English duo excel behind Sada Williams
Sada Williams lived up to her billing as odds on favourite to win the women’s 400m. Behind, home nation athletes Victoria Ohuruogu and Jodie Williams ran brilliantly to make the podium and with Ama Pipi in fourth it bodes well for England’s chances in the 4x400m final on Sunday.
Williams, 24 from Bahamas, ran 49.90 to beat the championship record of Amantle Montsho, with Ohuruogu clocking a PB of 50.72 for silver as Williams ran a season’s best 51.26 for bronze and Pipi 51.36 just behind.
Williams won bronze at the World Championships in Eugene in 49.75 so was heavily favoured to win in Birmingham. She came into the home straight with a big lead and held her form to the finish.
The English athletes were delighted with their performances, though. For Ohuruogu, the younger sister of world and Olympic champion Christine, she clocked her fifth PB of the year at 400m. Amazingly she started 2022 with a PB of just 51.99 too.
“This year has been quite rough, so I'm happy to have got something out of it,” said Ohuruogu. “I have had training niggles. It's been quite a long season. We had the worlds, where I picked up a slight Achilles niggle.
“But it was just about hanging on and I got a personal best, so I'm happy.”
“I’m really happy. We’ve got another Ohuruogu on the track so I’m keeping that name going for at least a few more years!”
A proud Victoria Ohuruogu on her 400m PB of 50.72 and her first major championship individual medal 🥈🏴
📹 @TimAdams76 #B2022 pic.twitter.com/TtETFVLmLg
— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 7, 2022
Williams, meanwhile, reached the Olympic final in Tokyo last year but her summer has been disrupted by injury and she was forced to withdraw from the World Championships last month due to lack of fitness. Her run in Birmingham, however, showed she is rounding into form.
“I was in lane nine so knew it was going to be rough,” said Williams. “I had to run my own race. I am race rusty for sure. I just thought ‘get out, commit, and hold on for dear life’ then battle to the end.
» To catch up with all our coverage from Birmingham, CLICK HERE
