by Stuart WeirStuart Weir wrote this on the field events for day 1. Weir’s observations on how field events are treated in UK as opposed to USA are fascinating. The British champs have similarities to USATF champs, but also some strong differences.
Sophia McKinna, makes Doha shot put standard, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
Day 1 Field events
Allan Smith won the men’s high-jump with 2:25m
Allan Smith, HJ, photo by Getty Images / British Athletics
Harry Hughes won the men’s javelin with 75.11
Harry Hughes, Javelin, photo by Getty Images / British Athletics
The men’s long jump ended with decathlete, Tim Duckworth winning on count-back from Dan Bramble, both recording 7.92m.
Tim Duckworth, photo by Getty Images / British Athletics
Naomi Ogbeta took the women’s triple jump with 13.87
Sophie McKinna took the women’s shot with 17.97
Kirsty Law threw 54.23 to win the women’s discus
Jessica Mayho took the women’s hammer with 64.79
Jessica Mayho, Hammer Champion, photo by Getty Images / British Athletics
However, of the above list only Sophie McKinna has the Doha standard. Ironically, with our normal bias towards track over field, GB has seven women who have the standard in the 5000m but only 1 athlete in the four women’s throws. Veteran Triple-jumper, Nathan Douglas, has often argued that the qualifying standards in some field events are unrealistically high.
Sophia McKinna, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
This theme was echoed by McKinna, who spoke about her win: “It was absolutely amazing to come today. I came to secure my place in the World Championship team and that’s what I’ve done, and to get the title on top of that was absolutely amazing. I’m really chuffed.”
McKinna added: “It’s great to be able to win the British Championship. I came in as favourite and wanted to win. It’s my first British outdoor title and I feel lucky to get it. We’ve always got to fly the flag for British throwers. We are few and far between unfortunately as the standards are so high but hopefully it will be good to have me in Doha so the youngsters can look up to somebody and hopefully in the future we can have more people flying the flag”.
Harry Coppell clears Doha standard, 5.71m, photo by Getty Images/ British Athletics
The performance of the day was Harry Coppell who won the men’s pole vault with a championship record and Doha standard 5.71. Coppell said afterwards: “I came into this feeling good and felt like I’d been finding some form through the season but it had to be on the day and it’s an amazing feeling to put it together. I wasted a lot of jumps today but it’s the competition and the outcome is what matters. It feels amazing achieving the standard. I’ve just changed coach and thought I’d find my feet and then next year kick on but everything has been bang on this year”.
Britain’s other pole-vaulter who has the standard, Charlie Myers, entered the competition at 5.20 and failed to clear a bar.
