@ATHLETICSWEEKLY
Bell with a PB of 2:00.15, which was
also a qualifying standard for Doha.
Bell looked hopelessly boxed in
on the back straight, but rallied to
clock 2:01.36, with European indoor
champion Shelayna Oskan-Clarke,
third with 2:01.47.
McDonald said: “It was really good
to win with a PB. It was such a great
field. I’m from a 1500m background,
so I just tried to run a steady pace
and it paid off. I just managed to
hold everyone off in the straight. I
feel like sub-two will come soon.”
Finland’s Sara Kuivisto recorded
a two-lap best of 2:02.64 ahead of
breakthrough athlete Kirsty Fraser
(2:03.45) in winning the B race.
It was inevitable that the new
Generation Z would have their say
and so it transpired that Oliver
Dustin was the latest under-
to put himself into contention for
selection for Sweden.
Dustin, who was eighth in Bedford
the previous weekend after trying
hard to match Burgin, took well
over a second off his PB, with a
negatively split 1:46.84 800m,
ahead of national under-20 1500m
champion Joshua Lay (1:47.93) who
also broke new ground.
Here is an event where Britain
really can say it leads Europe with
the top five places in the rankings,
led by Burgin’s 1:45.36..
Alex Botterill (1:48.74), Callum
Dodds (1:49.17), Daniel Howells
(1:49.34) and Ben Lee (1:49.36) were
other juniors inside 1:50.Andrew Butchart looks set for
another vintage year over 5000m
based on his metric mile win over
James McMurray. The Olympic
finalist was through 800m in
around 1:56 with McMurray, Archie
Davis and George Mills all in
contention.Showing an impressive turn of
speed in the home straight, the
Scottish 5000m record-holder
just had enough to beat McMurray- 3:38.80 to 3:39.02 – as Davis
(3:40.30) and Mills (3:40.32) both
broke new ground over the
distance.
’
‘
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
JAKE WIGHTMAN, after his 800m win
Elliot Giles leads the men’s 800m A race
from Jake Wightman (9), with Charles
Da’Vall Grice (8), Canaan Solomon (13),
Spencer Thomas (7) and
Christian Von EitzenOliver Dustin: took the
800m B race in a PB
from Joshua LayKaty-Ann McDonald
leads the women’s
800m B race from
eventual winner
Sara Kuivisto