Nathan Douglas Triple Jumps to Championship record in Manchester (© Getty Images)
Sprinting rivalries have long provided the highlights of the British nationals, and they did so again at the second and final day of the Norwich Union World and Commonwealth Trials and AAA championships this afternoon. But the performance of the day came from an unexpected quarter as 22 year-old Nathan Douglas leapt from an also ran to a genuine contender for triple jump medals at this summer’s World Championships in Helsinki.
Third longest British jumper all-time
Douglas, who failed to qualify for the final in Athens, became the third best triple jumper in the world this year behind Marina Oprea and Jadel Gregorio - when he bounded out to 17.64m in the second round, eclipsing the 11 year-old championships record of World record holder Jonathan Edwards.
Douglas had already beaten his previous personal best of 17.27m with a first round effort of 17.36m. Then he made the most of a 1.4m/s tailwind and near perfect conditions in the second to become the third longest ever British jumper, bettered only by Edwards and Sydney Olympics sixth placer Phillips
Idowu.
“17.64m was a bit of a surprise, to say the least,” said a delighted Douglas afterwards. “I knew I could do around 17.50m but 64 totally took me by surprise.”
Shocks are becoming a bit of a habit for Douglas. He won these championships for the first time last year and surprised everyone then when he improved his personal best by 50 centimetres to make the Olympic Games team.
“How things change, how things change,” said Douglas, almost in disbelief, before attributing the improvement to his coach, Ted King. No doubt, Oprea, Gregorio, and perhaps even Christian Olsson, will be glancing over their shoulders a little at this new challenger on the world stage. Douglas, though, is making no predictions.
“It’s too far to look ahead to medals in the World Championships. First things first, I need to try and get to the final and then anything can happen.”
It was a far less happy day for Idowu. Once the great British hope to take over from Edwards, Idowu finished third with a best of 16.29m.
Thrilling, if not top world class sprints
While the triple jump runway was scorching, the track was hot only from incessant sunshine, rather than any genuinely world-class times, although it witnessed some thrilling races, not least the tight 200m duel between Christian Malcolm and Marlon Devonish.
Malcolm, a rejuvenated runner this year, was delighted to win his first AAA title after a neck and neck battle down the home straight, but he’ll have been a touch disappointed with the time in such conditions. The Welshman, who has best this year of 20.15, crossed the line in 20.65 a fraction ahead of Devonish whose 20.66 was a season’s best.
A double World junior sprint champion back in 1998, he has suffered four years of injuries since finishing fifth at the 2000 Olympics in Sydney and last year fell victim to a life-threatening kidney disease while preparing for the Athens Games.
“I am definitely looking forward to the World Champs now,” said Malcolm, who was fifth in Edmonton in 2001. “I just want to make the final in Helsinki because I know, I know, this time around I will get it right.”
‘Paranoid’ over false start
Devonish, a World Indoor champion back in 2003 and a member of the ‘golden Boys’, Britain’s victorious 4x400m relay team in Athens, was happy to have redeemed himself after being disqualified for a false start in yesterday’s 100m final.
“I was paranoid about doing another one,” he said. “So once I started I was happy to finish the race strongly. It was great to have such a good race with Christian.”
The race would have been even more competitive had Mark Lewis-Francis not damaged his hamstring in yesterday’s 100m final. The former World junior champion was aiming to compete in the longer sprint for the first time at these championships but left the track clutching the back of his knee after finishing second to Jason Gardener, and feared his chances of competing in Helsinki were over.
But after an examination by UK Athletics doctor Bruce Hamilton last night, a limping Lewis-Francis had brighter news this morning. “Mark is hopeful that the injury is just a slight strain rather than a hamstring tear,” said Lewis-Francis’ coach Steve Platt. “There is a question mark over his appearance at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix on 22 July but we remain optimistic that he will be fit to run in Helsinki.”
400m head to head too
There was another great battle in the 400m final which pitched Tim Benjamin against the American-born Malachi Davis. Many had hoped the warm weather Manchester was again bathed in Caribbean-style heat would bring the country its first sub-45 one lapper since 1998.
That wasn’t to be, but Benjamin carried on the impressive form he has shown this year, holding off Davis to take the title in 45.52. Fifty metres out the two were stride for stride but Davis faded in the last 15 metres to finish second in 45.84.
Benjamin’s time may not have been as quick as he would have hoped, but his performance was still remarkable given that he suffered a horrendous reaction to an injection a few months ago and spent a week on his back suffering with headaches and calf pains.
“To come here and still run well after that is pretty good,” said Benjamin. "No matter what happens I always seem to pull through. I feel I can go under 45 seconds soon.”
