BELL REMINDS SELECTORS WITH 800m VICTORY

TRACK & FIELD

JULY 9

BMC GRAND PRIX, Solihull

OVERLOOKED for the European Championships team, a determined Alexandra Bell came out fighting to claim her first BMC Grand Prix A race victory.

The 23-year-old Pudsey & Bramley runner nearly pulled out of the meeting as she was so disappointed at not getting a call-up for Amsterdam.

Alexandra Bell: BMC 800m win after Euro blow

However, as anyone who has seen Bell run will know, she is a fighter so she didn’t feel sorry for herself too long and soothed her frustration with not just victory but also a time of 2:01.29, which sliced 0.03 off her PB she set at Watford.

“The selection for the Europeans felt like a kick in the teeth as I felt I had a really good shot at that,” said Bell.

“After that it was hard to find the motivation, but when I saw the results

(from Amsterdam) that really fired me up and gave me the determination and fight to get that second qualification time (2:01.50).

“I have hit 2:01 so consistently this summer and to get that Olympics qualifying time again is such a relief.”

Bell followed the pacemaker through the bell in 58.65 and then maintained her form well on the second lap to secure the Best of British bonus of £200 in addition to the Grand Prix prize of £250 after dipping inside 2:02.

Indeed Bell, who was fifth in the Olympic trials, has run under 2:02 four times this summer and under 2:02.50 seven times.

“I’ve got my fight back!” she said. In stark contrast to Bell, the men’s A-race winner, Kyle Langford, was starting only his second 800m of the summer after injury problems.

The 2015 European under-20 champion had originally wanted to run the B race as he eases himself back into competition – his first 800m was a 1:50.20 800m for Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers in the BAL Premiership match last month – but his class was there to see as he won from the front with a season’s best of 1:48.53.

“It has been a long road back for me this year after suffering an IT band injury and then I fell ill before the Olympic trials,” said Langford.

“But it is good to be back and now I’ll be looking to see how fast I can run this season.”

In the B race it is worth noting that 20-year-old Brighton Phoenix runner Robbie Fitzgibbon, who was fifth in the 1500m at the European Juniors last year, clocked a PB of 1:49.90 to smash his previous best by 2.66 seconds. Last month Fitzgibbon also broke 3:40 for the first time.

The women’s 1500m was a quality race dominated by the Antipodean pair of New Zealand international Angie Petty, who is already going to Rio to run the 800m, and Australian rival Zoe Buckman.

Petty, who is based in north Devon for the summer after marrying local runner Sam Petty, started favourite after running a PB of 4:07 the previous week, but it was Buckman who prevailed in 4:13.26.

Arguably the most pleased runner in the top three was Coventry’s 24-year-old Rowena Cole, who clipped 1.51 seconds off her PB with 4:18.07.

“It is nice to be back racing consistently and I was pleased with that,” said Cole.

“I wanted to test my endurance and mix it up with the 800m so it was nice to race the 1500m. Now the aim for the rest of the season is to run more PBs and not get injured.”

In only her second track 5000m in three years, Katrina Wootton just edged out Emma Clayton for victory.

