WOW! Jenny lands gold as Scots medals in Birmingham tally 13

Sunday 27th February 2022

Photo via British Athletics Selection/Getty Images

British Champs results

Jenny Selman set the seal on a superb weekend for Scottish athletes in Birmingham but claiming a stunning gold in the British Indoor Champs.

It means the 30-year-old from Fife AC will make automatic selection for the GB and NI team for the World Indoors in Serbia next month.

Jenny’s gold and silver for Jemma Reekie in that Women’s 800m final took the tally to 13 medals all told for a cohort of around 50 Scots.

Adam Thomas, Alisha Rees and Heather Paton (equal) had all posted Scottish Indoor Records on day one.

Jenny’s win reverberated around athletics in Britain on Sunday evening – with her last GB and NI appearance coming fully 13 years ago when aged 17 and still attending school!

Among those sending messages on social media were Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan and Liz McColgan.

Here’s our summary of the Sunday medals:

Gold: Jenny Selman (800m)

Silver: Jemma Reekie (800m); Guy Learmonth (800m); Neil Gourley (800m); Murray Fotheringham (Long Jump)

Bronze: Ben Greenwood (800m); Allan Hamilton (Long Jump); Howard Bell (Heptathlon)

Jenny Selman takes gold at the British Champs in Birmingham with Jemma Reekie landing the silver (photo by Mark Shearman)

Selman timed her finish superbly to pass Reekie into first in a race where the times didn’t matter. Jill Cherry of VP-Glasgow took a fine fourth place.

‘It feels surreal to be honest,’ said Jenny.

‘It is my first British Championship gold and I was not expecting it. I was running well coming in to 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 haven’t run an 800 at a championships for maybe six or seven years.’

In the Men’s Long Jump, there were not one but two Scottish medals – the first at the British indoors in this event this century, apparently!

Murray Fotheringham took the silver with a leap of 7.46m and Allan Hamilton landed bronze at 7.41m in a strong start to day two for the Scots.

‘I haven’t felt like this for a while – it’s the best feeling and I can’t describe it,’ said Murray.

‘I got all my jumps in which was nice so it was nice to be consistent and I can’t ask for much more. I was just focusing on what my coach was saying and I just wanted to get the basics right.

‘I’m looking at the U20 Worlds and the first big competition will be the English Combined Events at the end of May. Decathlon will be my focus but I have the long jump as a back-up.’

Allan said: ‘Today was a massive positive for me – first medal in five years after a period away from the sport.

‘It was only the second time jumping this season so I’m very happy with those consistent jumps today. I have been focussing a lot on running and my speed so very positive to take away a medal.’

Claire McGarvey was fourth in the Women’s High Jump with an equal PB clearance of 1.78.

Men’s Long Jump medallists in Birmingham  (Photo via British Athletics Selection/Getty Images)

There were two medals coming along in the Men’s 800m, too.

Guy Learmonth finished second to Elliot Giles and there could yet be a decision to make on his World Indoors involvement.

Ben Greenwood delivered one of the best performances of his career to take a well-earned bronze.

‘It is a big summer coming up and I need a couple of months out in Australia, do a couple of races out there then back here in the UK May time to get ready for the summer,’ said Guy, who wants to chat to his Australia-based coach about the possibility of Belgrade.

Ben said: ‘I’m really happy with that and I executed the race how I wanted to. The start list for the final was strong and second was possible if someone had a bad day but realistically third was the goal.

‘Middle distance racing in the UK right now is busy! When the standard is so good then it pushes you and I train on my own so you want to go as high in each session.

‘I want to get the Commonwealth qualifying standard as early as possible and that’s the aim for the outdoor season.’

The Men’s 800m medallists in Birmingham (Photo via British Athletics Selection/Getty Images)

Howard Bell took bronze in the men’s heptathlon with a new points tally PB of 5434 points.

And Neil Gourley had to settle for silver in the Men’s 1500m as Piers Copeland came through late in the last lap to edge out the Scot.

British Championships ??? delighted. pic.twitter.com/impPtmCBQh

— Howard Bell (@howardbell98) February 27, 2022

 

Tags: Birmingham, British Indoors, World Indoors