WEEKEND UPDATE 1: BRODIES SCOTTISH CHAMPIONSHIPS

13th August 2007

Performances by Osaka-bound Andrew Lemoncello (Fife AC) and Susan Deacon (Edinburgh AC), who hung up her spikes on Sunday following her attempt on a sprint double, brightened up the grey skies around Scotstoun on the opening day of the Brodies Scottish National Championships (Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th August).

Lemoncello who has spent his summer waiting tables in St Andrews since his return from Florida has never been shy of hard work and the fact that he chose to run at the weekend, only 24 hours before flying out to Japan for the IAAF World Championships, showed his commitment to Scottish athletics.

He cruised the 5000m - the opening race of the day - to win in 14:16.47, significantly outside his best time for the season to date (13:46.00) for his 3rd consecutive win over the distance.

Chris Mackay (Greenock Glenpark), currently 3rd in the Navyblue Scottish Road Race Grand Prix series after outstanding performances in the last three races, was 2nd in 14:20.26, a season's best effort.

Deacon, who won four consecutive 100m titles at the Scottish Senior Championships from 2001 through to 2004 - a feat only previously matched by Margot Wells (1977-1980), and more recently won the women's Closed Senior Champion over 100m, started her emotional farewell with a win in the 100m (11.96s wind speed -1.6)

Team mate Gillian Cooke finished 2nd in 12.04s.

Also on day one, Nick Smith (Shaftesbury Barnet) won the men's 100m title (10.58s) with Closed Senior double gold medallist Jamie Coull (Pitreavie AAC) missing out on a medal by one-hundredth of a second to 3rd place Ryan Oswald (Pitreavie AAC).

Pitreavie had a good day - or weekend - at the office, in particular during the first day of action.

Francis Smith (52.87s) and Eilidh Child won their respective 400m hurdles titles, the former retaining his title won in 2006, the latter - who has set eight personal best performances this season - clocking yet another fantastic time (58.08s), less than one second outside her best ever (57.11s) recorded in Debrecen, Hungary at the European under-23 Championships in July.

A special mention should go to Nicola Hood (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) - the first Scottish athlete to benefit from the scottishathletics record bonus scheme when she broke her own Scottish under-20 2000m steeplechase record earlier this year - who came up against the experienced Irish athlete Maria McCambridge in the women's 3000m steeplechase.

Hood, who was making her debut over the distance, was pleased to have maintained a good style over the 7 and a half laps, now has a target to beat (11.19.8) in her next outing.

Off the track the most notable Scottish performances came from Alison Rodger in the Shot Putt (15.43m), not far off her season's best and Gillian Kerr in the typically competitive women's triple jump. Kerr, the current Scottish record holder, won with a 13.05m effort from Nony Mordi (Shaftesbury Barnet) in 2nd (12.86m) and Louise Haston (Edinburgh AC) in 3rd (12.00m).

Day two headlines focused on international guest stars Christine Ohuruogu (England) and Alleyne Francique (Grenada), both having cruised to victory in their 400m heats the previous day.

On finals day however, Ohuruogu opted to concentrate on the 200m heats and final (and to ensure she caught her flight off to Osaka) and didn't re-appear for her one-lap showdown with Scotland's Carey Easton (Edinburgh AC).

She won the 200m in 23.71s, but was pushed all the way by defending champion Susan Deacon (24.03s) and 20 year-old Stacey Downie (Pitreavie AAC), who set a new personal best (24.09s) and will now be aiming to replace Deacon as one of Scotland's top sprinters.

The sprints stole the show on day two, and following Ohuruogu's 200m victory Alyssa Fullelove (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) claimed her 5th successive 100m hurdles win (13.83s) - and her 6th in 7 years - and Allan Scott (Shaftesbury Barnet), a late entrant for the Championships, won the men's 110m hurdles in a classy performance and in a new Scottish native record time of 13.82s.

Francis Smith finished 2nd in a personal best of 14.08s.

Jamie Coull made up for his disappointment in the 100m by racing to victory in the men's 200m in 21.31s.

In the 400m, Carey Easton, unfortunate to miss out on an opportunity to race Ohuruogu, won in 53.70s, Francique winning the men's one-lap race in 46.95s from Kris Robertson (Kirkintilloch) in 47.72s.

One of the races of the day was the men's 1500m, where Australian guest Collis Birmingham (3:49.49) won by only one-hundredth of a second from Durham athlete Shaun Moralee (3:49.50), with Central AC's Alastair Hay in 3rd (3:49.65).

Ian Munro (Ron Hill Cambuslang) and Claire Gibson (Kilbarchan AAC) were the winners in the men's and women's 800m races in 1:51.78 and 2:04.95 respectively.

Moving up into the longer distances, Nicola Gauld (Aberdeen), winner of the 3km in the Bank of Scotland Celtic Cup only two weeks ago, was again victorious winning in 4:16.63, with Jill Knowles (Victoria Park City of Glasgow) winning the 5km in 17:50.82 from veteran team mate Sandra Branney, the 10k Scottish champion from 20 years previously.

In Sunday's field events, few winners were Scots. Jayne Nisbet (Edinburgh AC) made up for her 4th place in Saturday's triple jump with a high jump victory (1.70m), while in the long jump, 100m silver medallist Gillian Cooke jumped a brilliant 6.30m to secure gold.

Richard Hurren (Harrow AC) won pole vault gold with a 4.80m effort from junior sensation Scott Huggins (Blackheath), who has had an exceptional season to date, 2nd with 4.60m.

Alasdair Strange (Shettleston) won the men's triple jump with a jump of 15.14m, taking him to 3rd in the season's national rankings to date.

In the junior relays, under-13 winners were Edinburgh AC and Pitreavie AAC in the boys' and girls' races respectively while at under-15 level Giffnock North AAC won a brilliant double. The girls' team in particular were outstanding setting a new club best in their heat. Kilbarchan AAC and Edinburgh AC won the men's and women's under-17 relays respectively.

Last but not least, congratulations to Yvonne Murray (pictured) who was inducted into the scottishathletics Hall of Fame at the weekend.

For a full breakdown of results check out the link.