Men: 800: A: 1 K Langford (SB) 1:48.53; 2 K Kelly (IRL) 1:48.63; 3 A Kramer (SWE, U20) 1:48.93; 4 S Molloy (Ton) 1:49.31; 5 A Whiteman (SB, M40) 1:50.26; 6 D Dempsey (Shef/Dearn) 1:51.55. B: 1 R Fitzgibbon (Phoe) 1:49.90; 2 K Bell (Bord H) 1:51.19; 3 B Rochford (SB) 1:51.92; 4 C Boyek (Shild) 1:52.06; 5 W Levay (SWE) 1:53.74. C: 1 T Atkinson (Sale) 1:51.09; 2 N Akpan (Liv H) 1:51.13; 3 E Dodd (E’bne) 1:51.38; 4 O Parsons (SB, U20) 1:51.59; 5 D Eeles (Phoe, U20) 1:51.69; 6 P Taylor (VoA) 1:51.90; 7 V Nutakor (NEB) 1:53.19; 8 M Ohlsson (SWE) 1:53.84. D: 1 H Carter (BMH) 1:51.85; 2 C Warburton (Notts) 1:52.43; 3 C Hill (Card) 1:52.59; 4 J Saxton (Wake) 1:53.41; 5 H Fleming (Walton) 1:53.66; 6 C Crawford-Walker (Anna, U20) 1:53.75; 7 S Itim (SUI) 1:54.59. E: 1 D Banwell-Clode (Swan) 1:53.86; 2 M Salter (Leeds C) 1:53.99; 3 J Brown (Vale R, U20) 1:54.07; 4 S Harding (Wells) 1:54.38; 5 L Hennessy (IRL) 1:54.94; 7 S Jøhnk (DEN, U20) 1:57.28. F: 1 M Dendani (Bed C) 1:53.24; 2 E Strutt (IRL) 1:53.31; 3 D Horniman (Traff) 1:53.66; 4 M Wigelsworth (Warr) 1:53.90; 5 A Stewart (Chilt) 1:54.59; 6 F Murray (E Suth) 1:54.67; 7 C Monk (Mans) 1:54.69; 8 J Tuffin (Rush, U20) 1:55.72. G: 4 J Beharrell (KuH, U20) 1:57.25. Ht: 1 T Horton (Hallam) 1:53.73; 3 A Brown (Tip, M35) 1:56.61; 4 J Vincent (Card, U17) 1:56.70; 5 D Coughlan (IRL, M35) 1:56.85. 1500: A: 1 E Danielsson (SWE, U20) 3:45.42; 2 P Sesemann (B&B) 3:45.53; 3 A Baddeley (Harrow) 3:46.20; 4 R Weir (Der) 3:46.55; 5 A Tovey (WSEH) 3:46.59; 6 J Travers (Herne H) 3:48.74; 7 B Stevenson (Liv H) 3:48.93; 8 J Williamson (Spring, U20) 3:48.98; 9 J McCarthy (Chilt) 3:49.56; 10 S Thomas (Phoe, U20) 3:50.18; 11 J Crabtree (SB) 3:51.56; 12 C Von Eitzen (VoA, U20) 3:51.69; 13 M Wharton (Liv H) 3:56.72. B: 1 S McCallum (Win) 3:47.47; 2 J Hallas (Bir) 3:48.86; 3 D Brown (Ton) 3:49.56; 4 K Wood (C&C) 3:49.99; 5 W Fuller (B&B, U20) 3:50.21; 6 A Wright (Willow) 3:50.69; 7 P Dever (Prest) 3:50.78; 8 O Meslek (Leeds C, U20) 3:51.24; 9 C Hulson (Sale) 3:52.04; 10 S Wallenlind (SWE, U20) 3:53.41; 11 S Mackay (Glas C) 3:54.26; 12 D Jarvis (Liv H) 3:54.67; 13 M Wilson (Sun) 3:56.25; 14 K Fallon (IRL) 3:56.77. C: 1 J Cove (Card) 3:50.81; 2 S Hassan (SWE, U20) 3:51.19; 3 M Jackson (Liv H) 3:51.23; 4 D Colley (Centr) 3:52.15; 5 V Johansson (SWE) 3:52.43; 6 P Surafel (E&H, U20) 3:52.60; 7 A Nilsson (SWE) 3:52.93; 8 R Owens (IRL) 3:55.67; 9 I Hughes (Sale) 3:56.23; 10 E Dudgeon (Edin) 3:56.27; 11 B Harding (Kent) 3:59.93. D: 1 T Moran (IRL) 3:50.16; 2 P Crout (SB) 3:51.04; 3 M Bergin (Bed C) 3:51.60; 4 M Dyer (N Down) 3:52.28; 5 J Glen (I’clyde) 3:52.57; 6 M Harrison (Bed C) 3:53.19; 7 E Dunleavy (IRL, M35) 3:53.19; 8 S Sundström (SWE, U20) 3:53.54; 9 R Tennant (C&C) 3:53.90; 10 J Stockings (WG&EL) 3:53.96; 11 J Thie (Card, M35) 3:54.44; 12 K Maunsell (IRL, M35) 3:54.64; 13 F