CLARK’S HOPES IN BALANCE

Aberdeen AAC runner fourth in Birmingham

Zoey Clark’s aim of an individual 400m place on the Great Britain team for this summer’s European championships in Berlin could be slipping away after the Aberdeen AAC runner finished fourth in the national team trials at Birmingham yesterday.

Liverpool’s Anyika Onuora won the British title in 51.95sec with Enfield’s Laviai Nielsen second in 51.99 while Amy Allcock (Aldershot, Farnham and District) was third in 52.10.

Title-holder Clark came through in 52.13 but only the first two finishers are guaranteed a place on the team, with a third position available at the discretion of the selectors.

However, Clark has already met the qualifying standard by recording 51.10 at the Commonwealth Games in April, which places her higher in the national rankings than Allcock.

Whatever the outcome, the Aberdeen athlete will surely claim a spot in the 4x400m relay squad having helped Team GB strike bronze at the 2017 world outdoor championships in London and silver at the world indoors in Birmingham earlier this year.

Kirsty Law (Inverness Harriers) threw a season’s best of 54.63m to take silver in the discus but it leaves the Loughborough-based Highland athlete short of the European qualifying standard of 56m.

Jade Lally (Shaftesbury Barnet) secured her place on the team by winning with a best throw of 56.81.

Burghead’s Mark Dry, the Commonwealth Games bronze medal winner, overcame an ongoing hip problem to take third position in the hammer with a throw of 71.40m which is short of the European qualifying requirements.

Nick Miller (Borders) won with 75.33 while Dry’s Scotland team-mate Chris Bennett (Shaftesbury Barnet) was second with 73.29.

US-based George Evans (Inverness Harriers) was fifth in the discus (52.76) and seventh in the shot (15.05).

Zoey Clark in action in Birmingham yesterday