Championship Record: Jemma lights up British Indoors as Laura wins gold, too

Sunday 18th February 2024

Jemma Reekie posted a Championship Best Performance to win the British Indoor title for Birmingham – and lay down a marker for Glasgow.

The Scot took the Women’s 800m title in a stirring 1:58.24 and was joined on the podium by Erin Wallace as the Giffnock North athlete landed a deserved PB.

Jemma’s victory followed on an hour or so after Laura Muir’s comfortable win in the Women’s 3000m and it means the duo are looking good to attack the podium at the World Indoors at the track they know so well – the renovated Emirates Arena.

The GB and NI team is due to be named on Monday and hopes will be high for the home contingent in the British cohort as the compete in front of a Scottish crowd.

Guy Learmonth is set to miss out and he had to settle for silver medal in Brimingham in the Men’s 800m final as the destination of gold went down to a photo finish – with Guy given the same 1:47.91 time as Jack Higgins.

High jumper Will Grimsey was the other Scot on the podium within the five-medal overall tally for the British Indoors.

Gold

Women’s 3000m: Laura Muir 8:58.80; Women’s 800m: Jemma Reekie 1:58.24 CBP

Silver

Men’s High Jump: Will Grimsey 2.18m; Men’s 800m: Guy Learmonth 1:47.91

Bronze

Women’s 800m: Erin Wallace 2:01.35

Photo by Getty Images for British Athletics

Laura closed with around 2:44 for her last k with the final 400m covered in just over 60 seconds.

It was an impressive finish after a slower early pace as the Scot completed her preparations for a return to the Emirates Arena in Glasgow.

Laura won it in8:58.80 and the race also featured Stefanie Tucker (Cambuslang Harriers) and Holly Rees (Cambridge and Coleridge) was sith in 9:26.01 and Tucker was 10^th in 9:34.03

‘I am very excited to have booked my ticket now – I still needed to go through the official qualification process so I will be there; driving (not flying) up to Glasgow!

‘The new training group and new programme has been challenging after 12 years but it is going really well.

‘I am very excited to see what I can do in Glasgow and it is a big stepping stone on the road to Paris.’

Photo by Getty Images for British Athletics

In an exciting Women’s 800m final, Jemma surged through over the last two laps after Erin had set off at a rapid pace.

‘Today was really about securing my place for Glasgow by taking the win,’ said the Kilbarchan AAC athlete.

‘I wasn’t especially trying to run fast so it just shows what shape I am in. I am so excited for Glasgow. I was happy to get it rolling but I did know the Championship record time as I had look at it this week.’

In the Men’s 800m, Guy led from the off and was closing in on the line when Higgins made a final challenge. He won the gold verdict via the photo finish.

Will Grimsey set the ball rolling for the Scottish medals early on Sunday afternoon.

A clearance of 2.18m had him in the hunt for victory but he had to settle for silver on countback – adding the medal to the gold he won in this event last year.

Away from the medals there was a fourth place finish for Alessandro Schenini (Giffnock North AC) in the long jump with 7.32m. Amy Kennedy (Cumbernauld AAC) threw a PB in the shot at 14.36 for sixth place in a fine indoor season. Shettleston’s Teddy Tchoudja was seventh.

Dean Patterson won two races in the Men’s 200m and looked in great shape for the final after 21.11 to win his semi-final. But the Scottish teenager, 18, suffered from an injury only a few minutes before the final and limped away from the track to sadly be DNS.

Five Scots contested the two 1500m finals – a superb 25 percent of the field representation.

Kane Elliot fought to get in the mix in the Men’s showdown but ultimately finished in sixth place with the Falkirk Victoria Harrier clocking 3:51.18.

Jack Patton (Kilbarchan AAC) was just behind him in seventh (at 3:51.75) and it was a learning curve for Corey Campbell as the 17-year-old from Team East Lothian contested a Senior British Champs final in ninth place (3:54.16).

Hannah Anderson (East Kilbride AC) and Sarah Coutts (Fife AC) demonstrated their progress by coming through the heats to make Sunday’s final. Hannah just edged out Sarah.

Nicole Yeargin was sixth in the Women’s 400m final in 53.88 seconds. Allie Routledge was fifth equal in the Women’s High Jump final with 1.74m clearance.

On Saturday, Callum Newby was fifth in the Men’s Pole Vault final with 5.01m clearance. Reuben Nairne was seventh. Alyson Bell and Adam Clayton both contested 60m finals.