Muller British Championships and Olympic Trials
Several Woodford athletes competed in the British Championships which incorporated the Trials for the Tokyo Olympics at Manchester over the weekend. Top performance from a Woodford athlete came from Tiffany Porter who regained the national title that she last won in 2016. There were also medal winning performances from Eugene Amo-Dadzie, Dan Rowden, Phil Norman and Cindy Sember.
Tiffany Porter whose sister Cindy Sember had won the last two British titles and who placed 2nd to Tiffany in 2016 the last time Tiffany won and indeed contested the British Championships was a convincing winner of the title on Saturday. Tiffany recorded a fine 12.78 secs (-1.0) to take the title, the 6th time she has run inside the Olympic qualifying mark of 12.84 secs this season. Cindy didn’t look quite at her best as she just lost out for 2nd, placing 3rd in 13.20 secs, having clocked 13.16 secs (-0.6) in qualifying. Cindy nevertheless still heads the U.K. ranking lists this season with 12.53 secs, ahead of Tiffany’s 12.62 secs and has also bettered the Olympic qualifying mark on 6 occasions this season. Cindy also ran in the preliminary rounds of the 100m and progressed to the semi-final where she recorded 11.85 secs (+0.7).
Another Champion from last season Dan Rowden also placed 3rd this year in a very high quality and tight race over 800m where 0.03 secs covered the first three Dan just lost out on the line with a time of 1m45.14 secs but hopefully a performance good enough to see him selected for Tokyo. Like Dan, Phil Norman also won the British title last year and he too ended up 3rd this time in the 3000m s/ch clocking 8m 31.87 secs. As one of only two British athletes with the qualifying mark he will also be hopeful of selection.
The other athlete who picked up a medal was Eugene Amo-Dadzie who was a highly creditable 2nd in the 100m final where he recorded 10.27 secs (-0.4). Eugene who was a late starter in the sport just three years ago at the age of 26 and had showed glimpses of his talent, notably indoors over 60m where in the 2020 indoor season he recorded 6.63 secs and earlier this season had recorded 10.25 secs (+1.8) at a low-key graded meeting. Having placed 2nd in his heat with10.54 secs (-0.3) and then 3rd in his semi where he only qualified as a fastest loser with 10.38 secs (-1.0) Eugene seemed to benefit from an inside lane draw away from the favourites in the centre lanes and held his form very well to claim his silver medal with 10.27 secs (-0.4). The Tokyo qualifying mark over 100m is however 10.05 secs, so Eugene will be hoping for a place in the relay squad.
In the 110mH Ollie Cresswell improved his personal best by 0.15 secs in the heats to 14.48 secs (+0.8) and Cameron Fillery who placed second last year comfortably qualified from his heat with13.64 secs (0.0). In the final however, Cameron just lost out on the medals as he placed 4th this time with a time of 13.63 secs (-1.0). In the long jump Sam Khogali placed 6th with 7.26m (+0.3) some way below his season’s best of 7.65m (0.0) having aggravated an ankle problem. Another to make a final on the track was Ben Potrykus in the 1500m where having placed 4th in his heat with 3m46.07 secs he placed 15th in the final, a race which started very slowly, clocking 3m49.44 secs. In action in heats were Yemi Mary John who had won the National U/20 title last weekend who clocked 54.14 secs and George Vaughan who recorded 54.45 secs over 400mH.
In the decathlon that was held over the first two days off the Championships, Howard Bell competed and put together a mixed series of events. He was over 50m again with the javelin (50.09m) and cleared a season's best in the HJ (1.92m), but failed at his opening height of 4.14m in the PV. Howard's other marks were 100m 11.68 secs (-3.0),LLJ 6.56m (-2.4), SP 12.56m, 400m;52.73 secs, 110mH 15.94 secs (-0.7) DT 35.64m, 1500m 4m58.22 secs. Howard's points total , ut from only nine counting events was 5964.