After being overlooked for the Tokyo Olympics, shot putter throws an 18.11m PB for Thames Valley Harriers at Wormwood Scrubs

The throwers stole the show at the second round of matches of the National Athletics League last weekend, headed by a stunning 18-metre throw for Amelia Strickler.

Competing on home soil for Thames Valley Harriers, the recent British Championships silver medallist went out to 18.11m at Wormwood Scrubs on Saturday.

Meanwhile, Nick Percy beat Lawrence Okoye at Hendon on Sunday, British hammer champion Tara Simpson-Sullivan was over 67m again in Manchester and Charlotte Payne improved her PB in the hammer to 64.09m.

Premier London South, Wormwood Scrubs

Strickler provided the perfect answer to controversially being overlooked for Olympic selection by adding 14cm to her best with 18.11m to win the shot for her club, Thames Valley Harriers, on Saturday.

The disappointment of not being on British Athletics’ team for Tokyo despite having received a World Athletics rankings invite, appeared to spur her on to a throw which puts her sixth on the UK all-time list.

The performance helped hosting side TVH, with club president Linford Christie watching, to their second straight match win, which was based on performance tables.

Tade Ojora, the surprise winner over Andrew Pozzi at the Olympic trials 110m hurdles the week before, took victory for Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow in 13.82 despite a 2.3m/sec wind against.

While he is flying this week to Tallinn to compete at the European Athletics U23 Championships, his sister, Temi Ojora used the triple jump to hone her preparations for the European U20s this month at the same venue. She was 3cm over her recent PB with 13.65m, although this was with an illegal following wind of 3.6m/sec.

In the 400m hurdles, TVH’s Nicole Kendall was six tenths outside the league record she set at the previous match with 56.92, beating clubmate Jessica Tappin (58.37).

Molly Caudery, another going to the European U23s, cleared 4.20m to win the pole vault for TVH.

For WSEH, Jacob Paul took the 400m hurdles in 51.24 and Amy Holder won the discus with 51.37m.

As at the last fixture, TVH’s Kendall, Tappin, Linna Killander and Tokyo-bound Zoey Clark linked up for the win in the 4x400m, this time in 3:50.04.

For results, go here.

Premier London North, Hendon

All eyes were again on the throws circle as Britain’s top three this season competed on Sunday.

A week after booking his place on the team for Tokyo, London Olympic finalist Lawrence Okoye (62.76m), competing as a guest, was beaten by Shaftesbury Barnet’s Nick Percy’s 63.02m.

Shaftesbury Barnet had another win in the hammer, through British trials runner-up Chris Bennett, who threw 73.39m. Katie Head, for Newham & Essex Beagles, won the women’s with 62.05m.

Harrow’s Holly Mills prepared for the European under-23 heptathlon with two good throws performances. She threw 13.78m in the shot and 35.67m in the javelin, her second best ever in both events. She also went out to 6.20m in the long jump.

Her clubmate George Hyde was close to his shot PB as he recorded a winning 17.01m. Shaftesbury Barnet’s Shadine Duquemin equalled her best ever with 56.08m in taking the discus. Another field-eventer from the club in-form was pole vaulter Jade Ive, who won with 4.20m.

Hayley McLean of Shaftesbury won the 400m hurdles in 57.41 before setting a PB in the 400m flat of 53.99.
Harrow’s UK under-17 No.1 Nia Wedderburn-Goodison won the 100m 11.95 (no wind recording available).

Under-20 Joba Ashiru was nearly two metres in advance of his PB with 15.37m to win the triple jump for Woodford Green with Essex Ladies, although the wind speed was unavailable.

For results, go here.

Premier North, Manchester Regional Arena

Under-20 Louie Hinchliffe clocked 10.45 to take the 100m for Sheffield & Dearne, which would have been a PB by 0.15 but for a 2.1m/sec following wind.

Under-17 Trezeguet Taylor won the women’s race for match winners Trafford in a season’s best 12.03.

England junior heptathlon champion Abigail Pawlett took 0.39 seconds from her PB in taking victory in the 200m in 24.39. The Trafford athlete also set a best in the javelin with 32.36 (behind Birchfield’s Katie Stainton’s 36.03m) and she won the long jump with 5.57m.

Also for Trafford, UK under-17 No.2 Halle Ferguson was close to her best in winning the triple jump with 11.83m, although the wind was an illegal 2.4m/sec.

For results, go here.

Premier West, Yate

Caryl Granville repeated her win from the opening match with 57.89 in the 400m hurdles as she helped Swansea to a narrow win. She also won the 100m hurdles at the match on Sunday with a wind-assisted 13.61.

Swansea’s Patrick Swan added 38cm to his PB with 17.43m for the shot put win and to climb to fifth on the UK rankings for 2021. The discus win went to Cardiff’s James Tomlinson 53.54m.

Bristol & West’s Cypriot hammer thrower Catherine Beatty won her event with 60.59m.

Cardiff’s Jenny Nesbitt had a clear win in the 3000m with 9:14.27, although her victory in the 1500m was tighter with 4:30.31.

For results, go here.

Championship North, Manchester Regional Arena

British hammer champion Tara Simpson-Sullivan was within a couple of metres of her PB as she won her event with 67.15m on Sunday.

Sophie Ashurst, who will compete for Britain at the European U20s, helped Sale Harriers to victory in the match with a 3.81m pole vault win. Clubmate Kirsty Law added yet more useful points with 56.62m to win the discus.

Greek athlete Ioanna Malli of Liverpool set a big PB to win the javelin with 53.26m.

In the hammer, under-20 Alex Bernstein set a PB of 67.15m as a guest.

Meanwhile, James Williams of Liverpool Harriers won the 200m in 20.97, albeit with a 2.7m/sec wind behind him.

Results, go here.

National 1 East Milton Keynes

Charlotte Payne, who will represent Britain at the European Under-20s in the hammer this month, helped Milton Keynes towards victory at the start of the meeting with a PB of 64.09m. This puts her eight on the European junior rankings. She also won the discus (39.78m) and shot (11.59m).

Results, go here.