The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Learmonth delivers another gold-en run to win third UK title
Scot Guy Learmonth won his third British indoor title in front of his home crowd at the UK Indoor Championships.
The Lasswade runner, who was third in the 800m at the Glasgow Müller Indoor Grand Prix the previous week, picked up gold in the same event at the same venue – the Emirates Arena.
Former world Indoor bronze medallist Andrew Osagie (Harlow) posted a personal best heat two 1:46.84, shading Josh Kerr’s (Edinburgh AC) 1:47.73 while Piers Copeland’s (Wimborne) 1:48.06 and Learmonth’s 1:48.13 in heat three, to set the stage for the most eagerly anticipated final of the weekend.
Kerr made all the early running, 52.43 at 400m, leading to the bell where heat one winner Alex Botterill (York) crashed to the track following a brush with Osagie.
Kerr held on until the final 60m when Learmonth made his bid for the title chased all the way to the line by Osagie. Learmonth posted a winning pb 1:46.89, nine hundredths ahead of Osagie, while Copeland pipped Kerr for the bronze medal 1:47.21 to 1:47.37.
Jenny Selman (Fife AC) excelled in the 1,500m final, moving up from fourth just before the bell to sprint along the back straight and round the final bend in second, holding her form to the finish line in a photo finish with Jacqui Fairchild (Preston).
Holly Archer (Cardiff) was a clear winner in 4:21.99 while Selman’s silver medal pb of 4:22.57 was a mere one hundred th ahead of Fairchild. Eloise Walker (Edinburgh AC) placed fifth in 4:23.32.
Competing at her first senior British championships, world junior 200m record holder 17-year-old Amy Hunt (Charnwood) won 60m sprint gold in 7.39 seconds, holding off the fastest qualifier from the heats, Alisha Rees (Edinburgh AC), the new Scottish record holder at 7.33, who clocked 7.49 seconds to earn silver.
The final of the men’s 60m saw victory for Andrew Robertson (Sale Harriers Manchester) as he dipped for the line in 6.66 to take gold from Sam Gordon (Cardiff) who clocked 6.70 for silver.
Former world champion 41-year-old Dwaine Chambers (Belgrave) made the semi-final but couldn’t progress, placing eighth.
Hull’s Andrew Morgan-Harrison is a name to watch out for this summer adding the 200m title to his British Universities Indoor title. Morgan-Harrison crossed the line holding his hamstring timed at 21.20.
In the high jump David Smith took silver with 2.24m while club colleague Nikki Manson (Giffnock North) was third in the women’s competition clearing 1.84m. Courtney MacGuire (Edinburgh AC) also took individual bronze in the pole vault with 4.00m.
● GB’s Andrew Andrew Pozzi won the 60m hurdles final at at the Meeting Villa de Madrid, the final World Athletics Indoor Tour meeting of the season.