Four PBs for Scots as World’s Best Light Up the Palace

A star studded line up at the Crystal Palace Grad Prix this weekend inspired Scottish athletes to no fewer than four personal bests across the two days of competition. The event saw GB 400m star Martyn Rooney break through the 45 second barrier for the first time, winning in 44.83 and Marylin Okoro take the 800m in a huge personal best of 1.58.45, surely giving her great confidence before heading out to Beijing, just reward for gambling to go with the hot early pace set by the pacemaker. Jamaican sprinters Asafa Powell and Usain Bolt romped to victory in the 100m and 200m respectively, Bolt looking particularly impressive as he crossed the line in a relaxed 19.76, while on the field Russian Andrey Silnov soared to a world leading 2.38 to take the high jump from Britain’s Germaine Mason. The irony of Silnov’s clearance is that he will not feature in Beijing, a victim of the astounding strength in depth of Russian jumps. He could only finish fourth at their trials, losing out on an Olympic place on countbackin a competiton where competitors placed 2nd to 8th all cleared 2.30.

Of the four Scots selected for Beijing, two were in action at Crystal Palace, with mixed results. Lee McConnell put in a strong performance over 400m to finish third behind World medalists Christine Ohuruogu, 1st in 50.80 and Nicola Sanders 2nd in 51.27. McConnell’s time of 51.53 was only four hundredths outside her season’s best and continues her good run of form going into the Olympics.

Having set new figures of 13.41 wind-assisted and 13.53 legal at Loughborough last week, Allan Scott struggled to recapture that form as he finished seventh in the 110m hurdles, recording 13.96 into a one metre per second headwind. Once in Beijing Scott will look to build on his times set a Loughborough and must surely have Chris Baillie’s Scottish Record of 13.44, set when winning Commonwealth silver in 2006, in his sights.

In outstanding form in the women’s 3000m, 23 year old Laura Kenney smashed through the 9 minute barrier for the first time to finish third in 8.57.39. The time placed Kenney ahead of Olympic 1500m pick Stephanie Twell, who finished 5th on the day, and takes her to 4th on the UK Power of 10 rankings for the year. In the same race Nicola Gauld finished 9th, not far outside her best in 9.09.03.

The junior 3000m races held alongside the main Grad Prix saw four young Scottish athletes in action. Eilish McColgan and Sarah Inglis ran superbly, both setting personal best times, McColgan 7th in 9.42.72 and Inglis 15th in 9.52.85. In the boys’ event Scott McDonald also set a personal best running 8.40.22 for 17th but was beaten across the line by fellow Scot Chris O’Hare who took 12th in 8.36.59.

Elsewhere, after day one on the Combined Events International at Ashford, which sees GB U20 and U23 teams take on Switzerland, the Netherlands and France, Alice Lennox is lying in 11th place overall in the U20 event. Her first day performances were:

100mH 15.05, HJ 1.66, SP 9.97 and 200m 26.22.