Hessian (Notts) 3:54.90; 14 J Gooch (Swan) 3:56.78; 15 H Börjesson (SWE) 3:58.50. E: 1 T Dalton (W Green) 3:51.86; 2 S Mears (Charn) 3:52.71; 3 J Sanderson (G&G) 3:52.98; 4 A Benson (Prest) 3:55.13; 5 N Johnston (Springw) 3:55.26; 6 L Cotter (Roth) 3:58.28; 7 M Tanner (Sheff RC) 3:58.42; 8 D Fitzgibbon (Herne H) 3:59.15; 9 J Hutchens (N Dev) 3:59.33. F: 1 J Roberts (Read) 3:54.53; 2 C Perry (Vale R) 3:56.13; 3 G Corcoran (K&P) 3:57.88; 4 M Cummings (Herne H) 3:58.68; 5 J McCrae (Nene V, U20) 3:58.69; 6 P Clark (Notts) 3:58.77; 7 C Lovatt (Swan) 3:58.81; 8 A Speake (B&W) 3:59.33; 9 M Hoyle (Kend) 3:59.38; 10 S Stirling (Falk) 3:59.97. G: 1 D Worton (Wake) 3:58.90; 3 D Stidder (Phoe, U20) 4:01.75; 10 J Moran (Mull, U17) 4:06.68; 14 D Richardson (Stoke, M40) 4:08.74. 5000: A: 1 P Tiernan (AUS) 13:43.84; 2 A Hickey (S’end) 14:11.6; 3 T Anderson (Win) 14:15.51; 4 R Allen (Brack) 14:16.32; 5 G Rush (Chelt) 14:17.25; 6 C Hulson (Sale) 14:17.98; 7 K Gerrard (NEB) 14:20.79; 8 J Morris (Stock H) 14:21.45; 9 C Birmingham (AUS) 14:23.48; 10 A Hanlon (C’liffe) 14:33.11; 11 R Skelton (Phoe) 14:43.88; 12 J Harboe (DEN) 14:53.05; 13 B Hargreaves (IRL) 14:55.19; 14 S Fontana (Glasgow City / Adams State Uni) 14:58.73. B: 1 S Antell (Bide) 14:21.73; 2 C Duffy (IRL) 14:27.54; 3 D Shaw (New M) 14:36.99; 4 Z Tobias (B&W) 14:39.76; 5 J Ashcroft (Liv H) 14:41.17; 6 R Hynes (IRL) 14:45.03; 7 J Parslow (D&T) 14:47.26; 8 R Best (New M) 14:48.96; 9 J Douglas (Bord H) 14:49.23; 10 D Nash (E Corn) 14:49.75; 11 O Lockley (Manx) 14:49.87; 12 J Bancroft (Wells) 14:50.05; 13 J Collier (Harrow) 14:55.59; 14 D Chesser (NEB) 15:04.54; 15 D Cummins (W Wat) 15:08.54. C: 1 N Sheehan (NEB) 14:57.29; 2 J Straw (Linc W) 14:58.38; 3 N Martin (Sale) 14:58.69; 4 P Stephenson (Rathf) 14:59.63; 5 D Owen (Chelt) 14:59.98; 6 K Craib (Roth) 15:02.38; 7 P Burden (Taun, M35) 15:04.75; 8 S De La Fuente Martin (ESP, M40) 15:05.28; 9 C Madden (Lisb) 15:12.13; 10 M McNeill (Salf) 15:13.32; 11 T Cooke (Win) 15:16.55; 12 W Mackay (Bed C) 15:20.86; 13 H Powell (KuH, U20) 15:22.71; 14 J Rodgers (N Som) 15:32.05; 15 F Slemeck (HW) 15:34.27; 16 K Gomez (Camb U) 15:35.45. D: 1 A Richmond (Bide) 15:09.80; 2 M Jenkin (Bide, M35) 15:10.93; 3 R Keal (Notts, M40) 15:19.57; 4 J Smith (Tip) 15:20.46; 5 B Hodgson (Bord H, M35) 15:22.03; 6 A Whitwam (Morp, M40) 15:23.13; 7 J Pedersen (DEN, M40) 15:23.87; 8 A Corlett (Manx) 15:31.25; 9 G Griffiths (Tip, U20) 15:33.69; 10 A Russell (Kend) 15:34.17; 11 R Burling (Lut) 15:35.99; 12 A Bellew (Bed C) 15:39.04; 13 J Bowler (Kent, M35) 15:44.77; 14 C Prior (Salf, M35) 15:46.03; 15 M Powell (Leic C, M35) 15:47.63; 17 M Ince (BRAT, M40) 16:22.65. 3000SC: A: 1 S McSweyn (AUS) 8:44.56; 2 D Musson (Notts) 8:59.87; 3 L Marshall (BER) 9:07.90; 4 A Kirk-Smith (Lon Hth) 9:08.65; 5 S Green (Centr) 9:15.69; 6 A Hendry (Cent) 9:33.59

