Irie Hill wins W50 pole vault with 3.51m world record in Torun
While Britain dominated the 1500m, they also picked up medals in the women’s hurdles and pole vault and the relays on the final day of World Masters Indoor Championships in Torun.
In the W60 60m hurdles, Jane Horder dominated and won the title in 10.03, well clear of runner-up Robyn Suttor of Australia.
W35 Catriona Pennett won silver in 9.08, close behind Dedah Erawati of Indonesia.
USA’s W55 Neringa Jakstiene won yet another title to follow her jumps success with gold in 9.61.
Irie Hill (pictured) won W50 gold thanks to a 3.51m world record vault.
The Briton entered the competition at 3.10m, long after all her opponents had exited, and then cleared 3.30m, 3.40m and then the record 3.51m all with her second clearances.
Alison Murray gained a bronze with a 2.80m leap.
Sue Yeomans won the W65 pole vault with a third-time clearance 2.61m while Teresa Eades won a share of the W60 title with a 2.30m leap to match Rita Hanscom of the USA.
Claudia Cubbage gained a W45 silver with a 2.20m leap.
Former international John Watts won the M75 discus with a 39.39m throw.
Britain’s M40 team won the 4x200 in a world record 1:30.97 to trim USA’s 1:31.05.
Dominic Bradley, Brett Rund, Richard Beardsell, and TJ Ossai combined for a clear victory.
There was also gold for the M45 team of Ciaran Harvey, Richard Rubenis, Jason Carty and 200m individual champion Michael Coogan. They won by two seconds from Hungary in 1:34.75.
The women’s relay golds came in the W60s and W65s. In the W60s Joan Trimble, Hilary West, Teresa Eades and Jane Horder ran 2:10.73 to defeat USA’s 2:12.01.
In the W65s Britain had a narrow win in 2:14.86. The team of Joylyn Saunders-Mullins, who won three individual medals, Sue Dassie, Anne Nelson and 60m champion Caroline Powell won in 2:14.86 from Germany’s 2:16.04.
The M35 team took bronze in 1:35.05 as did the W55 in 2:03.51 and the M60s in 1:51.70, while the W35 team took silver in 1:49.88 and the M65s took silver in 1:51.66 as USA set a world record 1:47.29.
The M75s were second in 2:20.58 to Germany’s 2:10.42 and their team included 1500m champion Victor Shirley.
Germany’s W75 team set a world record 2:50.72 as did USA’s W80 squad with 3:18.43.
In the half-marathon, the UK contingent found medal winning tough going.
However, Britain’s M45 team, made up of three runners from Thames Hare and Hounds, won gold in 3:41:14 from Poland’s 3:50.41.
Britain’s M65 team gained silvers behind Poland while the W55s won bronze as Sweden won.
Individually, M45 Simon Baines won silver with a time of 1:10:37, losing out on gold by eight seconds.
It was even closer at W50 as Sue McDonald finished just five seconds back on winner’s Fiona Bayly’s 1:23:44 with a PB.
The overall winners were Polish M35 Tomasz Szymkowiak with 1:08:56 and USA’s Dawn Grunnagle with 1:16:25
Despite the late gold rush, Britain remained fourth in the final medal table.
Team Gold Silver Bronze
Germany 100 79 83
USA 62 48 49
Poland 60 64 58
GBR 60 5848
Spain 46 35 33
France 21 23 78
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