Age Group AAA Preview

The Age group AAA Championships at Bedford this weekend offer many of Britains developing hurdlers the opportunity to stake their claims for selection for respective u20 and u23 European championships that are both staged in July.

However there is much still to be decided with insome categories athletes still looking for qualification marks whilst for others the need to finish in the top two is vital to their European aims.

u23 Age Group Preview

110H - Probably the most strongly contested event as far as European championships selection is concerned will ve the men's u23 110 Hurdles where no less than 6 athletes have achieved the B standard with three Rob Newton, Dominic Girdler and Chris baillie hold the A standard time. Newton heqds the rankings wit 13.69 as as well as marginally wind aided 13.66, but with Allan Scott and Rich Alleyne also closing on the 13.90 A standard there will be little room for error on the day.

• 13.69 Rob Newton [A]
• 13.84 Chris Baillie [A]
• 13.85 Dominic Girder [A]
• 14.08 Allan Scott [B]
• 14.09 Richard Alleyene [B]
• 14.16 Colin Roberts [B]

400H - Contrastingly the u23 men 400 Hurdles had seemed a very promising age group coming into the season, but injuries have largely forestalled any progress. The list is led by Steve Green who finally showed some form in coming scond at the Southern Championship at Portsmouth lst weekend with a 52.09 clocking, but he like Rich Smith, Jeff Christie and Dave Brackstone will all be chasing at least a 51.75 B standard if not the 51.10 A standard, that Green achived last year with his forth place in the world Junior championships.

• 52.09 Steve Green
• 52.11 Rich Smith
• 52.39 Jeff Christie
• 52.5 Dave Bracktone

100H - In the women's u23 sprint hurdles British University's champion Helen Worsey stands alone as having achieved the A standard, with Scottish multi eventer Wendy Davidson currently just outside the B standard, with another hepatjlete Fiona Harison fresh from her victoory in the Northern Championships also likley to feature in the medals. Alyssa Fullelove and Stef Pullinger have yet to rediscover the form that would have put them close to a qualification mark.

• 13.45 Helen Worsey [A]
• 13.90 Wendy Davidson
• 14.06 Fiona Harrison
• 14.17 Sara McGreavey

400H - The top two in the rankings Nicola Sanders and Hannah Wood seemed well set to make the championships having clocked 58.99 and 59.15 [both B standards] respectively in early May, however Wood has struggled for form since then whilst Sanders has not raced since falling at the Bedford Games. Both must be hoping for a happy return to Bedford. Ruth Breteon Northern Champion Laura Curtis and defending champion, Ireland's Michelle Carey, should also feature.

• 58.99 Nicola Sanders [B]
• 59.15 Hannah Wood [B]
• 60.66 Ruth Brereton
• 61.39 Laura Curtis

u20 Age Group Preview

110H - The u20 men have two likely qualifiers, Dave hughes who already holds a A standard mark after his excellent 14.22 at Loughborough, and Will Sharman who has just missed the A standard on two occassions with 14.31 and 14.33 clockings to his name - though he may well opt for the decathlon where he could feature strongly in European terms. Nick Gayle who won the Midland senior title last weekend and Mulit eventer Edward Duford should aslo contest for medals.

• 14.22 David Hughes [A]
• 14.31 Will Sharman [B]
• 14.96 Nick Gayle
• 15.02 Ed Dunford

400H - Welsh Junior champion Rhys Williams has already established himself as a potential finalist in the European u20's afdter his 51.66 pb at Loughborough and further sub 52 second clocking with a victory in Estonia, but the event should provide him with one if not two opponents to keep an eye out for. The 2002 ESAA champion RupertGardner clocked 52.55 in France last weekend to clinch an A standar qualifier, whilst the multi talented Richard Davenport was denied this achievement by the failure of the electronic timing at Birmingham where he took the Midland senior title in 52.5. Davenport may well look at the 400m in the Championship instead where he does hold a A standard qualifier. Tom Carey has been running consitant 53 second clockings and will be looking to improve towards a 52 second time.

• 51.66 Rhys Davies [A]
• 52.5 Richard Davenport [52.77 B]
• 52.55 Rupert Gardner [A]
• 53.66 Tom Carey

100H - Another highly competitive sprint hurdles age group is the women's u20 100 Hurdles., with three athletes having clocked an A standard to date; Symone Belle, Jessica Ennis, and defending champion Gemma Fergusson. Ennis is of course eligible for the World Youth championships [where she may focus on the hepthalon] as is Nuneaton's Nicola Robinson who is next on the list, although Sharon Walls has a 14.13 wind assited time to her name.

• 13.77 Symone Belle [A]
• 13.83 Jessica Ennis [A]
• 13.88 Gemma Fergusson [A]
• 14.21 Nicola Robinson

400H - Sian Scott will look to continue her domination of this age group, her 59.09 and 59.49 clockings this year comfortably heading the field and with a fine 400m flat performance at Portsmouth last weekend is obviously in fine form. Faye Harding's recent improvement in Estonia will help in her chase of the 60 second flat qualifying time, whilst Melanie Canning's pb in the Southern territorials shows promise. ESSA champion Justine Roach should also be in the medal hunt.

• 59.08 Sian Scott [A]
• 60.77 Faye Harding
• 61.25 Melanie Canning
• 61.50 Justine Roach

25 June 2003