Last updated 22
October 2000
Press Releases August
& September 2000
- f you want to find the latest results try Results!
- If you are after older results and gossip please
go to the Courier
pages.
24 September 2000
Dwayne Grant was celebrating this weekend having been
selected for both the 200 metres and the 4x100 at the World Junior Championships
in Santiago, Chile from 17-23 of October. The 18 year old Blackheath Harriers
Bromley who lives in Penge was always going to be in the 4x100 squad, but was
desperate for an individual slot as well.
He was only third in the Trials at Bedford last month but
a series of high class performances over the season convinced the selectors that
he should be one of the two individual nominations. In the 4x100 Grant will be
teaming up with young sprint sensation Mark Lewis Francis from Birchfield
Harriers and the squad must be one of the contenders for gold.
Before Chile, Grant will travel to Italy on the 7th of
October for an under 20s international against Italy, France and Spain and then
onto the Great Britain holding camp in Florida. After staying there a few days
they will then fly to Chile.
Meanwhile out in Sydney Mark Steinle is adding the
finishing touches to his preparations for next Sundays marathon. Like the
Juniors, the British squad have been staying at a holding camp on the Gold
Coast, Steinle has been doing much of his running with British number one from
last year Jon Brown, with the emphasis being on slowly easing down for the main
event.
While most of the training has been fairly routine one of
his runs nearly ended in disaster when he was attacked. His assailant was a
figure that has become notorious at the camp and is a magpie. The bird swept
down at Steinle and distracted him enough to cause him to run into a post.
Fortunately no damage was done and the 25 year old lines up for his Olympic
debut ready for anything. Julian Golding is part of an 8 man British 4x100 squad
after recovering from a virus that caused him to under perform at the Olympic
Trials last month.
The Clubs under 13s team struck gold at the Kent Relay
Championships at Canterbury. The team of Dale Willis. Stephen Leach and Tom
Beech ran with amazing consistency to win in 26.59 while there was an
encouraging performance from the B team of Richard Daniel, Russell Gorga and
Graham Hollingdale in 7th place.
For the under 15s the outstanding performance of the day
came from Joe Sweeney who ran the 2nd fastest time of the day moving the team up
from 7th to 4th on the final leg , following strong efforts from Michael Leal
and Simon Childs.
Raymond Perkins was the surprise package in the under 17s
as he was the fastest Heathen of the day but running for the B team. The A team
of Chris Daniel, Daniel Snow and Dan Ryan finished in 4th.
Matt De Freitas was the fastest Harrier at the Club's
cross country relay at Sparrows Den.
17 September 2000
Blackheath Harriers Bromley athlete Sian Brice crashed out
of the inaugural womens Olympic Triathlon when she was brought down on the
cycling section of the event. Sixth in last years World Championships she was a
possible medal contender but, after she was felled, she was prevented from
resuming the race by an official who deemed her bike was in an unsafe condition.
It was a devastating blow for the 31 year old who put a city career on hold to
train 4 -5 hours a day to fulfil her Olympic ambitions.
Three of the Clubs junior athletes were also on
international duty at Bath as they sought selection for the World Junior
Championships in Santaigo, Chile next month. Dwayne Grant is already part of the
4x100 team for the Championships but the 18 year old from Penge is also
desperate for an individual place in the 200. This match for the Great Britain
Juniors, against Wales and the South West of England, gave him the chance to
stake his claim for selection, and, he did his chances no harm by finishing in
3rd place in the 200 in 21.28, six tenths ahead of junior rival Ben Lewis, who
pipped him for silver at the Trials last month. He was also part of the
4x100 team who scorched to victory in a time of 40.16.
Nange Ursell ran a seasons best of 53.06 to finish 2nd in
the 400 hurdles but it looks like he may have missed out on selection for South
America. The qualifying is 52 seconds and the injuries that have dogged him all
season seem to have prevented him from achieving a standard of which he is
capable. Mark Awanah could not get near the necessary standard in the long jump
as he leapt 6.52 for 7th place.