Fraser takes 200m / 400m double…Merry retires
These championships have heralded the first signs of a generational shift in British athletics as the era of Holmes, Campbell, et al moves on. Benjamin and Douglas are part of the new breed (the 2012 generation, perhaps?), but there was one ‘old timer’ in Manchester who came back to form with an a vengeance.
Donna Fraser, now 32, finished fourth in the Sydney Olympics five years ago, famously chaperoning Cathy Freeman through her traumatic week and missing out on a medal by inches.
Ironically, the bronze medal that historic night went to Katherine Merry who announced her retirement from competition today just minutes before Fraser flowed, fluidly, back in into the limelight with a double victory at 400m and 200m, booking her place on the plane to Helsinki for the longer event.
Fraser, who has been troubled by injuries for the last few years, showed her form early in the day when she strode through her heat of the 200m in 23.21, the fastest time run by any Briton this year. She relaxed through the semis in 23.61, before squeezing in a hugely impressive 400m final, winning the event in 51.27 ahead of Christine Ohuruogu’s 52.28.
A breathless Fraser then declined the customary lap of honour and disappeared into the warm up area to prepare for the 200m final saying, “Three down, one to go. The job’s not done yet.”
An hour and a half later Fraser completed a double that hasn’t been achieved at these championships for 60 years. Running in lane four she looked a winner from the start and came home well clear of the field in 23.36.
“It’s been a great weekend,” she said. “It was a lot of races, but I tend to run better with more races so running both events really did help me. I gave it my best shot and it all paid off. There’s definitely more to come. I’ve had a few hurdles in my way and hopefully they¹ve gone forever now and I can move forward.”
Sotherton’s busy day - Shot PB
The Olympic Heptathlon bronze medallist, Kelly Sotherton, had another busy, if not entirely satisfactory day. She won the Long Jump with ease, and in the absence of injured Jade Johnson should be selected to compete in that event in Helsinki as well as the Heptathlon.
But Sotherton knows she needs to find some form in the next four weeks if she is to challenge for a medal of any sort. She only managed two valid jumps here 6.31m in the first round and 6.48 in the fourth.
“I can’t be doing this in four weeks’ time,” said Sotherton. “Hopefully a couple more competitions will get me back to form.”
Things looked better in the Shot Put though. Sotherton finished eighth but produced a personal best throw of 13.86, two centimetres further than her previous best set in Gotzis at the end of May.
“I did not expect a PB today. It was my last event and I have not done too well this weekend,” she said. “My shot has not gone well in the last four or five weeks so it’s a nice surprise.”
Elias takes title in Rawlinson’s absence
There were surprise winners in both 400m hurdles. Matt Elias won the men's final after two years away from the event, clocking 49.67, just six hundredths slower than Chris Rawlinson’s best this year. Rawlinson missed these trials due to injury, and neither has yet achieved the qualifying ‘A’ standard for Helsinki.
Sanders’ title and McConnell improving
Nor has the winner of the women’s final, though she was mighty close here. Nicola Sanders’ previous best for the 400m Hurdles stood at 56.39 before this weekend, a time she improved here by nearly a second to 55.61. That makes her the sixth fastest Briton of all time, although she was massively frustrated at missing the Helsinki qualifier by just one hundredth.
“I cannot quite believe it at the moment,” she said. “When I first saw the time I thought it was fantastic, then I realised it was just outside the time for the World Championships.”
Lee McConnell is also improving. The former flat 400m runner finished second and lowered her best over the hurdles to 56.06. It’s the Scot’s third event she started her athletics life as a high jumper.
Challenger – 2.27m
The men’s High Jump was won by another improver. Ben Challenger was a World Junior silver medallist back in 1996 and cleared 2.30 in 1999 but has barely come near to those heights since. Today he came close to his best for the first time in years, clearing 2.27m which should be good enough to make the World Championships team.
The absence of double Olympic champion Kelly Holmes (she pulled out due to Achilles problems) left the field open in the women’s middle distances. Susan Scott won the 800m in 2:02.97, while Helen Clitheroe took the 1500m easily in 4:08.29.
The men’s 1500m was won by Nick McCormick in 3:37.05, while Commonwealth Games champion Michael East proved he is returning to form by finishing third in his best of the year, 3:37.23. The 800m was won by Tim Bayley in 1:48.54.
British record holder Janine Whitlock won her sixth AAAs title in the women’s Pole Vault with 4.20m, 26 centimetres below the record she set a month ago. But another national record holder, Lorraine Shaw, failed to win her seventh title when she could only finish third in the Hammer with 62.46. The title went to former ballet dancer Shirley Webb who twirled effectively to send the hammer out to 66.60. “I feel like I’m in Spain, it’s such gorgeous weather,” said Webb afterwards.
It’s not something you often hear at a British championships. Many people left Manchester glowing from the hot sun; Nathan Douglas will have that extra special glow of satisfaction.
Matthew Brown for the IAAF
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