Former junior star lands her first senior outdoor national title thanks to a PB as Daryll Neita's twitch in the blocks proves costly

In a dramatic women’s 100m final that saw the disqualification of Daryll Neita, Amy Hunt kept her cool to surge her way to gold at the UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The 23-year-old, who is based in Italy, doesn’t get to race in front a home crowd too often, but she lapped up the applause of the Alexander Stadium audience that cheered the personal best run of 11.02 (1.5) that took her to the title and sealed her place at next month’s World Championships in Tokyo.

Hunt burst on to the athletics as a teenager, breaking the world under-18 200m record in 2019 and winning the European U20 title. In the interim, her 2021 and 2022 seasons were plagued by injury, while she also opted to prioritise her studies and her English Literature degree at Cambridge University, which she completed in 2023. 

Then came her move to Italy to work with Marco Airale and, after taking some time to adapt to the training regime in Padua, the results have been starting to come. Hunt is a Paris Olympic silver medallist and European champion at the 4x100m relay but in Birmingham she shone on the individual stage. 

With British record-holder Dina Asher-Smith only running the 200m at these championships, the 100m final had been built up nicely by Neita’s run of 11.00 in the semi-final, with Hunt clocking 11.08 at the same stage. 

With the athletes on their marks, a twitch of the head from Neita in blocks set off the false start sensors and she was disqualified, having to look on from the sidelines as her former training partner strode away from the rest of the field to win her first ever senior national title outdoors. Desiree Henry took silver in 11.32, while bronze went to Faith Akinbileje (11.34). 

“In championships you have to move on day-by-day, so you have to learn how to be able to step forward and process things quickly,” said Hunt, who will also compete in the 200m, of the final. 

“This is why we did a lot of 60s in the winter. 60s are crazy for lots of things happening. I got to the world indoor final and came fifth, so that taught me a lot about holding my nerve under pressure. I got a sick start first time around. It wasn’t as good after the false start, but I had to stay calm.”

Another athlete to finish the day with a huge smile on her face and a ticket to Tokyo was Hannah Nuttall, an impressive winner of the women’s 5000m. With the world championships qualifying already secure thanks to her PB of 14:39.48 at the London Diamond League, her focus was entirely on completing the qualification job with a top two place in Birmingham.

With the field tightly bunched with roughly 1000m to go, the 28-year-old tried to take matters into her own hands but it took a while for a splinter group to form and the race to be shaken up. She was pursued by India Weir and Innes FitzGerald, the newly-crowned European under-20 record-holder who also has the qualifying mark. 

Weir was proving to be a tough opponent, while FitzGerald couldn’t find the closing speed she needed, but Nuttall surged away in the final straight to win in 15:46.90, with Weir second in 15:47.98. FitzGerald finished third with 15:48.66 and will now have to wait to see if she gets the nod for world championships selection at the end of this month.

“The main goal today was to come top two and it all went to plan, so I am buzzing,” said Nuttall. “I thought it would go out slow, but I was planning on someone taking it on with a kilometre or so to go. No-one was taking it on and I was feeling good, so I thought: ‘Let’s just wind this up and keep doing that’.

 “It is about 10 years ago that I won the English Schools [Championships] here, so I have good memories of this track.”

That 5000m final came hot on the heels of another superb 3000m steeplechase display by Elise Thorner, who broke the championship record to win in 9:22.05. The 24-year-old moved to second the UK all-time list earlier this summer and was to the fore again at the Alexander Stadium, making sure of her world championships place and holding off Sarah Tait’s Scottish record of 9:25.17. Cari Hughes’ PB of 9:41.66 took her to bronze.

“With steeplechase you need to be able to sight the barrier, sometimes it is better to be at the front to be safe,” said Thorner. “I was taking big deep breaths at the bell to keep myself calm. I attacked each barrier, so I am so happy to get the win.”

Alicia Barrett won a chaotic 100m hurdles final that saw no fewer than four athletes fail to finish. The 27-year-old produced a season’s best of 13.06 as she kept her focus, with carnage and falls unfolding behind her. 

Heptathlete Abi Pawlett was second in 13.12 while third place, which had been occupied by Lucy-Jane Matthews going into the final barrier – only for the Birchfield Harrier to clip the hurdle and hit the deck hard – went to Emily Tyrrell thanks after her PB of 13.44.

“I don’t know how I kept calm [with fallers behind],” said Barrett. “But I was just putting my foot down and telling myself to ‘go go go!’ We are all putting ourselves on the line when we compete.”

Elsewhere, in the women 800m heats, there was serene progress for Georgia Hunter Bell, qualifying fastest for tomorrow’s final. The Olympic 1500m bronze medallist, who is considering a potential middle distance double at the Tokyo World Championships, clocked 2:01.74 in heat one. World indoor silver medallist Jemma Reekie also went through, winning heat two in 2:02.17.

“The last time I did 800m heats and finals was in 2017 at the NCAAs and I didn’t make it through to the final,” said Hunter Bell. “I am enjoying the 800m, it is nice to hit the bell and only have one lap to go. I am enjoying it.

Revee Walcott-Nolsan was fastest in the women’s 1500m heats, with 4:15.94, while she was joined by the likes of Erin Wallace, Sarah Calvery and Laura Muir.  

World indoor champion Amber Anning and Victoria Ohuruogu both clocked 51.83 in qualifying fastest from the 400m heats, while the Shaftesbury trio of Hayley McLean (57.42). Lina Nielsen (58.35) and Emily Newnham (58.77) led the way in the 400m hurdles. 

In the women’s 800m wheelchair race included in the programme, Kare Adenegan was a commanding winner in 2:12.87 ahead of Daina Donnelly (2:47.15) and Anya Waugh (2:49.02).

More articles about the Novuna UK Athletics Champs here.