by Stuart Weir
This is the fifth article by Stuart Weir on the 2023 British Athletics Trials event, February 18-19, 2023, held in Birmingham, England. The Trials are being held to pick the teams for the 2023 European Athletics Indoor Championships, scheduled to be held March 2-5, 2023 in Istanbul, Turkey.
King of the track!
David King won the men’s 60m hurdles in 7.62. I know the headline is a terrible pun and worse, it is not even original as David used it last week when winning the Berlin ISTAF in 7.63. King, you may recall, was sixth in the World Indoors last year, qualifying for the final after drawing lots with Shuseo Nomoto for the final place. As he was the third European to finish in Belgrade last year, it suggests that a medal is a realistic goal in Istanbul in two weeks.
King said of his run at the GB Champs: “I was really happy, got the job done, had a really good run. Again I started really well so I’ve done some really good things today. Very excited now for the rest of the indoors. I just want to keep improving and get back in the 7.50s. The goal is the European Indoors – I want to get into the final. I made the final at Worlds last year with a coin toss, name in the hat, thing. I’d like to get into the final by right this year and then contend for a medal. I don’t see why not. I think it would take a mid to high 7.50 for a medal and I see no reason why I’m not capable of that.
“Paris is the big goal. Everything is building up to Paris. The window for qualification for that that will open at the end of this outdoor season. So I’ve got my eye on the end of the outdoor season as well as obviously worlds this year and there’s a lot going on”.
Andrew Pozzi – world champion in this very arena in 2018 – was second in 7.81. He commented: “It feels good to have medalled and placed in this competition, especially within a field as competitive as this one, it’s also really nice to be racing back here in Birmingham in front of this amazing crowd. I just need to learn from this race and build going forward. I really liked this new track, it’s bouncy and quick really good for sprinting”.
Pozzi has a great indoor pedigree. World Champion in 2018, fourth in 2012 and 2014. European Indoor Champion in 2017, second in 2021. Now back in the UK after his stint in Italy, he is another athlete with the potential to be among the medals in the Europeans in two weeks.