At the other end of the age scale some of the Clubs
veterans were in action in the County Championships at Ashford with 67 year old
Jim Day winning 6 gold medals in his age group category. Particularly impressive
from the athlete from West Wickham was his 2.70 metre victory in the pole vault,
and, he added to this with a 20.8 clocking in the 100 hurdles, and leaps of 1.25
in the high jump; 8.33 in the triple jump and 3.80 in the long jump; all of
which gained him top spot on the podium. Add to this a win in the javelin and
silvers in the 100, shot and discus and it wasn't a bad weekend for the former
Club President.
Chris Ellis set a new championship record in the over 50s
discus with a throw of 42.58 and there was a double victory for Gordon Hickey in
the over 65s shot and discus with throws of 12.12 and 35.97 respectively. Pete
Hamilton showed he is back on the road to fitness with a bronze medal in the
over 50s 1500 in 4.49.6.
On the roads Junior Daniel Ayrton showed a promising start
to the winter season when he finished 3rd in the Wimbledon 10km. Competing
against seniors he timed 32.40. Eamonn Prendergast was 10th in 33.53.
The new Blackheath website is now up and running. Hit the
Heath at http://www.bandbhac.org.uk The
Club welcomes new members of all standards. Those inspired by the Olympics and
interested in track and field should visit Norman Park on a Tuesday or Thursday
from 6.30 and ask for either Michelle Bovell or David Liston. The Club also runs
an introductory course for youngsters to the various disciplines on a Wednesday
evening. Again visit the track from 6.30. For the road running and cross country
fraternity, packs of various standards train from the Clubhouse at 56 Bourne
Way, Hayes on a Wednesday evening from 6.30. Changing facilities, weights, a
licensed bar and hot meals are all available.
11 September 2000
Jonathan Barbour completed his second set of double
international victories in a week when he won the 100 and 200 for Great Britain
in the under 23 international match against Spain in Getafe. He took the 100 in
10.36 into a -0.3 wind and then smashed his personal best in the 200 clocking
20.79. His time in the 200 puts him 8th fastest in the country this year, just
one hundredth slower than Dwain Chambers.
The previous weekend the 20 year old athlete from
Blackheath Harriers Bromley had won the same two events in a full senior
international match against France in Vittel.
Chris Moss was also in action both weekends. In Spain he
timed his finish to perfection in the 800 winning by just three hundredths of a
second in 1.50.49. This made up for his 2nd place the previous week where he
just missed out on gold, despite still not being fully recovered after being
involved in a car accident.
Closer to home the Clubs youngsters took seven sets of
gold medals at the Kent Relay Championships at Erith. Abi Jacobs, Katy
Benneworth, Sandra Alaneme and Nadia Gharbaoui all won two golds as the quartet
were victors in both the under 17s 4x100 and 4x200 metre races. In the same age
group for the boys Tom Robinson, George Isodo, Jake Aust and Jack "the
track" Wilkie ran an outstanding 45.74 for gold in the 4x100. Young
athletes team manager Fran Robinson was astonished at the result as the previous
weekend a theoretically much stronger team had clocked 45.63 for 2nd place in
the McDonalds Young Athletes Final. The 4x400 of Chris Daniel, Brendan Early,
Dave Griffin and Jake Aust also struck gold with Aust's last leg of 52.0
particularly noteworthy.
In the under 15s boys events Edwin Telfer, Sanjo
Bamgboye,, James Sharpington and Dwayne Bovell teamed up to win the 4x100; and
Bovell was in action again with a rare excursion over the full lap in the 4x400
as he combined with multi talented Alex Pope, Simon Childs and Club 80 metre
hurdles record holder Andrew Johnson for another emphatic victory.
In the under 13s the girls team including Joanna South,
Clare Cooper and Annabel Atkins picked up a good 2nd place with the boys team
going one better as Alex Al-Ameen, Dwayne Lenna, Tom Lewis and Adam Berry
stormed to victory. There were also silver medals for the 3x800 metre team of
Dale Willis, Tom Beech and Chris Place.
Meanwhile Dave Taylor was in action in the Barnsley 10km
which incorporated the AAAs Championships and Inter Counties Championships. The
Commonwealth Games 4th placer in the marathon was just inside 30 minutes for
10km timing 29.58 for 12th place.
