A difficult year to fully assess, as at the very top level and in the abscense of Natasha Danvers-Smith, there was little performance development with the exception of Liz Fairs. However, whilst the tenth best performance of the 2004 season [59.72] does not match up to the 59.29 of 2003, the total of 16 athletes below the 60 second barrier does at least suggest that domestically the event is in a much heathier position than in recent seasons - only 7 athletes for instance broke this barrier in 2001.
With a very competitive u20 age group in the event and the prospect of the 2006 Commonwealth Games selections hinging on the 2005 season, the quality as well as the depth of women's 400H will hopefully increase next season.
Senior Women
56.73 Liz Fairs
58.1 Vicki Jamison
58.26 Katie Jones
58.28 Nicola Sanders
58.60 Sinaed Dudgeon
58.80 Tracey Duncan
59.03 Sian Scott
59.1 Emma Duck
59.53 Eilidh Child
59.72 Faye Harding
With Danvers-Smith out for the year Fairs was a clear number one, going to 19th on the British all time list with an excellent 56.73 in the Europa Cup, backed up with another sub 57 sec clocking in Vaxjo, Sweden. However, injury warming up for the AAA trials stalled her progress and any outside chance she had of obtaining an Olympic qualifying mark.
The AAA title went to Katie Jones in a season's best 58.26 to cap another solid season for the Trafford athlete - though she was disappointed not to run into the 57 second area for the third year in a row, . The runners up spot went to AAA u23 champion Nicola Sanders whose good finish to the season eventually took her down to 58.28 [an improvement of half a second] , with the Bronze going to Sian Scott, who battling back from an early winter stress fracture, had a late season finishing the year with 59.03 to confirm the talent she had shown in 2003.
Other's of note includes a 59.1 clocking from Emma Duck as she moved up from the sprint hurdles right at the end of the season, with three juniors Eilidh Child , Faye Harding and Melanie Canning all below 60 seconds as well. But there were disappointing seasons for Sinead Dudgeon and Tracey Duncan, who though both below 59 seconds were well below their potential best levels.
The end of the season also saw a promising sign from Vicki Jamison, whose 58.1 in August made her the second quickest in the country, as the former European u23 medallist came back to compete over the 400 hurdles for the first time for several years.
u23 Women
58.28 Nicola Sanders
59.03 Sian Scott
59.53 Eilidh Child
59.72 Faye Harding
59.77 Melanie Canning
60.35 Anwen Rees
For much the year Sanders dominated this age group and with four sub 59 times and an excellent 53.86 400m flat improvement, will be looking for further progression in 2005. The same can be said for Sian Scott who as a junior in 2003 ran 58.36 only for 2004 to be largely ruined by injury, never the less what she did run over the back half of the season confirms the potential to come.
The next four in the lists are all juniors, showing the relative strength of that age group against the u23’s [though it should be noted that three 23 year olds Duck, Heafford and Cessay, all went below 60 seconds for the first time in 2004]
u20 Women
59.53 Eilidh Child
59.73 Faye Harding
59.78 Melanie Canning
60.35 Anwen Rees
61.23 Marika Reed
61.59 Naiomi Hutchings
Not for the first time in recent years a promising looking u20 women’s list – though to date only Sanders and Scott have continued to progress. That said it was a very competitive year with the top three, Child, Harding and Canning all below 60 seconds and a fourth Anwen Rees running close to this barrier on several occasions.
Faye Harding had the most consistent series and won the AAA u20’s title to gain the only spot for the World Juniors. However, she was never really able to put together the great race that her flat speed promised [given her sub 54 lead off relay leg in Grossetto] and the UK 300m Hurdle record holder Eilidh Child eventually recorded the fastest junior time of the year, 59.53 in the Scottish championships.
Child has a further two years left in this age group, [as do the first two at the ESAA championships Reed and Hutchings]and will be looking to the forth coming season to make her mark at the European u20 championships
Summary
The days of three athletes making the major senior games as Britain had as recently as the 1999 World Championships and 2000 Olympics seems a little way off, but the domestic level strength and relative youth of many of the top 10 athletes suggests that competition for Commonwealth Games spots and European championship places could be fierce by 2006.
Obviously the return of Natasha Danvers will provide a spur to Liz Fairs and if they can keep clear of injuries, the potential of Scott, Sanders and the returning Jamison as well as the promise from this years.
|
