UK National Championships & World Trials

[nevetsllim]

For someone who seems academically smart and can speak about four languages, Okoro never seems to run a clever race when it matters! At the 2008 World Indoors she was completely beaten for pace and got knocked out in the heats and she spent most of her Olympic semi running in lane two. And then there was Turin.

Simpson seems to be much more confident this year and if the standard of world 800m running doesn't improve, there can't be any excuses for not getting a UK finalist. Simpson is ranked sixth in the world at the moment behind two Russians, a Ukrainian who has lost her form, Benhassi and someone who will be running the steeplechase in Berlin.

Okoro and Meadows have had good wins on the circuit but I expected a bit more today :?

[Kai88]

I think Okoro will be bitterly disappointed with her tactics.
Her selection is not in doubt and a decent paced race and she easily go sub 2 mins, but she was all over the place today...

Would have been interesting to see if Amanda Moss had been there, she looked like she was getting into some good form again this year, and i still reckon she has one of the best finishes down the home straight if she ever finds her 2006 form again.

Anyone know what has happened to Laura Finucane or Abby Westley, both really promising in 2007 but it appears injuries have affected them both.

[lalala]

So I've just watched the whole champs on DVD as I've been away since Saturday morning...and did it feel like a RIGHT DAMP SQUIB to anyone else? Bar (off the top of my head) Ennis, Williamson and Dennison, the performances were nothing to shout about, god knows HOW many people actually were injured and I still think it's disgusting that the likes of Dobriskey just didn't bother showing up. To be honest, I'd take the first three in the trials now after that...

Anyway, I really hope Ennis does the hurdles too in Berlin, she has nothing to lose by entering and, let's face it, only Claxton has a chance of making the team otherwise so it's not like she's going to be stealing a place. I also think they should send Jodie Williams in at least one of the sprints- I don't think anyone bar Freeman will get the 200m time and if Kwakye is out of Berlin, I don't see the harm in throwing in the 100m too...

[nevetsllim]

Yep, I agree. Nothing too special apart from those mentioned and a few others (Andy Turner and David Greene).

And can I ask, what happened to the 1500m line-up? Where were Baddeley, Lancashire and Farah?

I know British athletes are constantly injured but has it ever been this bad?

[lalala]

Yeah, Turner and Greene weren't bad either...and Freeman. But nothing extraordinary...

[nevetsllim]

I have to admit I was feeling really positive about Britain's chances in the Worlds at the start of the year but now I'm not so sure :? Let's just hope it all clicks together like it did in 2007...

Another question, what's up with Marlon? 10.11 (I think?) in April but nothing special since then.

[Stephen]

The champs were ok overall considering so many top contenders were missing. Some thoughts though...

Simpson ran really well and she and Meadows should be selected. Though Okoro has the ability to pop out a 1:58 she's not shown much this year yet, so I'd give England the opportunity to race her for the 3rd spot, due to England's faster time and good run at the Euro's. I'm sure Okoro will come through later in the season, but she was well down on the others and you could tell from the head-on shot she was giving it her all...the gap was a bit worrying actually.

I was really pleased for Sotherton. Considering all the reports suggesting she may even miss Berlin, once again she's managed to get herself into decent form. The 1.82 was good, but I'm not sure she would have gone higher. However....it's the hurdles and the LJ that get heptathletes the big points and those are two of her strongest events, yet she hasnt done a 100h all season and her LJ was way down on a shortened run-up. Sotherton has to be in good running form to be able to challenge for the bronze in Berlin, so I just hope she can get 4 weeks of uninterrupted hard training done. If she's longjumping 6.3 in Berlin she won't medal.

Ohuruogu is seriously worrying me. After watching Oslo and now the trials, I am seriously wondering whether she will medal in Berlin. I can see her making the final and not making the podium. Regardless of whether Richards may or may not blow (I don't think she will this year) there's still Shericka Williams in fantastic form, and someone like Grenot could be blasting a sub 50 come Berlin too. I really think Ohuruogu will be battling for bronze at best.

Ennis was brilliant. If only she hadn't hit those last two hurdles! I really want her in the 4x4 team if she's fit and up for it after the hept in Berlin.

Williamson was great, but I'm not so sure whether he will be doing as well as what we hope in Berlin. It's one thing running away from 10.2-10.5 guys, but will he run well when he's got 9.7-10.0 guys running away from him at the start? Definate candidate for the final, but expecting him to medal is too much.

It's going to be interesting to see what the selectors do with the men's 200 between now and the cut-off date.

What's happened to our women's sprinting? From being right up there we now find ourselves with women struggling to break 11.4.

[Powell]

He is a very good championship performer [...] Beijing was a bit of a blip [...] Turin was also a bit of a disappointment

Hmmm... is it just me, or is that argument not entirely convincing? :P

Well I presumed everyone knew about his 2007 campaign, but I'll expand: :P

In 2007 he won the Euro U23 title, smashing his PB by 0.12 (!) to win in 10.10. Later that year he won the World Uni Games title - twice! The race was run, Williamson won, but then afterwards they noticed that he had caught a flyer. So the next day they staged the final again, this time in the rain and into a headwind. He won again, running even quicker and winning by a bigger margin. That's some pretty good mettle.

But those were relatively minor championships, with fairly easy rounds, compared to WCh.

[3a]

He is a very good championship performer [...] Beijing was a bit of a blip [...] Turin was also a bit of a disappointment

Hmmm... is it just me, or is that argument not entirely convincing? :P

Well I presumed everyone knew about his 2007 campaign, but I'll expand: :P

In 2007 he won the Euro U23 title, smashing his PB by 0.12 (!) to win in 10.10. Later that year he won the World Uni Games title - twice! The race was run, Williamson won, but then afterwards they noticed that he had caught a flyer. So the next day they staged the final again, this time in the rain and into a headwind. He won again, running even quicker and winning by a bigger margin. That's some pretty good mettle.

But those were relatively minor championships, with fairly easy rounds, compared to WCh.

:roll:
It's all relative, surely......


Not if you are an inexperienced, up and coming, just out of the junior ranks, sprinter. Those are some pretty big milestones for young athletes and the way they deal with the pressure (and believe me there is pressure) at these champs, can be very telling.

[Flumpy]

I love CVC. He's so cod.

WTF was Maz doing???

I have been reading your posts for 6 years or so, even back on the IAAF board. I know a lot of slang and all of the "txt" lingo, but I haven't been able to understand any of your posts lately :cry:

Which bit don't you understand???

It all seems pretty self explanatory to me.

[John G]

simeons run was the best 100m run by a uk athlete that colin jackson has ever seen :shock:

I never thought I'd do this ............... but I feel the need to defend CJ(!!!!). Aside from Christie's 100m WCh in '93, I think Williamson's run was the best by a UK athlete.

Of course we all know why CJ might have selective memory loss when it comes ot any performance by his estranged mate, Linford.