The Olympic Games Opening Ceremony is this Friday and one
of the first events in Sydney will feature a Blackheath athlete. Sian Brice
began her international career at the 1986 Commonwealth Games in the 1500 for
the Isle of Man. This weekend she represents Britain in the triathlon. Sixth at
the 1999 World Championships she is a possible medal contender.
The Club welcomes athletes of all ages and standards for
competitive and recreational athletics. Track enthusiasts should visit Norman
Park track on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday night from 6.30 and ask for
Michelle Bovell or Dave Liston. Those interested in road running or cross
country are invited to visit the Clubhouse at 56 Bourne Way, Hayes on a
Wednesday night from 6.30 for a steady run. Weight training facilities, hot
meals and a fully licensed bar are all available.
8 September 2000
While Englands footballers battled in Paris,
Blackheath Harrier Bromley athlete Jonathan Barbour was a double winner for
Great Britain in the international match against France in Vittel. The AAA's
Under 23 champion at 100 and 200 won both sprints. He took the 100 in 10.60 and
was then just outside his best ever 200 time winning in 21.18.
Blackheath captain Mensah Elliott picked up
silver in the 110 hurdles. In the only race of the afternoon which was not
electric timing he clocked a hand timed 13.7. This was his last race of a season
which has seen him rise to 4th in the National rankings just outside an Olympic
place, and his eyes will very much be on selection for next years World
Championships in Canada.
AAAs finalist Chris Moss also took a second
place timing 1.51.55 in the 800 metres. France won the match with 202 points to
Britain's 188. Both Barbour and Moss will be in action again this weekend as
part of the Great Britain team which competes in an Under 23 international at
Getafe in Spain.
Three other Heathens have also gained
international selection recently. Dwayne Grant, Nange Ursell and Samantha Singer
have all been picked for a Great Britain Junior team which competes at Bath
University against representative teams from Wales and the South West Of
England. The main purpose of the meeting is to give the athletes another chance
to obtain the qualifying marks for the World Junior Championships in Santiago,
Chile.
Grant runs in the 4x100; Ursell in the 400
hurdles and Singer in the 4x400. AAA's bronze medallist in the long jump, Mark
Awanah will also be in action in the meeting as a guest.
Ursell was competing last weekend at the
Under 23 and Under 20 Home International at Derby's Moorways Stadium. He was
second in the 400 hurdles in 53.52 and is still looking for the 52.0 qualifying
time that will book his place to South America.
A number of Harriers were in action at the
recent Inter County match at Croydon Arena. Michael Champion won the 200 metres
comfortably in 22.1 and there were good second places from Lash Lashore in the
100 in 10.6 and from Levi Edwards in the long jump with a leap of 7.14. Steve
Cooper timed a useful 51.0 for 4th in the 400 while there were B string
victories from James Apps in the javelin with a throw of 56.10 and Karyn
O'Mahoney in the womens 800 in 2.16.4.
Joe Mills rounded off his track season
winning the BMC 800 race at Bedford in 1.51.65.
5 September 2000
An outstanding team
performance saw the youngsters from Blackheath Harriers Bromley complete their
track and field season with a second place in the McDonalds National Young
Athletes Boys Auxiliary Final at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium. They won 34
individual medals, as well as another 20 in the relays, and set 23 personal
bests in an intense afternoon of competition against some of the top clubs in
the country.
There were also two
long time Club Records broken both of which were held by former internationals.
Performance of the day came from Andrew Johnson in the under 15s 80 metre
hurdles. The Langley Park schoolboy clocked an outstanding 11.78 to win the
event, a time which is the fastest ever by a Blackheath athlete, albeit wind
assisted.
Then in the under 13s
shot Fabrice Serybi broke the 2nd Club record with an impressive putt
of 10.49.
In the under 15s Paul
Barrett was rewarded for some dedicated training at Norman Park under coach Mike
Davies as he improved his hammer best to 37.27 to win a bronze medal. In fact
all four hammer throwers in the under 17s and under 15s achieved bests. Trevenan
Walther- Symons won the B event in the under 15s in 34.76; while in the under
17s Aaron Mulhearn picked up silver to add to his shot and discus bronze, and
Philip Shelley set his 3rd personal best of the afternoon for bronze
in the B string.
