Indoor News
A number of WGwEL’s athletes were in action at the UK Championships and World Indoor Championship Trials in Sheffield, where results were headed by UK titles for Jeanette Kwakye (60m), and Shana Cox (400m), as well as silver medals for Tara Bird (800m) and Ezekiel Ewulo (LJ), and 3rd places for Gemma Weetman (LJ) and Robert Wolski (HJ). There was also news from Belfast, and form the US, and Australia, whilst at the Essex Indoor Championships at Lee Valley, there were personal bests for Hugh Williams and from Joseph Dewar for the second week in succession.
There was a silver medal fro Tara Bird in the women’s 800m who too recorded a season’s best of 2m05.00 secs as she headed a group of athletes that were quickly closing down the fast starting Marilyn Okoro. In the men’s long jump Ezekiel Ewulo recorded his best ever long jump of 7.75m for his silver medal, and in the women’s long jump, heptathlete Gemma Weetman placed 3rd also with a best ever of 6.22m, with UK based, Polish intenational , Robert Wolski also 3rd, in the high jump as he opened his indoor season with a satisfying 2.20m. Others to make track finals were Richard Alleyne in the 60mH where he placed 5th with 7.88 secs, and Sarah Claxton in the women’s equivalent, but after winning her heat in 8.37 secs, Sarah did not start the final. In the field, the best placed of Woodford’s other athletes was discus specialist Emeka Udechuku who was 4th in the shot with 16.81m. In the pole vault, Alasdair Strange was 9th with 4.90m, as was Stephanie Aneto in the women’s triple jump with 12.19m, and also HCA member Moe Sasegbon in the high jump with 1.68m.
In the men’s 200m Omololu Abiodun made the “B” final where he placed 5th with 22.34 secs, and in the 800m heats, junior, Matt McLoughlin recorded 1m54.40 secs, and in the 1500m, Alex Cornwell recorded 3m55.90 secs. Alex had earlier in the week showed improved form placing 2nd in an inter-varsity fixture in Birmingham where he placed 2nd and clocked 3m53.17 secs.
In overseas news from the US, Tiffany Porter was 2nd in the New York, Millrose Games 60mH with 7.93 secs, interestingly 0.02 secs quicker than Jess Ennis’ winning time in Sheffield, whilst in Australia and competing in Perth, Tosin Oke, was 2nd off a short approach in the TJ with 16.15m. Competing in Belfast in the Irish indoor championships, Paul Scanlan was 4th in the 400m with 49.82 secs.
At Lee Valley in the Essex Championships 16 year old Joseph Dewar improved his 60m personal best for the 2nd week in succession, this time making a more significant breakthrough as he won the title with 6.97 secs, a mark which moved him to the top of the UK rankings. He also won the long jump with 6.57m, and now heads both of these events in the UK U/17 rankings at this time. Also in the U/17 age group there were county titles for Hugh Williams who improved his personal best to 13.31m to take the shot title and for Christman Ihume in the triple jump with 12.69m. Omololu Abiodun returned from Sheffield to compete at Lee Valley on Sunday, and placed 2nd in the 60m with 7.07 secs. Other Woodford athletes at Lee Valley included, Crtistopher Agyeman ( 3rd U/13 60m 8.59 secs), Ebony Bobb-Semple (6th U/17 women’s 60m 8.54 secs and 8th LJ 4.66m). Katherine Foy on Saturday placed 3rd in the senior women’s 400m with 61.24 secs, but on Sunday went better in the 800m where she took the title with 2m18.44 secs. There was also a senior men's title, in the long jump where Mitchell Jarvis won with 6.83m. In the U/20 100mH Hollie Pattie-Belleli was 4th with 9.54 secs having recorded 9.31 secs top qualify.