The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team took third place in the Norwich Union International against the US, Russia and China at the weekend.
Many of the athletes who’d been in action at Gothenburg’s European Championships put in an appearance. Some were making the most of their good form, some looking for consolation after disappointments and others showing the effects of a long season.
Phillips Idowu won the triple jump with a leap of 17.10m to be the only British winner at the event. Idowu leapt out further than Nathan Douglas who had medalled at the European Championships but could manage only sixth with 16.74m.
Mo Farah of Newham & Essex Beagles added to his list of strong performances this year with a second place to Bernard Lagat, of the USA over 3K. Kenya born Lagat recently beat Kenenisa Bekele over 5K at Crystal Palace and won Olympic 1500m silver in Athens. Lagat won the race in 7min 50.49sec with Farah second in 7min 51.84sec.
Another Gothenburg silver-medallist, Greg Rutherford of Marshall Milton Keynes, also took second place. Brian Johnson, of the USA, won with a jump of 7.99m but Rutherford recorded 7.96m to beat Olympic champion Dwight Phillips.
The Russians proved their strength over 800m in Gothenburg with gold and silver but Jemma Simpson of Newquay & Par was not overawed. Simpson had not made the final at the Europeans but got amongst the Russian’s to finish second in 2min 02.31sec to Olga Kotlyarova’s 2min 02.09sec. Svetlana Klyuka came third in 2min 02.34sec and Marilyn Okoro of Shaftesbury fourth with 2min 03.08sec.
Sam Ellis replicated his third place of Gothenburg as Khadevis Robinson of the USA won the 800m in 1min 47.48sec from Russia’s Dmitriy Bogdanov (1min 47.85sec) with Ellis third in 1min 47.98sec. Michael Rimmer (Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton) was fourth in 1min 48.38sec.
Rhys Williams of Cardiff took on the strong American athletes in the 400m hurdles. Kerron Clement and Bershawn Jackson took the one-two in 48.64sec and 48.67sec to Williams’ 49.43sec. Ryan Dinham of Belgrave Harriers was seventh in 52.43sec.
Allyson Felix has shown great credentials over 100m and 200m. In the women’s 200m she set a new all-comers’ record of 22.19sec. Joice Maduaka of Woodford Green with Essex Ladies was fifth in 23.25sec with Emily Freeman of Wakefield & District sixth in 23.44sec. The 100m was won by Brianna Glenn, of the USA, in 11.34sec. Maduaka was third in the shorter sprint in 11.42sec with Anyika Onuora (Liverpool Harriers) sixth in 11.51sec.
The all-comers record also fell in the 3000m steeplechase as Russia’s Tatyana Petrova won in 9min 22.82sec. Hattie Dean of Hallamshire Harriers was third in 9min 52.33sec behind Yelena Sidorchenkova’s 9min 46.09sec. Jo Ankier was sixth in 10min 22.60sec.
Jo Pavey of Exeter Harriers went to the front in the women’s 3K but was unable to shake off Liliya Shobukhova who took the lead approaching the bell to win in 8min 38.42sec, a stadium record. Pavey ran 8min 42.35sec.
Marlon Devonish of Coventry Godiva won the invitational 100m on the Saturday then came second in the 200m to Wallace Spearmon.
The men’s 4 x 100m relay took Britain’s only win of the first day. Dwain Chambers (Belgrave Harriers), Dwayne Grant (Blackheath & Bromley) Marlon Devonish (Coventry Godiva) and Mark Lewis-Francis (Birchfield Harriers) teamed up for 38.91sec with the USA second in 39.00sec and Russia third in 39.18sec.
Natasha Danvers-Smith of Shaftesbury Barnet ran a season’s best in the 400m hurdles (54.82sec) just behind winner Yevgeniya Isakova (54.76sec). Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet) was fourth in 55.97sec.
Andy Turner of Sale came second to China’s Dongpeng Shi in the 110m hurdles - 13.48sec to 13.62sec.
The Emsley Carr Mile was a slow run affair with a blanket finish as Gabe Jennings of the USA won in 4min 10.02sec ahead of Andy Baddeley of Harrow (4min 10.08sec and) Michael East (Newham & Essex Beagles, 4min 10.11sec).
The 100m race saw the less familiar US name of Jordan Vaden at the top of the results in 10.39sec ahead of Mark Lewis-Francis (10.41sec) and Dwain Chambers (10.43sec).
Tim Benjamin of Belgrave Harriers ended his season with third in the 400m in 45.93sec as American Jamel Ashley won in 45.55sec.
Russian Olga Yegorova won the 1500m in 4min 09.53sec with Helen Clitheroe (Preston Harriers) second in 4min 10.17sec. Katrina Wootton of Bedford & County was sixth in 4:16.47.
Nicola Sanders (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) managed fifth in the 400m with 52.31sec ahead of teammate Jenny Meadows (Wigan & District, 52.84sec).