Other triple
medallists included George Isodo, Fabian Collymore, and Neil Simpson in the
under 17s; Dwayne Bovell and Assandro McLeod in the under 15s; and Fabrice
Serybi in an under 13 age group where Blackheath were comfortably the strongest
team.
The afternoon ended
with all 5 relay teams taking medals with the highlight being the under 17s
4x400 where captain Joseph Godsell anchored the team of Ian Allerton, Jake Aust
and Neil Simpson to a 40 metre victory in the last event of the day.
Meanwhile at the
Southern League match at Basingstoke the womens team finished the season with a
solid 3rd place. Sam Singer had a busy afternoon with wins in the
200, 400 and B string 800 with Karyn O’Mahoney almost matching her triple
victories. She won the 400 hurdles and B string 400 and was 2nd in
the A string 800.
Under 17 Katy
Benneworth won the long jump against senior athletes and Nadia Gharbaoui had a
useful victory in the triple jump.
For the under 15s
Sandra Alaneme set new bests of 27.7 to win the 200 metres and 4.86 for 2nd
in the long jump to add to her customary victory in the high jump. Clare Cooper
had another good afternoon winning the 75 hurdles and gaining useful 3rd
places in the 100 and long jump. Encouraging for the future were the efforts of
Rachel Oirschot and Victoria Thomas who scored good point on their debuts in the
shot and discus.
McDonald’s
Young Athletes League Boy’s Auxiliary Final
1.
Harrow 435. 2. Blackheath
415. 3. Birchfield 393. 4. Gateshead 388.5. 5.
Notts A.C. 351. 6. Wirral A.C.
335.5. 7. Giffnock North 245.5.
8. St Columbas College 240.5.
Under 17s.
100. A. 3. Fabian
Collymore 11.21. B. 1. George Isodo 11.49pb.
200. A. 3. Colleymore 22.91. B.2. Darren Watson 23.45. 400. A. 2. Neil
Simpson 50.96. B.3. Ian Allerton 54.80. 800. A.5. Joseph Godsell 2.06.01. B. 6.
David Griffin 2.15.25. 1500. A. 7.
Daniel Ryan 4.35.71. B. 6. Daniel Snow 4.42.93. 3000. A. 5. Peter Underwood 9.46.57pb. B. 5. Byron Foster
10.52.90. 1500S/C. A.6. Matthew Gipon 5.13.69pb. B.4. Snow 5.22.44. 100H. A.4.
Stephen Brockwell 14.79pb. B.1. Jake Aust 14.75pb. 400H. A.5. Brockwell 62.90.
B. 3. Tom Robinson 64.81. HJ. A.6. Watson 1.60. B.6. Quincy Belgrave 1.50. LJ.
A.4. Belgrave 5.75. B.3. Isodo 5.41. TJ. A.6. Robert Unwin 11.15. B. 5. Gareth
Fergus 11.03. PV. A.6. Robinson 3.20pb. B.3=. Unwin 2.60. SP. A.5. Robin Shelley
11.14pb. B.3. Aaron Mulhearn 9.99. DT. A.4. Philip Shelley 32.60pb. B.3.
Mulhearn 29.50. JT. A.6.R. Shelley 37.56. B.4. P. Shelley 35.16pb. HT. A. 2.
Mulhearn 35.33pb. B. 3.P. Shelley 35.16pb. 4x100 2. 45.63 (Collymore, Watson,
Isodo, Simpson). 4x400. 1. 3.31.87 (Godsell, Aust, Simpson, Allerton).
Under 15s
100. A.2. Dwayne
Bovell 11.70pb. B.5. Dennis Sawyerr 12.51. 200. A.4. Olusanjo Bamgboye 23.73pb.
B.4. James Sharpington 24.84. 400. A.7. Brendan Early 57.74. B.3. Asandro McLeod
56.82. 800. A.5. Simon Childs 2.12.76. B.5. Ray Campbell 2.17.92. 1500. A.2. Joe
Sweeney 4.29.58. B.4. Tom Morgan 5.01.10. 3000.A.8. Tom Puttock 10.49.36. B.5.
