T
HE SUN blazed down on
Woodside Stadium for this
much anticipated BMC Grand
Prix as the thermometer
hovered close to 90 degrees and
most athletes and spectators
sought sanctuary on the tree-lined
back straight.
It has been the athletes of the
so-called Generation Z, such as
Max Burgin, who have blazed a trail,
but now it was the turn of more
established internationals of the
millennial generation to take their
place in the sun on a pulsating
evening of athletics.
Jake Wightman never doubted
that he would be back when he took
his first tentative steps in the spring
following a stress fracture of thesacrum that prevented him from
competing in the European Indoors
in Glasgow.
This 800m race had been billed
as the one that would empty the bar- and it didn’t disappoint.
The athletes vied for pole
position through 400m in around
51 seconds flat. First to show was
London 2017 World Championships
fourth-placer Kyle Langford followed
by training partner Elliot Giles.
Wightman moved into pole
position with just under 200m
left and the European and
Commonwealth 1500m bronze
medallist was never headed from
that point.
For those who could see the
clock, the figures 1:45.55 flashed up.
Fellow 1500m specialist Charles
Da’Vall Grice was a fast-finishing
second in 1:45.72 with Giles third
in 1:45.80, both also running
Doha standards. Spencer Thomas
(1:46.19) could also celebrate a
European Under-23 Championships
qualifying mark and big PB.
Langford, who was involved in a
pre-race altercation with an official,
for which he later apologised, faded
to fifth in 1:46.76.
“It was my first race since August,
but I knew I always have decent
races here, so I’m delighted to get
the World Champs qualifying time,”
said Wightman. “It was great to see
so many top athletes supporting
the BMC, who have been good to me
over the years.”Wightman will head next to the
Lausanne Diamond League on
Friday looking for the Doha 1500m
qualifying time of 3:36.00.
Sarah McDonald turned up the
heat another notch on the 800m
specialists in a stacked women’s
two-lapper. The Birchfield Harrier
who already has a Doha standard
with 4:01.50 from the Rabat
Diamond League 1500m, steered
clear of trouble through 400m
which the pacemaker reached in
59 seconds.
The former ice skater, who is now
a full-time athlete after completing
her medical studies at Birmingham
University, glided over the hot
synthetic surface to come home
over a second clear of AlexandraACTION BMC GRAND PRIX, WATFORD, JUNE 29
JAKE WIGHTMAN WINS A TOP QUALITY
TWO-LAPPER IN FIRST RACE OF SEASON
REPORT: STEVE GREEN PICTURES: MARK SHEARMAN
Wightman
returns
in style
Sarah McDonald (81): took the 800m A race from Alex Bell (82)
and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (85)