Bedford sees a host of fine performances as British athletes aim for championships selection

With selection for next month’s IAAF World Under-20 Championships in Tampere at stake, junior athletes were keen to impress on day two of the England Athletics Under-20/23 Championships in Bedford.

They included Alastair Chalmers, who won the under-20 men’s 400m hurdles title in a PB of 50.69.

With athletes also trying to impress selectors ahead of the European Under-18 Championships in Győr next month, Karl Johnson also ran a big PB in fifth as he clocked 52.43.

Jona Efoloko beat Charlie Dobson in the under-20 200m in 20.79 (+1.3), while the under-20 women’s 200m saw Georgina Adam surging past Alisha Rees in the final metres to win in 23.64.

The women's under-23 200m meanwhile saw Shannon Hylton add the 200m title to her 100m victory on Saturday (see Saturday's report here), with 23.51 (+0.1), while Tom Somers took the under-23 men’s 200m in 20.95.

European under-20 1500m champion Jake Heyward won the metric mile in 3:54.07, while the under-23 1500m title was won by the equally-impressive Jamie Williamson with a 54-second last lap.

Amelia Quirk took the under-20 women’s 3000m in 9:22.54 a couple of hours after winning 1500m bronze.

In the 800m finals, Alex Botterill beat Markhim Lonsdale in 1:50.53, while Keely Hodgkinson, only 16, beat a strong field that included Isabelle Boffey and European under-20 champion Khai Mhlanga in 2:04.42.

In the field, James Tomlinson won the under-20 men’s discus with a 57.65m mark that will see him on the plane to Tampere.

The under-20 women’s shot put saw under-18 athletes Serena Vincent and Hannah Molyneaux throwing Euro qualifying marks of 16.57m and 16.51m respectively.

Dominic Ogbechie, only 16, also impressed with a 2.16m high jump win.

Also in fine form was Jade O'Dowda, who won a close under-20 long jump contest with a 6.24m PB.

» See the June 21 issue of AW for 10 pages of reports, photos and results from Bedford