Matthew Greene 11.04.18. 80H. A.1. Andrew Johnson 11.78pbCR. B.8. Colin Smith
16.48 (fell). HJ. A.6. William Agyare 1.55. B.3. Bovell 1.50. LJ. A.4. Bamgboye
5.47. B.5. Sharpington 5.11. PV. A.3. Alex Pope 2.60pb. B.3. Sharpington 2.00pb.
SP. A.5. Abdul Gbla 11.67. B.1.
Trevenan Walther-Symons 11.53. DT. A. 5. McLeod 27.81. B.4. Sam McCarthy 24.76.
JT. A.4. Daniel Murray 33.15. B.3. Tom Morgan 33.12. HT. A.3.Paul Barrett
37.27pb. B.1. Walther-Symons 34.76pb. 4x100. 2. 47.62. 4x400. 2. 3.47.14.
Under 13s
100. A.3. Fabrice
Serybi 13.42. B.4. Adam Berry 13.86. 200. A.3. Harry Tidman 27.88. B.2. Jeremy
Farr 27.48pb. 800. A.3. Daniel Casey 2.31.21. B.4. Dale Willis 2.40.25. 1500.
A.6. Chris Place 5.14.58. B.1. Tom Beech 5.15.94. LJ. A.1. Shane Marsh 4.77pb.
B.2. James Grannell 4.46pb. SP. A.2. Serybi 10.43pbCR. B.1. Farr 8.38pb. 4x100
3. 54.41 (Serybi, James Nelson, Berry, Tidman)
Anyone
interested in joining should visit Norman Park track on a Tuesday, Wednesday or
Thursday from 6.30 pm and ask for Michelle Bovell or Dave Liston. Alternatively
ring Dave on 01322 663504
29 August 2000
Dwayne Grant looks set to represent Great
Britain at the World Championships in Santiago, Chile in October after finishing
3rd in both the 100 and 200 metres at the AAAs Under 20 Championships at
Bedford.
He timed 10.64 in a 100 metre race won by new
sprint sensation Mark Lewis Francis and just missed out on silver in the 200
timing 21.36. The 18 year old Blackheath athlete from Penge will almost
certainly be part of the relay squad and must now wait on the selectors to see
if he is given an individual place as well. The first wave of selections were
made at Bedford with all winners picked for Santiago so long as they had
achieved the qualifying standard. The remaining places will be filled over the
next month.
One of those gunning for a place will be
Nange Ursell. He has spent most of the summer with injuries but set a seasons
best of 53.11 to take 2nd place in the 400 hurdles. He will be looking to reach
the qualifying standard of 52.0 over the next month, a time he would surely have
achieved but for his foot injury. Mark Awanah was a third Heathen in the
medals. He took the bronze in the long jump with a new personal best of 7.37
after putting himself under pressure in the opening three trials. His first two
jumps were no jumps and so it was imperative that on his third attempt he not
only recorded a mark, but also that this effort was of sufficient standard to
qualify for the final three jumps. A jump of 7.02 ensured his passage through to
the last eight where leaps of 7.31, 7.37 and 7.20 saw him twice better his
previous best. David Moulton qualified for the 800 B Final but had to
settle for 5th spot and there was also a personal best of 4.00.52 for Robert
Laming in the heats of the 1500.
For the girls Samantha Singer qualified for
the Final of the 400 finishing in 8th place in 57.60. Anisha Barnaby was in
action in both sprints. She was 8th in the 200 in 25.38 and also made the semi
of the 100 clocking 12.46.
The Club's throwers were again in good form
at the Kent Womens League match at Ashford. In the under 17s Stacey Quaye
returned from six week of injury to record a personal best of 26.75 in the
discus. She also recorded a useful 8.51 in the shot. Cleo Lawrence putt 7.84 in
the under 15s and Victoria Thomas made a promising debut in the under 13s with
7.46. On the track Katy Benneworth leapt 5.26 in the long jump and Sandra
Alaneme, who is better known as a high jumper, showed great versatility to win
the 200 metres.
