BIDDING FOR BYDGOSZCZ

IMANI LANSIQUOT AND BOBBY CLAY WERE AMONG ATHLETES SECURING PLACES AT THE WORLD JUNIORS

PAUL HALFORD

WITH many athletes understandably focused on Rio preparations and no international championships this summer for the older age group, several of the top under-23s were missing, but the juniors were out in force to attract the eyes of the selectors.

The first eligible athlete in each event guaranteed selection for the IAAF World Under-20 Championships as long as they had the qualification mark.

Ethan Akanni (left): hurdled to top of the European youth rankings

GARY MITCHELL

Among those doing so were Imani Lansiquot, who went to fourth on the UK alltime junior list in the 100m with her 11.25, European junior champion Bobby Clay and UK under-20 pole vault record-holder Adam Hague.

These should be podium contenders for the event in Bydgoszcz, Poland, next month when medals will be hard to come by.

Impressing in the under-23 category was Jazmin Sawyers, who was just nine centimetres short of the Olympic qualifying mark. Also setting a championship record was Sophie McKinna in the shot, while Chris Kandu equalled the high jump equivalent.

Above: under-23 400m: Lina Nielsen (899) leads from Nikita Campbell-Smith (736) and Jessie Knight (855)

David King and David Omoregie in the hurdles were others with major senior championship ambitions in action and this pair fought out a keenly contested battle.

U20 3000m: Gus Cockle (in red, 225) wins in 8:20.35

Several under-18s also gained qualifiers for the European Youth Championships to be held in Tbilisi, Georgia, for which no trial is being held. Selection criteria states under-18 athletes who are eligible for both will normally be picked for Georgia over Poland.

Automatic selections were confirmed this week, while the remainder of the team will be picked on July 4. The youth team will be announced on June 27.

U20 men’s 800m: Ben Greenwood (306) leads in a race won by Daniel Rowden (476)

LAKE SOARS INTO HIGH JUMP SHAPE

UNDER-20 WOMEN

WHILE most of the top athletes in Bedford were focused on Bydgoszcz, Morgan Lake is concentrating on making the Olympics and she did her hopes no harm with a 1.90m victory in the high jump.

The athlete who won the high jump and heptathlon at the World Juniors last time out would love to become an Olympian at the multi-event discipline. However, she has made two failed attempts to gain the qualifying standard this summer already and may have one more try, although she will compete in the high jump at the senior trials this weekend in the knowledge that a top-two place will guarantee a berth in that event at least.

Morgan Lake: cleared 1.90m before attempting 1.95m

“It was solid,” she said. “It’s nice to get the win and anything over 1.90m is good. I had two good attempts at 1.95m, which would have been a PB, but I think it’s a step in the right direction.”

When it comes to heptathlon this year, Lake had a DNF in Gotzis and then scored 5951 in Kladno as she fell short of the 6200 points required for Rio.

“The first one I couldn’t complete, the second I was just kind of seeing where I was at,” she said. “The throws let me down a bit. I was throwing further in practice than I was in the competition. Hopefully I’ve got one more attempt left. I’m not sure where it will be yet.”

Imani Lansiquot (644): moved to fourth on the UK all-time 100m list with 11.25

It may be at the European Championships, for which she has the entry standard, although she will rely on British Athletics’ decision as she does not have their qualification mark.

She added: “It’s really exciting that I have the option to go for the high jump, but my focus is on the heptathlon.”

Hannah Williams: sister of Jodie won the 400m

Under-18 Niamh Emerson and Abby Ward placed second and third with 1.83m and 1.79m respectively. They are first and second on the European youth rankings this year.

Lake was also in action in the long jump, although in the defence of her title, she was just fourth with 5.93m.

That event was won by Eleanor Broome, whose 6.21m was five centimetres short of the mark which leaves her second on the European under-18 list. Holly Mills, who will be another medal contender in Georgia, was runner-up with 6.12m.

Alicia Barrett (right): beat Mollie Courtney and secured the standard in the 100m hurdles

Imani Lansiquot produced arguably the best junior performance of the weekend, moving to fourth on the UK alltime list for 100m with 11.25. While this was with a legal and helpful following wind of 1.6m/ second, the wind turned in the afternoon and she ran 11.40 and 11.45 in the semifinal and final respectively.

Lansiquot, who began the season with a PB of 11.56, clocked 11.28 earlier this month, but few were expecting such a fast time in the heat.

“I’m very surprised,” she said. “I was hoping for a faster time [in the final], but in a champs it’s the winning that’s more important.”

Bobby Clay: AW’s cover star this week

Lansiquot, who attributed her breakthrough to changing her training and a new coach, Jonas Tawiah Dodoo, said the UK junior mark of 11.14 was not in her immediate focus.

“I’m not thinking about that just now,” said the A-level student. “I’ll get through my exams first, go to the World Juniors and see what happens.”

She completes her A-levels this month and said combining study with training had been immensely difficult.

Hannah Brier, who already also had the European mark, was second with 11.65.

Lucy Pygott (left): chases Sophia Parvizi-Wayne (921) in the 3000m final

Alisha Rees, who ought to be a medal challenger at the European Youths, was third with 11.83. She ranks second in Europe in the 200m and it was in this position she finished in Bedford, crossing the line behind Finnette Agyapong, who just missed out on automatic selection for Poland. She ran 23.74 – two hundredths outside her PB and missed the 23.70 needed for Bydgoszcz.

In the 1500m, Bobby Clay continued her campaign to add the world junior title to the European equivalent she took last year. Her 4:18.25 brought her home well clear of regular rival Harriet Knowles-Jones and Sabrina Sinha, who were second and third. Clay was happy to secure selection after some tough weeks in training and competition.

Isobel Boffey (left) passes Charlotte Cayton-Smith in the 800m

The Invicta East Kent athlete had not been allowing herself to think too much about potential opposition in Poland and said: “I haven’t wanted to distract myself too much from home competition because all these girls are working so hard, they’re all capable of going to the Worlds so now it’s more about looking outside of the competition at the moment and hopefully to get in the mix at the Worlds and hopefully get myself known on the world stage rather than just England.

“A medal would be amazing. I’m not limiting myself. I think it’s a possibility but I’m not trying to get too far ahead of myself. I think if I run a PB I’m definitely a medal contender, but I need to make sure I’m in that shape.”

Before that she is looking forward to competing at the senior championships this weekend.

“I’m really excited about that,” she said. “The experience of an Olympic trials – you can’t miss an experience like that.”

Further up in distance, under-17 Lucy Pygott set a PB of 9:31.84 in the 3000m to rank third on the European youth rankings.