American sprinter runs world lead in Jacksonville while Brits Lawrence Okoye and Lina Nielsen show encouraging form on a busy weekend of track and field
The biggest event of the weekend was the World Athletics Relays in Poland. To read our coverage CLICK HERE
In Norway, Karoline Grovdal ran 14:39 for 5km – for details CLICK HERE
However, there was plenty of other major action.
Jacksonville, USA, April 29-30
Former world indoor champion Trayvon Bromell set a world leading 9.88/1.5 in easily beating Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse and Nigerian Divine Oduduru who were both timed at 10.05. Oduduru also won the 200m in 19.88/1.6.
Britain’s Lina Nielsen substantially improved her PB to win the 400m hurdles in an Olympic qualifying 55.27 in beating Kiah Seymour’s 55.57. It moved her up to 10th on the UK all-time rankings.
Blessing Okagbare won the women’s 200m in a wind-assisted 22.03/2.5. World hurdles champion Grant Holloway ran 13.22/-2.0 into a strong headwind. There was also a fast 400m win for Trevor Stewart in 44.52 ahead of Randolph Ross’s 44.69, whereas Daniel Haugh won the hammer in a PB 78.05.
Britain’s Shara Proctor won the long jump with 6.39/0.4.
This is how Trayvon Bromell set a WL 9.88 in the 100m in Jacksonville ?
?@AlanAlvarezSr1pic.twitter.com/HBevVRgaFN https://t.co/AeUI1RJ9Sd
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) May 1, 2021
Clermont, USA, May 2
Proctor improved to set her best mark for two years with a 6.77/1.9 leap with Jazmin Sawyers close behind with a wind-assisted 6.75/2.7.
Southampton Invitation Throws Event, Winchester, May 2
Lawrence Okoye continues to gradually close on the tough Olympic qualifying mark of 66.00m with a 65.56m win ahead of Nick Percy’s 61.26m.
Since breaking the British record with a 68.24m in May 2012, he has only once thrown further than that in the last nine years and it is superior to the 65.28m he threw in the Olympics to make the final in London 2012. It moves him to seventh in the 2021 world rankings.
West Coast Relays, Clovis, USA, April 30
Briton Poppy Tank won the 10,000m in a 32:52.65 PB for her first sub-34 clocking. Sam Prakel won the 1500m in 3:36.86 while Abdihamid Nur won the men’s 10,000m in 27:47.27. NCAA indoor 3000m champion Courtney Wayment took half a minute off of her steeplechase PB to win in 9:31.37.
Mid Cheshire 5km, Kingsley, April 30
Morpeth’s Alex Brown narrowly beat Jonny Mellor in a PB of 14:11. T12 disability category David Devine was third in a PB 14:24 – a second up on Matt Clowes.
The women’s race was also decided by a second with Mollie Williams beating Tessa McCormick in 16:25, while Holly Weedall, the UK Inter-Counties cross-country bronze medallist, was a close third in a PB 16:28 to go top of her under-17 age category as all three set PBs.
Kirsty Longley’s 16:48 went top of the UK W40 rankings while Stephen Watmough’s 16:34 PB at the age of 58 was the pick of some quality male vets results.
Prestwold Hall 5km, Loughborough, May 2
Monica Williamson improved Angela Copson’s UK W60 5km best with 19:17. Lauren McNeill won the women’s elite race in 16:31 while Charlie Davis clocked the quickest men’s time with 14:29.
Jesse Owens Invitational, Columbus, USA, May 1
Double world champion Joe Kovacs won the shot put with a world-leading 22.72m as he produced an excellent series of 21.91, 22.72, 21.97, 22.28, 21.91 and 22.32.
LSU Invitational, Baton Rouge, May 1
NCAA double jumps champion JuVaughn Harrison cleared 2.30m in the high jump for an outdoor PB.
Vernon Norwood won the 400m in 44.64. Aleia Hobbs won the women’s 100m in 11.01/1.3.
Britain’s Jake Norris was second in the hammer with a 69.40m throw.