The holiday period meant that the squad was
generally understrength and again showed that there are plenty of competitive
opportunities for those interested in taking up the sport. The Club welcomes
athletes of all ages and standards. Visit Norman Park track on a Tuesday,
Wednesday or Thursday evening from 6.30 and ask for either Michelle Bovell or
Dave Liston. Alternatively call Dave on 01322 663504
This weekend the Clubs boys travel to
Birmingham to compete in the McDonalds Young Athletes Auxiliary Final at
Birmingham's Alexander Stadium. The women go to Basingstoke for the final
Southern League match of the season.
21
August 2000
Emeka
Udechuku smashed the Blackheath Harriers Bromley Club discus record at the Gold
Cup Final at Bedford. He improved his best from 60.97 to 62.07 to finish 2nd
behind British number one Robert Weir. Unfortunately his throw is still outside
the Olympic qualifying distance of 63.50. The 21 year old was also runner up in
the shot with a putt of 17.93, again behind a British number one, Mark Proctor,
as the Club finished 6th overall against the top teams in the
country.
The
following day he made his last bid for a place at Sydney competing as a guest in
the Plate Final. However, he threw 58.33 and so misses out on a place in the
Great Britain team.
One man
who did obtain an Olympic qualifying standard at the Gold Cup was team captain
Mensah Elliott. However, the 13.69 he achieved in coming 2nd in the
110 hurdles was with the aid of a wind over the legal limit of +2 metres per
second.
Jonathan
Barbour continued his excellent season finishing 2nd in the 100 just
behind new sprint sensation Mark Lewis Francis, and, although he will not be
going to Sydney, there seems every likelihood that he will have bettered the
Olympic qualifying by the end of the season.
The Club
had originally been hoping to at least equal their previous best position of 4th
but the clash with a British Milers Club meeting in Solihull deprived them of
some of their best middle distance runners. This gave junior David Moulton the
chance to shine on his debut for the first team. His positive front running in
the 800 split the field allowing him to finish in an excellent 4th
place. Bill Foster took 5th in the 10,000 in 31.23.97 despite picking
up a calf injury on the 8th of the 25 laps; and Martin Airey was a
good 4th place in a competitive 1500.
Elsewhere
AAAs finalist Levi Edwards leapt 7.13 in the long jump and Marvin Bramble was
just off a seasons best in finishing 4th in the triple jump.
The day
was not without last minute drama. Mark Purser had to withdraw from the 400
hurdles in the morning when his pregnant wife began having contractions.
Fortunately former team captain Nigel Keogh was able to step into the breach,
recording a seasons best of 57.1 on
his return to the first team. Heavy traffic meant selected high jumper Bomene
Barikor did not make the match leaving Scott Jarred, better known as a 400 metre
runner, to fill in for him in the high jump.
At
Solihull, Chris Moss set a new best of 1.47.75 in the 800 metres to keep him 5th
in the National rankings for the year. Joe Mills timed 3.45.12 in the 1500 and
Dave Heath 9.03.98 in the 3000 steeplechase.
Meanwhile
Mark Steinle had his last race before the Olympic Marathon at the Erewash 10
mile road race. Still in heavy training he finished in 9th place in
49.52.
For the
women Siobhan Budd was in action in the Southern Counties 3000 metres finishing
5th in an excellent 10.11.4
Some of
the Clubs youngsters were representing Kent at the Southern Under 20s and under
15s Inter Counties Championships at Copthall. Emily Oliver took 4th
in the under 20s discus with 33.16 while in the under 15s Sandra Alaneme was 3rd
in the girls high jump in 1.58 and Dwayne Bovell 6th in the boys 200
in 24.65.
At the
other end of the age scale the Club had two winners at the South East Counties
Throwers Club Championships. Throwing all four throws implements plus the 16 lb
weight Colin Brand won the over 60s category with 3046 points while Gordon
Hickey took the over 65s title with 3636.
The Club
welcomes athletes of all standards and ages. For further information visit
Norman Park track on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday and ask for either
Michelle Bovell or Dave Liston. Alternatively call Dave on 01322 663504.
