Athletics: Five golds for Loughborough at British Champs and World Trials

Athletics - 14/July/2009

Kate Dennison set her seventh British pole vault record of her remarkable season as a number of other Loughborough athletes impressed at the 2009 Aviva World Trials & UK Championships held at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium over the weekend.

Dennison led the way as graduates Andy Turner, Goldie Sayers, Emeka Udechuku and Nusrat Ceesay also secured national titles, with 57 Loughborough athletes past and present reaching finals in 32 of the 36 events.

25-year-old Dennison, whose outdoor British records so far this season have been set overseas, cleared 4.57m for the national title, raising her previous best by a centimetre and booking her place at next month’s World Championships in Berlin.

"I'm really pleased to come here and put on such a good performance in front of my home crowd,” said a delighted Dennison. “I wanted to break the record here and that was a big aim, but the main aim as always is to win the gold.

“It's been a really good season for me but I'm not surprised - I've been training really well and working hard and now it's paying off in the competitions."

Graduate Andy Turner continued his fine outdoor season with victory in the 110m hurdles. The European and Commonwealth bronze medallist was a class apart as he crossed the line in a time of 13.47seconds into a strong headwind of +1.9m/s to take gold and confirm his place in Berlin.

The 28-year-old, who lost his lottery funding from UK Athletics following a disappointing performance at last year’s Beijing Olympics, believes a change in mind-set helped him win.

"I'm happy with my performance,” he said. “I reacted to the gun pretty well and I'm in pretty good form at the moment. It's all looking good for Berlin.

"During the indoor season I was running angry. But I'm bigger than that and I'm not going to let it get the better of me. I do this sport because I love it, not because I get paid to do it - I'm not going to give it up just because I'm not getting paid to do it. I love the sport too much."

Fellow graduate Goldie Sayers won the women's javelin title for the seventh consecutive year, despite coming off a shortened run-up due to injury.

Sayers, fourth in last year's Olympic final, was set to miss the Championships after being diagnosed with a partial stress fracture of her lower back in May however, the 26-year-old insisted her comeback was going according to plan after a best of 55.43m. Loughborough student Rosie Semenytsh finished sixth with a best of 45.49m.

"It's gone as best as it could have done so far,” said Sayers. “I have been able to throw and the couple of throwing sessions I have done have been pleasing - they have been off seven strides,"

Graduate Nusrat Ceesay set a lifetime best for gold in the 400m hurdles, posting a time of 57.13 seconds. Fellow graduate Rhys Williams claimed silver in the men’s event with a time of 50.20 seconds.

Former student Kim Wall set a season’s best for bronze in the 400m. Wall completed the one-lap race in 52.75 seconds, behind Olympic and world champion Christine Ohuruogu who took the national title in 51.26secs.

In other races sports scholar Harry Aikines-Aryeetey was fifth in the 100m final in 10.35, while Loughborough-based Leon Baptiste edged bronze over 200m in 20.79 seconds.

The University had plenty of representation in both the men’s and women’s 1500m events.
Loughborough-based Nick McCormick claimed third in a season’s best of 3:42.21 while in the women’s races, University-based graduate Laura Kenney finished sixth in 4:14.04, and graduate Harriet Scott and current student Stevie Stockton both set lifetime bests of 4:15.12 and 4:16.51 respectively.

The women’s steeplechase race was a virtual demonstration event for British record-holder Helen Clitheroe as the 35-year-old coached at Loughborough by John Nuttall won in 9:48.24.

Loughborough-based Ryan McLeod won silver in the men’s 5,000m in a lifetime best of 13:58.52 and graduate Steve Fennell was the bronze medallist over 800m in a time of 1:48.34.

In the field events, graduate Emeka Udechuku continued his dominance of the discus by taking the British title with a 56.93m throw, then followed it up with bronze in the shot behind Loughborough BUCS champion Kieren Kelly who set a PB of 18.83m for silver.

Graduate Nathan Douglas took second in the triple jump in a season’s best performance of 17.01m behind Olympic silver medallist Phillips Idowu who retained his title with a single first round jump of 17.05m.

University-based Steve Lewis suffered a surprise defeat in the pole vault as Luke Cutts took the national title on countback with a lifetime best of 5.55m. Student Paul Walker claimed bronze with a 5.20m clearance.

In the men's high jump graduate Samson Oni finished runner up on countback to Beijing Olympic silver medallist Germaine Mason with a height of 2.24m. Student Vicky Hubbard also won silver, clearing 1.82m in the women’s event.

Sports scholar Sarah Holt warmed up for next weekend’s European U23 Championships with a 59.90m hammer throw for bronze behind graduate Carys Parry who threw 62.73 for the silver. In the men’s event fellow graduate Alex Smith also achieved silver with a lifetime best throw of 69.79m.

Written in conjunction with www.athletics-leics.com