Big Breakthrough for Claxton at AAA's

The major hurdling surprise of the 2003 Indoor AAA & World Indoor Championship Trials was a huge breakthrough for Sarah Claxton, whose title winning 8.12 moved her up to equal sixth on the all time list as well as guaranteeing her selection for the World Championships, to be held back in Birmingham in two weeks time.

Having already taken 0.11 of a second off her 2003 pb in the heats [8.16] Claxton narrowly out leaned Irish Champion Derval O'Rouke as they both clocked 8.12, with Rachel King in third with 8.22. The 23 year old Essex athlete has long promised much at the hurdles as well as long jump, and hopefully will build upon this both indoors and in the summer over the 100m distance.

The result leaves three British women with the 8.20 qualification mark, but as defending Champion Diane Hawkins chose to compete only in the 60m flat [where she came 4th], the selectors must now chose between Hawkins and King, both of whom have clocked 8.20 this year, for the remaining place in the team.

O'Rourke's time was another Irish record, whilst there were also improvements for Kerry Jury 8.48 in the heat and top Junior Symone Belle whose 8.40 heat time puts her 7th on the all time junior lists.

In the men's event Dominic Girdler took his first AAA's title in 7.78, narrowly defeating Loughborough training partner Duncan Malins who was rewarded with a new best of 7.80. Frustratingly for Girdler his winning time was just outside the automatic World Indoor qualification standard of 7.75. In a close run final Allan Scott took bronze in 7.83 with Rob Newton 4th in 7.88.

There were also good improvements for Britain's top junior of 2003 Edward Dunford who clocked 8.16 in qualifying for the final whilst Decathlete Paul Tohill twice lowered his best running 8.18 in the heat and clipping another 1/100th off in the final.

60m Hurdles Women's Final
1	Sarah Claxton	8.12
2	Derval O'Rourke	8.12
3	Rachel King	8.22
4	Helen Worsey	8.35
5	Symone Belle	8.42
6	Kerry Jury	8.59
7	Sara McGreavey	8.62
8	Tamsin Stephens	8.63

Results

60m Hurdles Men's Final
1	Dominic Girdler	7.78
2	Duncan Malins	7.80
3	Allan Scott	7.83
4	Rob Newton	7.88
5	Ed Dunford	8.17
6	Paul Tohill	8.17
7	Gary Smith	8.28
8	Tristan Anthony	DNF

 

2 March 2003

mainbody