14 August 2000
It was a weekend of success and
disappointments for members of Blackheath Harriers Bromley who figured
prominently at the Olympic Trials and AAAs Championships at Birmingham.
Emeka Udechuku was a double medallist.
On Saturday he was 3rd in the discus in a seasons best of 59.58. He
is still, however, looking for the Olympic qualifying distance of 63.50. On
Sunday he went one better with a second place in the shot with a putt of 17.47.
Udechuku was the Clubs only medallist
but there were a couple of near misses. Chris Moss continued his rise in the 800
rankings. Sixth fastest in the country this year, he finished in 4th
place after a very physical last lap.
It was 4th also for Mensah
Elliott in the sprint hurdles. He timed an excellent 13.92 in the heats but hit
a number of hurdles in the final won by Colin Jackson.
Levi Edwards enjoyed his first AAAs
Championships. He reached the final of the long jump having leapt 7.10 in his
qualifying pool; and Lash Lashore showed that he is recovering from injury,
timing 10.50 in the heats of the 100 before going out in the semi final. Joe
Mills was 8th in the 1500 final in 3.48.67 with Michael Skinner going
out in the heats having timed 3.48.62 for 6th.
Nange Ursell set a seasons best of
54.46 in the 400 hurdles.
There was disappointment, however, for
Julian Golding as he failed to make the final of the 200 metres as did Jonathan
Barbour in the 100. Tyrone Swaray looks to have gained Olympic selection for
Senegal but he injured his hamstring in the 100 and could only finish in 10.94
in his heat. Michael Champion is another athlete carrying an injury which
hampered his preparations for the Trials. He finished 4th in
his heat of the 200 in 21.78.
Dwayne Grant may well have featured
prominently in the 200 but he was representing England at the Commonwealth Youth
Games in Edinburgh. He was a class apart in the 200 winning in 21.15 despite a
–1.5 headwind. His efforts helped England to a 17 point victory over
Australia.
Back at Birmingham Dave Heath had
expected to reach the final at least of the steeplechase but, after looking set
for qualification in a lead group of three, he faded in the last two laps to be
swallowed up by the chasing pack and missed out as a fastest loser. “Myself
and Christian Stephenson agreed to attempt the Olympic qualifying time in the
heat but we slowed it down. After that I lost my rhythm and couldn’t get going
again.” Dave Lee and Jeremy Bradley were 12th and 13th
in their heats in 9.18.43 and 9.24.99.
Louisa Guthrie was the sole Blackheath
woman at the Championships. She timed 12.39 and 25.83 in the heats of the 100
and 200.
Judging by performances elsewhere,
however, it won’t be long before a number of other Blackheath women will be
attending the Trials.
In the National Junior League match at
Ashford, Emily Oliver won the Athlete Of The Match award for her extraordinary
new Club Record in the hammer. She recorded a distance of 37.09 which bettered
the “old” record which she had set the day before at the Southern Womens
League match at Norman Park. This meant she had improved the record by 7 metres
in one weekend!
Her sister Anita also had a successful
day at Bromley. She won the under 15s shot discus and javelin as the Club won an
astonishing 24 events on the day. This included double wins in the seniors
from Abi Jacobs and Angela Zihute in the long jump; Sam Singer and Karyn
O Mahoney in the 400; and Siobhan Budd and Cath Castledine in the 1500. There
was also a promising B string hammer debut from Lydia Henderson Boyle who won in
21.56. Zihute set a new best of 10.90 to win the triple jump.
Other good wins in the under 15s came
from Cloe Lawrence in the shot and discus; Sandra Alaneme in the 100, high jump
and long jump; and Clare Cooper in the B long jump.
The Clubs junior team finished 5th
in their last Southern Premier match of the season at Battersea Park.
A season of injuries and fixture clashes means they have not qualified
for the National Final but there were again a number of encouraging performances
which bode well for the future.
Fabian Collymore set a new best of 22.3
in the 200; as did Jake Aust in the 400 hurdles dipping under 60 seconds for the
first time with a 59.2 clocking.
