by Stuart Weir
Jenny Selman takes British Athletics Indoor title, over Jemma Reekie, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
Stuart Weir will be heading up the live/on-site coverage for #RunBlogRun at the 2022 World Indoor Athletics Championships, in Belgrade, Serbia, from March 18-20. This is the first of his previews on the World Indoor Championships.
2022 WA Indoor Belgrade Preview, #1: Jenny Selman
Jenny Selman is on her way to the World Indoors to compete for Britain in the 800m. It will be her first championship. I confess that two months ago, I knew nothing about Jenny. That all changed at the DNA indoor meet in Glasgow in February 2022.
She was due to run a medley relay that day at the end of the program but Scottish Athletics organized some invitational races in order to try and help athletes achieve certain goals. In Jenny’s case, it was a paced 800m race in the pre-program. When Laura Muir had to withdraw from the Scottish team in the 800 with injury, Jenny was asked to step in and run the 800 in the main program. She was delighted to do so but stuck to her plan to run in the invitational race. With Philippa Millage pacing, Jenny ran four even-paced laps to finish in 2:00.70, achieving a World Indoors and Commonwealth Games standard. She also won the match 800m race!
Jenny Selman, 2022 GB Indoor Trials, 800m, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
She told me afterward: “It’s been a brilliant afternoon. I was really happy to get a big PB in the invitation race and then I came back about an hour later, not knowing how I would feel as my legs were rather tired. I was really happy to be able to tuck in (in the main race) and then work hard over the last 150 meters to get the win.
“I never do this in training (run two 800s in an hour), it was a very unusual situation for me. I was only supposed to run the relay at the end of the program but with Laura Muir dropping out I could move up to the 800m which was a lot earlier in the program. I really wasn’t sure how it would work and I am really happy to get it done and still be in one piece. I’m really chuffed with the time in the second race (2:04.73) as I was expecting it to be a lot slower”.
Having got the qualifying time for the World Indoors in Belgrade later this month, she still needed to win the GB champs and trials to secure her place in the team. Olympic silver medallist, Keely Hodgkinson, was running the 400m in the trials with the word on the street, having already been promised a place in the team for the 800.
Jenny Selman, Jemma Reekie, 2022 GB Indoor Trials, 800m, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
Selman won her prelim at the trials in 2:05.92. Her honest comments after that race show you how she was processing the journey and taking nothing for granted: “It feels really good to be in the final. I was quite nervous and it was a bit stressful getting through the qualification. I wasn’t really looking at the time too much and I was quite confident of getting through. For qualifying, I’m very happy with that. I need to put my feet up and relax now”.
She won the final in 2:08.29, just holding off Jemma Reekie (2:08.52), saying: “
“It feels surreal, to be honest. It is my first British Championship gold and I was not expecting it. I was running well coming into the final but obviously, Jemma is such a good athlete and has run much faster times than today, so I wasn’t optimistic. I am in the shape of my life and have run big PBs recently, so I was feeling quite confident. But, I have not run an 800m at a British Championship for maybe six or seven years. So, in terms of race practice and experience, I was not sure how I would feel, but to come away with the win, I am delighted.”
Jenny Selman, 2022 GB Indoor Trials, 800m, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
Following the trials, she ran in the Madrid Gold race, coming fourth in 2:02.14. In a recent article in Scottish Athletics magazine, it was said that Selman “works for Edinburgh Leisure and is responsible for securing external funding required to run a program of projects that use the power of sport and physical activity to support people who are affected by health conditions, disability, etc.”
It is great to see a hard-working athlete achieving her goal at a mature stage of her career.
The GB Indoor 800m medalists, photo by Getty Images for British Athletics
