Sharp has her mojo back as she battles to Anniversary victory
● Decision to leave US training base in March is already paying dividends
The spring has returned to Lynsey Sharp’s step, with the Scot battling to an impressive win in the 800 metres at yesterday’s Anniversary Games in London.
Just six months ago, she wondered aloud if her track career was permanently deflated, the championship medals collected earlier this decade seemingly products of a bygone age.
With nothing to lose, she took a gamble by leaving her San Diego training base to refresh her appetite in the backwater of Loughborough, and yesterday’s win suggested that the decision is paying a rich dividend.
The training regime in California, under her former coach Terrence Mahon, felt ill-suited to the specific demands of her event. Under the tutelage of David Harmer, graft is now slowly translating into speed and endurance. In Monaco ten days ago, her quickest time for two years illuminated light at the end of this tunnel.
Additional, compelling proof was provided with yesterday’s win that showcases attributes which formerly seemed to have evaporated. On the final bend, her lead was under threat from the Australian Catriona Bisset but she brushed the menace aside, charging to a time of 1:58.61 which was a mere eight-tenths of a second off her lifetime best, set when coming sixth in the 2016 Olympic final in Rio.
“A good race,” she said. “I’m happy with my time. Last week was good but it was so nice to back myself up here as well.” She has no regrets of any kind about tearing up a life she enjoyed in California.
“I had to listen to my head, really,” she added. “My heart wanted to stay in San Diego but my head said to come home and make some changes. I did that in March. And I’m really seeing the rewards of that now.”
Ditto for Andy Butchart, whose own departure from Mahon swiftly followed Sharp’s. He lowered his Scottish record to 13:06.21 in coming fifth in the 5,000m on Saturday, with Beth Dobbin third in the 200m while cutting her Scottish best to 22.50 seconds.
Jake Wightman also broke into fresh terrain by scything his personal best to 3:52.02 in
“My heart wanted to stay in San Diego but my head said to come home and make changes. I’m seeing the rewards of that now”
LYNSEY SHARP
coming third in the Emsley Carr Mile behind Ethiopia’s Samuel Tefera and Norway’s Filip Ingebrigtsen.
It was a point proven ahead of the forthcoming British trials for October’s world championships in Doha and it will be a hotly-contested chase for selection in the 1,500m. Fellow Scots Chris O’hare and Josh Kerr were seventh and eighth, with Neil Gourley self-critical of his 16th.
Still, Wightman would have wished for more. “I know I let them get away a bit,” the European bronze medallist acknowledged, “because I felt strong in the end, but I just didn’t have a close enough gap to do anything.”
Now to rest and rebound for the domestic battle that matters most. “I need to stay in one piece, mainly. I’ll need to keep getting better until trials and get myself to Doha.”
Dina Asher-smith ran 10.92 seconds in the 100 metres but was knocked back into second by Jamaica’s double Olympic champion Shelly-ann Fraser-pryce whose return from pregnancy is gathering pace. “I wanted to go 10.8,” the British No 1 said. “So seeing that time in the final was a bit frustrating.”
Eilish Mccolgan was 13th in a 5,000m in which world champion Hellen Obiri pulled away for victory and Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands set a European record of 14:22.12 in coming third, while the GB&NI quartet of CJ Ujah, Zharnel Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-blake and Richard Kilty collected a world lead of 37.60 secs in the 4x100 relay that bodes well for the defence of their world title.
Elsewhere, Erin Wallace finished a disappointing seventh in the 1,500m final at the European Under-20 Championships in Boras, with the UK topping the table with 15 medals after Oliver Dustin, Ben Pattison and Finley Mclear enjoyed a 1-2-3 in the 800m.