British Athletics Championships 2021 Day 3

[alfie]

200 times were nothing special but considering the winds were most unkind that is hardly surprising. Gemili has a good record of peaking at the right time : got the job done today , fancy he will tune up nicely now for Tokyo. In any case as has been noted by others above , the relay spots have firmed up pretty well , with NMB showing signs of improvement at the right time. The obvious four , with perhaps Kilty and Efoloko making up the squad ?

Jodie Williams an excellent double and Beth Dobbin confirming her spot as well so that's the w200 sorted as well. Decent finish to the three days 👍

[SprintRelayFan]

I wondered about taking efoloko as part of the squad, he had a great weekend. What’s the timing relative to u23s?

[drobbie]

Again, not stellar times, but 23.0 into a -2.9 wind is handy. Desiree Henry has looked better with every run at Champs too, I'd be very tempted to take her as part of the 4x1, I think she is our most talented sprinter other than Dina and it looks like she has a real chance of getting back to her best. Hopefully all the injuries are behind her.

yep, although neita has overtaken her in the 100 on times

[Occasional Hope]

So if I was UKA I would pick for the non-automatic selections:


100m – Zharnel Hughes (no brainer), Adam Gemili (not in great form but he's on the plane anyway for the 200, and could do with some solo runs at 100 to get him in shape for the relay, plus always does his best on the big occasions. Prescod is a hard no - way out of form, no use for relay as has never practiced with the guys, and needs to go back to the drawing board and find a new coach asap.
200m – Zharnel Hughes (no brainer). I would add Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake as I'm pretty sure he'll get an invitation, and Miguel Francis is really inconsistent; NMB also useful for relay duty.
110m H - Andy Pozzi - no brainer.
800m – Daniel Rowden - good third in trials, handily beating Webb and Langford; Burgin is injured and untested at championships; and Jake Wightman is picked for the 1500.
1500m – This is the toughest selection, I could make a case for all the guys with the standard. Would Giles want to double?
5000m – Marc Scott - yes, if he wants it.
3000m SC – Phil Norman - yes,
Hammer – Nick Miller - yes, as long as he had a good reason for missing the trials and is fit.

100m – Daryll Neita is significantly faster than Imani Lansiquot
200m – Dina Asher-Smith (no brainer)
400m – Another tricky one, I think I would pick Ami Pipi based on trials and general form this season. Laviai joins the relay squad.
800m – Alex Bell, I think; Laura Muir didn't show enough at the trals and should concentrate on the 1500; Adelle Tracey under performed at trials and took herself out of contention.
1500m – Laura Muir is a no brainer; Katie Snowden at least showed up at trials even if she was out of the first two; but not sure about the third spot. I'd offer it to Jemma Reekie, but can I (as UKA) let her double and not Laura? Sarah McDonald and Laura Weightman are both injured, I think; Eilish McColgan is doing the longer distances. Shame Revee doesn't have the standard.
5000m – Laura Weightman if she's recovered from her injury and Eilish McColgan if she wants to double. If either of them turns down the slot then Verity Ockenden. If Amy-Eloise Markovc's time is accepted after all, and I have to choose between a fully fit Weightman and McColgan probably Weightman, but lots of imponderables on this one.
100m H – Cindy Sember - no brainer.
400m H – Jessie Knight over Lina Nielsen.
Long Jump – Lorraine Ugen as Shara Proctor is now out injured.

[marra]

The women's 1500m heats are the same day as the 5000m final - albeit morning session vs evening - so I would have thought that double is unlikely.

Same is true of 400m heats and 200 final, but that's a bit less taxing a double distance wise!

[carterhatch]

No one in my parallel world, where I am a selector is 'doubling-up', except DASHER - no one else has demonstrated the potential to poduim in what ever two individual events might be considered, better they focus on the stronger one, and where applicable have something left for relays....

[trickstat]

The Muir/Reekie situation is intriguing. While perhaps it seems that the more experienced Muir has more right to doubling, the alternatives in the 800 are stronger than the 1500 at the moment.

