Newton Just Misses World Championship A Standard

Rob Newton produced a superb series of races at the European u23 championships in Bydgoszcz, but frutaratingly just missed out on a medal and also the UKA World championship A standard qualifier. Newton raced to the quickest time of the first round with an excellent new pb of 13.55 to go to 13th on the UK all time senior lists. This was just 3/100ths away from the A standard for Paris.

After then just making the final after a 13.71 fourth place semi final, Newton again showed his improved form by clocking his second fastest ever of 13.61 to take a highly creditable 5th place - 6/100th outside a medal place - as the emerging French star Ladji Dacoure sped to a clear cut victory with 13.25, 2/100ths slower than the championship best he had set in the semi final.

Newton's 110 hurdles team mates had met with less success; Chris Baille who had won a bronze in this championship two years ago crashing out in the first round, whilst Dominic Girdler was unable to start his heat due to a re-occurance of an injury.

Britain's other hurdle contestants also found the going tough. Steve Green who had finished a creditable 4th in last years World Junior championships qualified for the semi final, but could progress no futher as Pole Marek Plawgo produced another of the performances of the championship in a 48.45 voctory in the equal fifth fastest time of the year.

In the women's event Hannah Wood ran below sixty seconds in her heat but would have needed a big pb to have made it through to the final. Ireland's Derval O'Rourke however enjoyed a final championships in the 100m hurdles clocking new Irish records twice, first running 13.16 to make the final and then a superb 12.96 to just miss a medal by 1/100th as the first four athletes broke 13 seconds in a high quality final with victory going to Sweden's Suzanne Kallur.

21st July 2003