Muller Indoor Athletics Grand Prix

After a break in Glasgow last year, the Barclaycard Arena (formerly the National Indoor Arena) in Birmingham again hosted the British Athletics Indoor Grand Prix, sponsored by Muller.

Even without Katarina Johnson-Thompson, absent due to a minor hamstring strain, there were many top athletes in attendance.  It was an exciting afternoon of competition, capped off with the farewell indoor performance of Mo Farah.

 Sally Pearson (Australia) on the comeback trail in the Women's 60m Hurdles - winning her heat but eventually coming third.

 Adele Tracey (Great Britain), Women's 800m

 Kim Collins (St Kitts & Nevis) making his 50th appearance in Britain, winning his heat of the Men's 60m

 Elaine Thompson (Jamaica) winning her heat of the Women's 60m

 Eilidh Doyle (Great Britain) lining up for the start of the Women's 400m

 Andrew Pozzi (Great Britain) takes another World Lead and PB of 7.43 in the Men's 60m Hurdles

 Jenny Meadows (GB) paced Laura Muir (GB) for the first three laps of her attempt at the Women's 1000m

 Laura Muir then took over, chasing 2:32.96 set by Dame Kelly Holmes at this meeting back in 2004

She set a European record of 2:31.93

 And first to congratulate her was Jenny Meadows

In the final event of a memorable day, Sir Mo Farah at his last indoor track event, broke the British record in the Men’s 5000m, in a time of 13:09.16.

 

 More photos available at: http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_713390.html

Action from Day 1 of the British Indoor Team Trials 2017

Andrew Pozzi won the Men's 60m hurdles on the first day of the 2017 British Indoor Team Trials at the EIS, Sheffield - equalling the World Lead of 7.44 earlier in the day to also break the Stadium Record.

In the Men’s 60m final Dwain Chambers saved his best run of the season to run 6.62 and claim the bronze medal.

Asha Philip took her fourth British Indoor Women's title in the Women’s 60m in 7.19.

 

The Women’s high jump ended with Morgan Lake and Bethan Partridge as joint gold medallists.

In the Women’s pole vault, Jade Ive beat favourite Sally Peake with a personal best of 4.35m to go sixth on the UK all-time list.

The last final of the day was the women’s shot put, a penultimate round 17.43m saw Rachel Wallader take the title ahead of Sophie McKinna who threw a personal best of 16.74m for silver.

In the 400m semi-finals Eilidh Doyle was the quickest qualifier for the final on Day 2.

In other events, Anthony Whiteman ran a World Record time for a veteran of 1:52.96 in the Men's 800m heats.  And spare a thought for Ronnie Wells of Yeovil who, having been disqaulified for a false start in his heat of the Men's 60m appealed and won the chance of a re-race on his own for a time to get into the semi-finals. 

Out on the start line on his own, the starter gave the orders.....and he false started again.  Definitely one for "What happened next...?"

More photos form the event will soon be available at: http://www.peverilphoto.com/section665568_713388.html

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