara Proctor (Birchfield Harriers) as they both qualified for Rio.

There were plenty of others who also booked their place on the Team GB heading to the Rio Olympics.  Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill) retained her women's 1500m title by breaking away in the final 300m to win ahead of Laura Weightman (Morpeth).  In the women's 800m it was Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) who won in 2:01.80 just ahead of Lynsey Sharpe (Edinburgh) on 2:02.14.

 

In the women's 400m, Emily Diamond (Bristol & West) won in 51.94 ahead of the fancied Seren Bundy-Daves (Trafford).

The men's high jump was decided on countback with Robbie Grabarz (Newham & Essex Beagles) pipping Chris Baker (Sale Harriers) as they both cleared 2.26m.

European champion Eilidh Doyle (Pitreavie) won her third British Championship 400m hurdles in 54.93.  In the men's event it was Sebastian Rodger (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) who won in a season's best 49.45 ahead of Jack Green (Kent AC).

 

In a tactical men's 1500m, defending champion Charlie Grice (Brighton Phoenix) won in 3:43.41 just ahead of Chris O'Hare (Edinburgh).

The women’s 5000m was a slow-burner until Steph Twell (Aldershot, Farnham & District) and Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill) moved away from the rest of the field to take gold and silver and secure their Rio spots.

 

Pre-event favourite Jade Lally (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) won the women's discus with 59.15m

Tom Bosworth (Tonbridge AC) took the British Championship in the men's 5km race walk in a season's best 19:13.56 but was second behind Dane Bird-Smith of Australia.

In the women's 5000m race walk it was Bethan Davies who won with a personal best of 22:03.82

Elliot Giles (Birchfield Harriers) won the men's 800m ahead of Jamie Webb (Liverpool Harriers) and Michael Rimmer (Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton Harriers) who was looking for his eighth British title.

In the women's 3000m steeplechase,  Rosie Clarke (Epsom & Ewell) produced a personal best of 9:52.20 to take the British title ahead of Lennie Waite (East Kilbride).

Luke Cutts (City of Sheffield and Dearne) won the men's pole vault with 5.40m to secure his Olympic place.