Championship action returns with Records and medals at 4J Seniors

Sunday 23rd January 2022

Zoey Clark takes victory in the 200m and clocks a new Scottish Indoor Record in Glasgow (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Scottish Records. Title successes. Podium places. And PB performances, indoor or outright.

The return of indoor championship action offered the promise of all of the above – and the 4J Seniors and U17 Champs duly delivered.

Olympian Zoey Clark broke her own Scottish Indoor Record mark for the Women’s 200m and there were further Records at U17 level by Dean Patterson at 200m and Libby White in the Triple Jump (we will have a separate U17 round-up on here in due course).

Clark for her part took on five races in total over the course of the day and came up with double gold for the first time at these Champs.

Two good runs in the 200m heats and semis and made her feel confident about a fast time in the final – and a run of 23.36 smashed her own Scottish Indoor Record of 23.58 set at the Emirates back in2018.

Earlier she had been involved in a photo finish as well to take gold in the Women’s 60m sprint final but the margin there was five hundredths as the Aberdeen AAC athlete won in 7:50 from Hilary Gode of Leeds City, who clocked 7.55. Clark’s Aberdeen club-mate, Rebecca Matheson, took bronze in 7.63.

Photos by Bobby Gavin on Facebook

Allan Hamilton won the Men’s 60m final in 6.83 with English visitor Darian Moore taking silver with 6.95 and Stephen Dunlop edged into third in that race with his time 6.95, too.

.The Men’s Long Jump competition promised much – and it didn’t disappoint.

In the end, the gold went to Jack Roach of Harrow AC with a leap of 7.62m as he saw off strong challenges from Giffnock North duo Alessandro Schenini and Murray Fotheringham.

Schenini equalled his indoor PB at 7.56 to take the silver and Murray had a great series to set new PBs including a last round 7.55 which brought him back into third place.

Fotheringham of course broke a Scottish U20 Men’s Heptathon Record a couple of weeks ago and he was close to another – with Schenini holding that title at 7.56 from a couple of years ago.

Murray duly followed that up with a 200m gold after a run of 21.56 seconds.

‘It’s been a great day and I’m blown away by it all,’ he grinned later.

‘The Long Jump was a really good competition and that helped me PB. I did that early on but then still needed a bigger one to get among the medals after dropping into fourth before the final round.

‘I’m just loving my athletics at the moment and relishing each competition opportunity which comes along.’

Emma Canning had won the Women’s Long Jump competition by that stage. Event favourite and multiple champion, Sarah Warnock, had the misfortune to be injured during one of her warm-up jumps and had to watch from the sidelines.

It wasn’t plain sailing for Canning as she delivered a couple of fouls but a final round leap of 5.90 – to equal her indoor PB – gave her the Scottish title.

‘I’m delighted to win that and pull it out on the last jump,’ said France-based Emma, who overhauled KiiKii Brown after the Leeds athlete jumped 5.63m.

‘It’s been difficult times in recent years with surgeries, moving to France, Covid and so on. But I still enjoy the sport and if there is a chance of a Scotland vest for the DNA Athletics event in Glasgow in a fortnight then I will happily grab that. It wasn’t even something I was thinking about beforehand.

‘You hate seeing anyone get injured and I felt for Sarah when she pulled up hurt. We’ve been on podiums a few times when she has won the gold.’

Also in Women’s field events there were Scottish title wins in the shot for Teddy Tchoudja of Shettleston with 13.55m and in the pole vault for Sara Barbour of Kilmarnock Harriers at 3.41m.

Jane Davidson won Senior gold in the 60m Hurdles final in a time of 8.80 seconds and Reuben Nairne was another to top the podium after his success in the Men’s Pole Vault with a best clearance of 4.90m.

Craig Charlton won Senior shot gold with 15.74m and Nony Mordi won the Triple Jump at 12.18m. Brighton athlete Louis Goffin won the Men’s event at 14.35m.

In the High Jump competitions, Lewis McGuire took gold with 2.04m as Irish athlete, Sommer Lecky, carried off the Women’s title at 1.79m.

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In the Invitational races, Aberdeen’s Roisin Harrison won the Women’s 400m event with 53.80. Good to see Kathryn Christie of Banchory Stonehaven back racing in that event.

Olivia Vareille clocked 2:08.40 for 800m and Guy Learmonth was at 77.92 in the men’s 600m race. And Krishawn Aiken edged Kyle Alexander by 48.61 to 48.62 in the Men’s 400m.

Plenty of room for improvement after todays season opener. Ready for the next one. ??? https://t.co/XbiqrOQ7KY

— Alessandro (@Alschenini) January 22, 2022