UK titles for Yemi Mary John and Georgie Forde-Wells

This weekend’s UK Indoor Championships saw two Woodford athletes gain national titles with good performances from several others. 

One of the standout performances of the day came from Yemi-Mary John. Over 400m the former world U/20 Champion won her first UK senior title in beating the current world indoor champion and world lead Amber Anning who ended up 3rd in a very close race. Yemi-Mary found herself in lane 4 after being caught on the line in her semi but was away fast enough to be able to slot in behind Anning at the break and moved up to her on the final bend and past her in the straight to win in 51.69 secs. Woodford’s other winner was Georgie Forde-Wells who retained her national title with a jump of 13.53 m. Georgie has been in great form this winter with a best so far of 13.91m in the TJ and a PB in the LJ of 6.34m.

 In the men’s 60m, U/20 Ethan Franklin did well to progress to the final where he placed 7th equalling his PB of 6.72 secs set in his heat after qualifying from the semi with 6.73 secs. In the 60mH Ruben Hedman also did well to progress to the final where his 8.08 secs placed 5th. The previous day he had run 3 rounds at the BUCS where he placed a close 2nd. (7.97 secs). Also in that final was HCA member Ethan Akani who was 3rd with 7.90 secs. In the women’s 60mH both Jasmine Khogali (8.48 secs PB) and Yasmin Uwakwe  (8.50 secs) progressed to the semis placing 6th and 7th.

 Also making it through to the semis but in the 60m flat was Gwen Datey where she was 5th with 7.51 secs, Gwen was another to have competed in the BUCS the prior day where she placed 3rd in a PB of 7.43 secs. Chioma Okonkwo recorded a season’s best of 56.33 secs in the 400m heats on the Saturday and on the Sunday progressed through to the 200m semis where she recorded 24.09 secs. Joseph Owen just missed out on a 800m final place after placing 3rd in his heat with 1m51.40 secs.

 In the men’s triple jump 17-year-old Sean-Conor Atafo, a week after placing 3rd in the national U/20 Championships placed 4th in these senior Champs with a PB of 15.40m. In the long jump former title winner Sam Khogali placed 6th with 7.40m with HCA member Calum Henderson 10th with 7.10m. Another in field action was HCA member Lucy Walliker who cleared 1.70m for 7th= in the high jump.