[RunUnlimited]

I won't be surprised if Jodie W does a lot more than just sneak under 51 in the 400 in Tokyo.

So you're saying there's a 50. something in Jodie's near-future?

[trickstat]

yes and quicker than 50.8 or 50.9 something.

[paul]

I've been watching Athing Mu run 800's and thinking gosh, and crikey, and thoughts to that effect...

And also watching Reekie win race after race, running 1:58s for fun. Intimidating.

...But then I saw Hodgkinson today! She blew away one of the strongest Brit champs fields ever assembled. She basically took
world-class tough-guys Reekie and Muir apart today. And I don't think Reekie had a bad day at all. The conditions were not great
and she was very solid. Its just that Hodgkinson was ...phenomenal.

[RunUnlimited]

I've been watching Athing Mu run 800's and thinking gosh, and crikey, and thoughts to that effect...

And also watching Reekie win race after race, running 1:58s for fun. Intimidating.

...But then I saw Hodgkinson today! She blew away one of the strongest Brit champs fields ever assembled. She basically took
world-class tough-guys Reekie and Muir apart today. And I don't think Reekie had a bad day at all. The conditions were not great
and she was very solid. Its just that Hodgkinson was ...phenomenal.

Spot on.

If the conditions had been a bit more like they were yesterday, then Reekie's hard running on the second lap might have been better rewarded... but then that would just mean Hodgkinson steaming past in probably another 1:58 and bits to the championship gold.

The turn of speed from her off the bend, against the tough-as-nails, grit 'n' grind double team of Reekie and Muir, and then leaving them for dead with 50 m to go, was hugely impressive and significant.

Athing Mu vs Keely Hodgkinson is very much on at Tokyo.

Imagine they both reach the semifinals and they are drawn against each other?

[Walsh7]

Kudos to Hodgkinson for a great victory on Sunday. The slow first 400 meters set up perfectly for her. IMO, Keely has an outside chance at a bronze medal at the Olympics. She will have to get through the three difficult qualifying rounds in Tokyo. None of her Olympic races in Tokyo will go out in 61 seconds at the 400m. She will have to run a sub 60 final lap, after going out in 57 seconds, in order to have a chance at a medal.

[RunUnlimited]

Walsh7 A good point. We'll have to see how it all plays out when we get there.

[LoveSprints1]

Keeley was amazing yesterday, but Athing Mu is still in a different league and the clear favourite for the Olympic crown unless she falls over after her 1:56.07. Both 19 year old's have speed and stamina. Mu just has a lot more speed. My first prediction is that she'll run 1:55 something in Tokyo.

[painisthepurifier]

Talking about Keeley, she does seem to be able to run well off any pace. For example, when she ran the indoor world U20 record in Vienna, the bell was reached in 57 something with Keeley not far behind the leader. Of course, she is so very young, and so Tokyo will be a great learning experience. One final thought. The Doha Diamond League was Keeley's most disappointing performance of late and I wonder if the intense heat was to blame. With that in mind, making sure she has time to acclimatise in Japan will be very important.

[treadwater1]

Muir has indicated that she wants to double in Tokyo, I think it’s fairly significant she’s said so publicly as it puts pressure on BA to select her. She has run 1:58.4 this season against Bell’s 1:58.5 but has the third place today, so it looks highly likely she’ll get the third place. Tough on Alex Bell (and the others who stood a chance)

Did Weightman and McColgan both pull out thinking they’d both get the discretionary pick? What could have been a very difficult situation for the selectors may have been made easier by Markovc missing the standard. I’d like to see Laura W given a chance after that excellent 5k in Monaco last year

[SprintRelayFan]

Weightman got injured this week not sure about mccolgan. I woulldnt be keen on Laura doubling. I don’t think she’s shown enough

[Ladyloz]

I am in a minority here but I'd pick Muir to double. I would prefer to trust her and her coach on this. I also prefer going with the trials result unless there is a very good reason. Bell and Tracey were not close to Muir so haven't done enough to justify their selection.

