by Stuart Weir
Sorry, friends, with all of the craziness of the last several weeks, I have missed about a dozen wonderful pieces from your favorite writers, and as I fly the clear skies to Lisbon for two weeks of sun and recovery, I am posting this pieces, in no particular order. Just know that Stuart is with his lovely for two weeks of R and R, and I am limiting my posts to one hour per day. See you once again on October 5, 2023, almost awake and with a mind focused on Paris 2024.
Brits in action
The event immediately after the global championship can be viewed in three ways – a chore for exhausted athletes, an opportunity to carry your good form into another event, or an opportunity to make up for a disappointing championship. There were British athletes in all categories in Zurich.
Stephen Maguire, GB Technical Director, had praised Zharnel Hughes’s stamina in running such a good relay leg in his seventh race in Budapest. Zharnel took third in the 200 in Zurich in 19.94. He said, “I’m really grateful for this season, and it’s set me up nicely for next year.”
In the men’s 1500, world champion Josh Kerr finished in 3:30.51, just 0.02 seconds behind winner Yared Nuguse.
George Mills ran a PR of 3:30.95 for fourth place, a highly commendable performance as the race was not in his plans until 24 hours before, commenting: “PB, so I can’t complain!”
The British highlight of the night was Laura Muir’s win in the 800m in 1:57.71. She commented: “I know I am in really good shape over 800, so I wanted to get a time down, run fast, and be competitive. I thought I could win today, but you just never know”.
Darryl Neita was second in 200m in 22.25, summing up her race: “Everyone is very tired, but it was great to run with these ladies today. It was so much fun. I still want to run decent times even though I am a little tired. It was an amazing race in Zurich”.
Molly Caudrey was fifth in the pole vault in the railway station with 4.66, an indoor PR to go with her outdoor PR of 4.75 in Budapest, and was delighted: “I feel great. To jump a new indoor PB of 4.66m after the world championships is amazing. I thought that a new PB was possible here. I am having so much fun with the girls at the moment. I like it here, so close to the crowd; this makes it exciting and gives me adrenaline and speed”.
David King was fourth in the 110m hurdles in 13.60, and 19-year-old Emily Newham was eighth in the 400 in 52.59, a great opportunity for a young athlete to race Shaunae Miller-Uibo and others.
The Weltklasse program always includes wheelchair races, including two 1500m races this year. Sammi Kinghorn won the women’s in 3:23.57 – beating Swiss legend Manuela Schar – with Eden Rainbow-Cooper fourth in 3:24.56. Nathan Maguire (3:08.68) was fourth, and David Weir (3:09.90) was eighth in the men’s race.
See my interviews with British athletes in Zurich:
Zharnel Hughes https://twitter.com/i/status/1697339146371477538
Darryl Neita https://twitter.com/i/status/1697338041273143326
George Mills https://twitter.com/i/status/1697324319695659203
Sammi Kinghorn https://youtu.be/g9osSNsm5Jk
Laura Muir https://youtu.be/nWg0MBNDLWM
Josh Kerr https://youtu.be/JfgnN1EMbbY