The
Club is always looking for new members. Girls and boys of all ages and standards
should visit Norman Park on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Thursday from 6.30 and ask
for either Michelle Bovell or Dave Liston. Alternatively call Dave on 01322
663504
7 August 2000
Blackheath
Harriers Bromley’s Senior men are back in the Premier Division of British
League Athletics after another tough Division Two match at Enfield. A 3rd place on the day secured their return to the elite 8
team Division One finishing 2nd place overall behind Woodford Green.
Individual
performance of the day came from Emeka Udechuku who set a personal best of 17.95
in the shot and a seasons best of 59.55 in the discus, winning both events. This
was an achievement in itself but the 21 year old had been competing in Sweden
the day before and had been up at 3 in the morning to start a complicated trip
home to attend the match. This included taking a ferry to Copenhagen, Denmark,
to make a connecting flight and also the use of bus, taxi, train and tube.
Ever modest, he
described his performance as “nothing special. Next weekend is what matters”
referring to the Olympic Trials at Birmingham.
Udechuku’s
commitment was typical of the team, with ten athletes having competed in all
four League matches during the season and another eleven taking part in three,
despite the complications of injuries
and an ever congested fixture list.
Other individual wins
came from Stephen Pratt in the B 400 hurdles; Dwayne Grant in the B 100; Joe
Mills in the B 1500; and Alexis
Sharp in the B discus, but the key to the successful day was the consistently
high places achieved throughout the range of events.
Mensah Elliott took 3rd
in the 110 hurdles behind Tony Jarrett and Steve Cooper had Britain's number one
decathlete Dean Mackey for company on his leg of the 4x400.
What was also
encouraging to see was the number of first teamers who have been nurtured
through younger age groups to senior level. This looks set to continue as two
other teams achieved notable successes at the weekend.
The 3rd
team also won promotion. They secured their 6th successive Southern
League Division Five victory of the season to finish unbeaten champions and
confirm a place in Division Four next season. Not to be outdone the Clubs
youngsters won the Kent Boys And Colts League title for an unprecedented 18
years in a row, an achievement that is unlikely to ever be repeated. It means
that Blackheath have been Champions for the entire lives of all those who
competed.
What made the Seniors
achievements all the more noteworthy was that many members were also involved
both competitively and administratively at Crystal Palace at the CGU Norwich
Union Grand Prix. Chris Moss set a new personal best of 1.47.80 in the 800;
while Jonathan Barbour was just two hundredths off his best and three hundredths
off the Olympic qualifying time as he clocked 10.30 in the 100 B race won by the
startling new British Sprint star Mark Lewis-Francis. Julian Golding timed 20.88
for 6th place in the 200.
A number of the Clubs
youngsters helped in the baggage handling and the setting out of hurdles,
offering the chance to mix with the top stars of track and field. They take
centre stage themselves on ITV each Sunday morning at the moment as they appear
on Jamie Baulch’s Energize programme, with sprint hurdler Katy Porter helping
with the presenting.
Girls and boys
interested in joining the Club should visit Norman Park on a Tuesday, Wednesday
or Thursday evening from 6.30 and ask for either Michelle Bovell or Dave Liston.
Alternatively call Dave on 01322 663504.
Many of the Club will
be competing at the Olympic Trials at Birmingham this weekend with a number of
them contenders for Sydney. Strongest candidates for selection will be Jonathan
Barbour in the 100; Julian Golding in the 200; Emeka Udechuku in the discus;
Mensah Elliott in the 110 hurdles; and Dave Heath in the steeplechase.
However, Chris Moss, Dave Lee, Joe Mills, Lash Lashore and Tyrone Swaray should
also figure prominently. Swaray may in fact have already secured an Olympic
place. He is currently waiting confirmation that he has been chosen to represent
Senegal.
Meanwhile Dwayne
Grant travels to Edinburgh to represent England in the inaugural Millennium
Commonwealth Youth Games. Grant, from Penge, races in the 200. The future of
this Commonwealth event look secure, as, four cities in Australia have already
put in bids to host the next Games in 2004.
The Clubs womens team
will be in action in the Southern League match at Norman Park on Saturday.