Women: 800: A: 1 A Bell (P&B) 2:01.29; 2 S Cleirigh-Buttner (IRL) 2:01.98; 3 R Walcott-Nolan (Lut) 2:03.48; 4 J Monteiro (Chelm) 2:03.77; 5 M Hendry (VPCG) 2:04.76; 6 M Eikemo Borge (NOR) 2:05.04; 7 S Öberg (SWE) 2:05.57; 8 L Weightman (Morp) 2:05.60; 9 E Dudgeon (Edin) 2:08.95. B: 1 P Millage (VPCG, W35) 2:06.31; 2 G Hartigan (Bir) 2:06.48; 3 J Cooke (Bir) 2:08.32; 4 H Knowles-Jones (Warr, U20) 2:08.90; 5 R McClay (Brack) 2:08.90. C: 1 P Märzendorfer (AUT) 2:09.75; 2 L Söderholm (SWE) 2:09.77; 3 C Anderson (Exe) 2:09.96; 4 D Fæster Olsen (DEN) 2:10.03; 5 K Stewart (A’deen, U20) 2:10.15; 6 C Bradley (Donc) 2:10.15; 7 G Dawkins (Jer) 2:10.42; 8 J Rytter (DEN) 2:13.15; 9 M Steer (St Alb) 2:13.44. D: 1 B Rottweiler (Harrow) 2:13.15; 2 R Scott (Prest) 2:13.74; 3 K Allen (Bir) 2:13.80; 4 C Gaughan (Card) 2:14.37; 5 K Frizelle (Card, U17) 2:14.96; 6 J Cram (Morp) 2:15.20; 7 R Atherton (Leeds C) 2:15.36; 8 E Brink (SWE, U20) 2:15.72; 9 E Welch (Corby, U20) 2:16.53. 1500: A: 1 Z Buckman (AUS) 4:13.26; 2 A Petty (NZL) 4:14.81; 3 R Cole (Cov) 4:18.07; 4 C Duck (Leeds C) 4:18.20; 5 J Judd (Chelm) 4:21.62; 6 K Neely (Lisb, W35) 4:23.68; 7 F Fullerton (Have) 4:26.15; 8 G Hillier-Moses (Charn) 4:27.02; 9 L Day (Notts) 4:27.75; 10 L Webb (Soton) 4:29.02. B: 1 M Smith (Leic C) 4:25.20; 2 A Pratt (Sale, U20) 4:26.07; 3 K Kirk (Lag V) 4:26.17; 4 L Crookes (Leeds C) 4:27.74; 5 S Johnson (Roth) 4:28.91; 6 R Gibson (N Down) 4:29.37; 7 F Kehoe (IRL) 4:30.60; 8 G Malir (Leeds C) 4:31.37; 9 E Mackenzie (Storn) 4:35.85; 10 S Cowper (Linc W) 4:36.05; 11 S Boast (Bed C) 4:36.11; 12 C Thomas (Linc W, U20) 4:37.22; 13 N Boland (Crus, W35) 4:38.04; 14 A Cunningham (Sale, U17) 4:39.55; 15 Z Knappy (Keigh) 4:43.13. C: 1 S Murphy (IRL, U20) 4:33.50; 2 B Townsend (Leeds C) 4:35.93; 3 V Hiscock (Ben, U20) 4:37.27; 4 G Eglen (AFD) 4:40.19; 5 J Craig (N Down) 4:40.26; 6 E O’Brien (IRL) 4:41.66; 7 E Hughes (Mans, U20) 4:43.20; 8 N Reid (Card, U17) 4:43.32; 9 J Littlechild (Bath, U17) 4:46.32; 11 B Evans (Card, U20) 4:49.06; 12 A Fisher (Card, U17) 4:51.63. 5000: A: 1 K Wootton (Cov) 15:49.11; 2 E Clayton (Leeds C) 15:49.83; 3 C Buscomb (NZL) 15:55.01; 4 L Howarth (Leigh) 16:08.28; 5 K Hulls (B&W) 16:15.82; 6 C Arter (Card) 16:42.14; 7 S Holmgren (SWE) 16:43.26; 8 E Borglund (SWE) 16:43.77; 9 J Potter (Charn) 16:47.92; 10 A Reddin (Crus) 16:54.97; 11 S O’doherty (IRL) 16:58.70; 12 E Japp (BWF) 16:59.12; 13 F Kristiansson (SWE) 17:03.24; 14 F Clinton (IRL) 17:16.92; 15 A Piepmeier (Notts) 17:19.87; 16 M Ryan (IRL) 17:20.44; 17 N Burns (Linc W) 17:25.36; 18 R Smyth (IRL) 18:09.33