Weightman is a class above everyone including McColgan at her best but she has clearly had problems this year. Before her injury announcement this week she had only run one other low key race which is unusual for her. Sadly I don't think she is fit enough sadly. Not sure why Eilish didn't turn up.

[Sprintfan]

Id like to see Hannah Williams added to the relay squad..i dont think she has finished improving her performances

[LoveSprints1]

She earned her place in the squad with a 4th place finish and two significant PBs over the weekend. With a mixed relay she should get a run out.

[MysteryBrick]

She will definitely be in the squad. I think it will be Jodie Williams, Yeargin, Pipi, Hannah Williams, Laviai Neilsen, Jessie Knight, Jessica Turner spread over the two relays.

[philipo]

Nonsense. Fourth with no quality time. Did pbs which is not so amazing when you have been aiming for such a situation. You think she deserves a relay place. Well the selectors better listen to you

[MysteryBrick]

Who put 10p in the eejit?

[MysteryBrick]

To expand on my comment - you're saying the person who has just finished 4th in the UK 400m championships, in a time that ranks her 5th in the country this year, does not deserve a relay place for a team where you typically select 6 women to allow for flexibility in selecting heats and finals?

[Ladyloz]

Philipo even by your standards that's ridiculous. We are talking about spots in the relay squad here not individual selections.

[Occasional Hope]

Back to Laura Muir: I think she did herself a disservice running the 800 here. If she had won the 1500 convincingly, as she no doubt would, she might have been able to put a better case for doing 800 as well than she can having finished third in the only event she ran here.

[Ladyloz]

Winning the 1500 easily would have been the expected result so I don't get this.

The 800 is her 2nd event and she isn't dominant in that event domestically and it's also a much more.competitive event. She could not have justified selection for it without running it at trials. I think she's done enough to double if she wants to, beat Bell and Tracey comfortably.

[Occasional Hope]

She does have the 2nd fastest time by a British woman this year, admittedly just ahead of Alex Bell. So that's in her favour either way.

I just think that doubling is more of a challenge and the selectors may not want her dividing her energies. Or potentially dropping one of the two at the last minute having stopped someone else going to Tokyo.

The third spot is clearly between her and Bell, Tracey is out of contention now.

[Melvin M Melvin]

What a talent Hodgkinson looks to be, a 57s 2nd lap, coming through traffic in a messy race, is world class. Proving she has a championship racing brain again too. First British woman I've watched and thought she has a genuine shot at breaking Holmes' NR.

(New member, so please bear with me if this has been asked before) Is there please a video anywhere of Keely Hodgkinson's qualifying run this weekend? Thanks - MmM

[carterhatch]

welcome to the forum Day 3 around 5:12:00

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLQF...ishAthleticsTV

[Grassmarket]

(New member, so please bear with me if this has been asked before) Is there please a video anywhere of Keely Hodgkinson's qualifying run this weekend? Thanks - MmM

All three days of the Champs are on the BritishAthleticsTV channel on Youtube. Now unfortunately that is going to take a bit of wading through, because I don’t think the timetables are available online anymore.

[SprintRelayFan]

Welcome MMM
I'm not sure if we're allowed to post links, but if you go to BritAthletics twitter feed and scroll down it's on there.

[carterhatch]

i posted the youtube link upthread, not thinking it might need approval... I may have got away with it this time! I watched it back myself... young Hodkingson is very impressive.

[philipo]

Spot on.

If the conditions had been a bit more like they were yesterday, then Reekie's hard running on the second lap might have been better rewarded... but then that would just mean Hodgkinson steaming past in probably another 1:58 and bits to the championship gold.

The turn of speed from her off the bend, against the tough-as-nails, grit 'n' grind double team of Reekie and Muir, and then leaving them for dead with 50 m to go, was hugely impressive and significant.

Athing Mu vs Keely Hodgkinson is very much on at Tokyo.

Imagine they both reach the semifinals and they are drawn against each other?

What is significant is Mu's final speed. Low 49s in the 400m is impressive. If Keeley reaches the final it will be a major achievement.