OFFILI SISTERS AND PHIL NORMAN SHOW OLYMPIC CREDENTIALS PLUS OTHER T & F NEWS
Woodford athletes have been in early Track and Field action over the last couple of weeks and amongst those early season results there were notable performances from Phil Norman and the Ofili sisters as each chase selection for the Tokyo Olmypics.
In Florida on April 10 both Cindy Sember and sister Tiffany Porter raced over 100m Hurdles at the Miramar Invitational. In a high standard race but in windy conditions Cindy placed 2nd with 12.55 secs w (+2.7) ahead of Tiffany who recorded 12.57 secs w (+2.7) for third. In the heats Cindy had recorded 12.60 secs w (+3.6) and Tiffany 12.68 secs w (+3.6). This weekend however also in Florida at Gainesville at the Tom Jones Memorial wind conditions were better and in another high standard race won by US athlete Jasmine Camacho-Quinn in a very fast and world leading mark of 12.32 secs, Tiffany was second with 12.62 secs (-0.8) and Cindy third in the same time, 12.62 secs (+1.7). In the heats Cindy had recorded 12.89 secs (-0.8) and Tiffany 12.90 secs (-0.8) Both of the sisters' times from the final currently rank 3rd and 4th in this season’s world rankings are comfortably inside the UK Athletics Olympic A standard (12.84 secs) for Tokyo selection.
Phil Norman’s race came in far colder weather at Birmingham University on Wednesday evening where he raced over the non-Olympic distance of 2000m steeplechase but showed great form recording a time of 5m26.06 secs which would suggest a very fast effort at the standard 3000m distance is on the cards. Phil’s time ranks 8th on the UK all-time lists and just betters the previous fastest ever by Woodford athlete of 5m26.60 secs which stood to Australian international Youcef Abdi. Also in action at Birmingham was Anna Clark who hasn’t raced for some time and clocked 2m18.20 secs over 800m whilst in the long jump Sam Khogali showed good early form with a clearance of 7.44m
Another in action in the US was Georgetown University, Texas student Andrew Robinson who last weekend raced at Oxford, Missouri and recorded his fastest ever, but windy 100m of 10.63 secs w (+3.7). he also raced over 200m recording 21.92 secs (+1.6). This weekend at Charlottesville Andrew also raced over 200m and recorded 22.04 secs (-0.7).
In Scotland at Linwood, Ciaran Wright opened his season with a decent 66.29m in the hammer, whilst at Loughborough Youcef Zatat returned to competition in teh shot with a decent first mark of 17.81m. Craig Charlton had earlier competed at Morpeth and recorded 15.41m.