UK Champs title for Phil and medal for Yemi Mary

Strong performances by Woodford athletes at the UK Athletics Champs, sponsored by Novuna, at Birmingham on 2-3 August were highlighted by Phil Norman retaining the 3000m steeplechase title. However despite the event doubling as the trials for the World Athletics Champs in Tokyo in September no WGEL athletes are currently guaranteed selection for Tokyo, with the selections not being announced until 26 August.

Phil Norman had not run a 3000m steeplechase since his historic Championship Best Performance at the Olympic trials in Manchester last year. After getting over the disappointment that his 8:18.65 performance did not get him selected for his second Olympic Games, Phil has run several times for the club having initially only intended to do a few road races. After an impressive NAL win at the short 2000m ‘chase distance in Derby he decided to defend his title. While it was soon clear that there would be no repeat of last year’s record breaking exploits a group of 4 remained tightly packed approaching the bell with Phil edging to the front but not yet kicking on. The top 3 were still together coming off the final barrier but the Woodford athlete was strongest coming away from it and held on, winning by just 0.22 in 8:40.47.

The final event on Saturday was the men’s 100m. Eugene Amo-Dadzie went into the event having a world championship qualifying time after an early season sub-10 at Lee Valley and he won his semi-final. However top 2 was required along with the standard for automatic selection and Eugene finished a tight 4th in 10.04w (+2.2m/s) to leave his selection fate out of his hands. Medwin Odammten went out at the semi-final stage, while Benedict Chukwueze was eliminated in the preliminary round. In the women’s 100m Gwen Datey was eliminated after finishing 4th in her semi-final having qualified in 11.71(-1.4). Chioma Okonkwo, in her first competition in the country having had a long wait to have her eligibility to compete in UK champs confirmed, made it through the first round on time despite having the worst wind of the day, 11.81(-2.0). Chioma was unable to advance past the semi-final of the 100m or, on Sunday, the 200m where the weather changed into a distinctly un-Californian downpour as she was left waiting behind her blocks for the race.

Yemi Mary John was another Woodford athlete with a world qualifying standard who comfortably won their semi-final, with 52.44 in the women’s 400m on Saturday, having run 50.50 for Euro U23 silver last month. For Sunday’s final she was slightly off the pace at half-way and while she finished very strongly just missed out on an auto qualifying spot in third, in 50.84, 0.05 off guaranteed selection. WGEL’s only other track finalist was Ben Potrykus who was slightly under the weather and finished 16th in the 5000m. Elsewhere Molly Swingler did not finish in the 400m hurdles while Joel Doye was brought to a standstill in a tactical 1500m heat by multiple athletes falling in front of him with just under 200m left and coasted home with these athletes.

In the field Sam Khogali was 5th with 7.72 in a very tight long jump where the whole field was separated by just 13cm. Gareth Winter was also 5th in the shot put, in 15.79, as was Tom Head in the hammer, 63.71. Among Woodford HCA athletes competing Lucy Walliker was equal 4th in the high jump as most of the field was eliminated at 1.79, and Ethan Akanni had his first legal sub-14 clocking, 13.99, to finish 5th in the 110m hurdles. While Eugene and Yemi Mary are made to wait on their status for the world championships in Tokyo, one athlete whose selection has been confirmed is Bebe Jackson, who will be making her senior GB debut in the world para-athletics champs in Delhi, India at the beginning of October.