Austin, USA, April 30-May 1
The 100m hurdles world record-holder Keni Harrison won in 12.48/-0.3 ahead of long jumper Tara Davis’s 12.75 PB. Davis however won her speciality event in 6.97/0.5.
European indoor medallist Jodie Williams clocked 51.32 to win the 400m on Sunday after a wind-assisted 200m of 22.68/2.7 on the Saturday.
Leavenworth, USA, May 1
Jesus Lopez improved his Mexican 800m record to an outdoor world-leading 1:44.40. There was also a Mexican win for Laura Galvan in the 5000m in 15:11.35 with Jessica Judd third in 15:36.19.
Fellow Brits Aimee Pratt and Elizabeth Bird were second and third in the steeplechase in 9:38.99 and 9:44.52.
Chula Vista, USA, May 2
David King went top of the UK 110m hurdles rankings with a 13.53/0.9 win.
Antalya, Turkey, May 1
In her first event in nearly two years, Olympic hammer champion Anita Wlodarczyk threw 73.87m in a low key competition.
Bar, Montenegro, May 1
There was a Serbian shot put record for Armin Sinancevic with a European-leading 21.88m.
Mersin, Turkey, May 2
There was a world leading steeplechase of 8:15.77 for Algerian Hichem Bouchicha.
Lawrence, USA, May 1
Mason Finley won the men’s discus with a 66.40m throw.
Tucson, USA, May 1
Turner Washington achieved a winning 20.80m and 66.02m shot and discus double. NCAA Indoor 60m champion Micah Williams improved his 100m PB to 10.03/-1.0.
Geneva Marathon, Switzerland, May 2
Bahrain’s Shumi Dechasa won in 2:06:59 in with Kenyan Kennedy Cheboror (2:07:42) and Ethiopian Fikire Workneh (2:07:58). completing the top three.
Maureen Chepkemoi won a competitive women’s race where five seconds covered the leading trio with 2:24:19 from Tigist Memuye (2:24:23) and Lucy Karimi (2:24:24).
Alytus, Lithiuania, May 1
World discus champion Andrius Gudzius opened his season with an Olympic qualifying 66.06m.
Jimma, Ethiopia, May 1
The Ethiopian Olympic marathon trials were held over 35km. Three sub-2:20 marathoners led home the women’s race with Tigist Girma winning in 1:59:23 ahead of Birhane Dibaba (1:59:45) and Roza Dereje (2:00:16).
The men’s race saw three sub 2:05 men take the top three places with Shura Kitata first in 1:45.55 ahead of world champion Lelisa Desisa (1:46:15) and Sisay Lemma (1:46:18).
Kenenisa Bekele did not participate.
Guernsey Athletics Track & Field Series, St Peter Port, May 2
The 2019 European under-23 400m silver medallist Cameron Chalmers made a good season’s debut to go inside 46 seconds in a race he won by over five seconds.
Lee Valley Sprint 100m/200m Open Series, Lee Valley, April 28
Former British 60m champion Dom Ashwell won a 100m race in 10.44/1.3 a metre up on Brandon Mingeli, though the letter won a wind-assisted second race in 10.41/2.3 to Ashwell’s 10.46.
South London Athletics Network Open, Coulsdon, May 1
Jahisha Thomas leapt 13.11m in the triple jump to go a close second in the UK rankings for 2021.
Reading AC Warm Up Competition, Reading, May 2
England under-17 indoor heptathlon champion Sammy Ball won the long jump with a 6.77m PB to go top of the UK under-17 rankings for 2021 and he also set a 15.00m PB in the shot.
Port Elizabeth, May 1
Kenyan Brillian Jepkorir won the women’s race in 67.32 from Ethiopians Alemadis Eyayu Sisay (68:04) and Tadu Teshome 69:09. The South African title went to fifth-placer Glenrose Xaba with 69:30.
The men’s race was won by Precious Mashele in 61:17 from Stephen Mokoka’s 61:25 and Mbuleli Mathanga (61:27).
For more in-depth results, go to our AW Clubhouse – CLICK HERE