British Athletics Championships: Dwain Chambers rolled back the years to win the 100m title
By Sam Drury
Last Updated: 29/06/14 4:54pm
Dwain Chambers put in a season's best performance to win the men's 100m title at the British Athletics Championships in Birmingham.
The last event of the day was the one the crowd had been waiting for and it certainly didn't disappoint.
Andrew Robertson started quickest but Chambers, in lane four, took the lead at around the halfway stage and held it to the line to win in 10.12 seconds. The time ensures his qualification for the European Championships in Zurich later in the summer and secured his seventh national title.
There had been much talk about 20-year-old Chijindu Ujah heading into the championships following his sub-10 seconds run earlier in the year but, having the impressed in the heats and the semi-finals, he was unable to match Chambers in the medal race.
Ujah did enough to take the bronze in 10.18s and it was Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (10.14s) who finished second, just behind the 36-year-old champion.
A false start saw medal hopeful Bianca Williams disqualified in the women’s 100m final. They got away at the second time of asking and it was Asha Philip who dipped to win in 11.11s.
Jodie Williams, who was looking for a sprint double after winning Saturday’s 200m, had to settle for bronze in 11.15s.
William Sharman stormed to victory in the men’s 110m hurdles to retain his crown. He crossed the line in 13.20s and only an illegal tailwind (+2.4) denied him a personal best.
Lawrence Clarke was in a good position to challenge the Belgrave Harrier but clipped a hurdle with just two hurdles to go and lost his stride pattern momentarily meaning he had to settle for silver.
A hard fought women’s 800m final was won by Lynsey Sharp in 2:01.40 ahead of Alison Leonard and Jenny Meadows in second and third, respectively.
Sky Academy Sports Scholar Jessica Judd had to settle for fourth with a time of 2:02.73. The 19-year-old took the lead on the back straight but was overtaken by Sharp as they rounded the final bend and was unable to fight back in the last 100m.
Personal best
Heptathlon star Katarina Johnson-Thompson won the women’s long jump with a personal best jump of 6.81m, adding the silver to her high jump silver from Saturday.
The jump puts her joint fifth on the British all-time list alongside Jade Johnson.
Martyn Rooney took the men’s 400m title for the fifth time in his career in a time of 45.78s ahead of Conrad Williams (45.88s) and Michael Bingham (46.32s).
The 27-year-old former European bronze medallist was far from pleased with his race, however, and admitted that he was competing with an injury.
“That run was poor, I’m running at 80 or 90% at the moment and I picked up a niggle in Ostrava last week,” said Rooney.
“A lesser athlete would have pulled out but it was important to me to win the British title.”
Local favourite Julian Reid won the men’s triple jump thanks to a third round jump of 16.82m. Ben Williams wind assisted 16.73m earned him the silver with Nathan Fox (16.59m) in third.
The women’s 5,000m when right down to the wire with Emelia Gorecka narrowly beating Jo Pavey after an intense final lap.
Gorecka took the lead for the first time on the bell but Pavey, 40, looked like she was going to prevail on the final straight as the pair rounded the final bend neck and neck. Gorecka kicked again though and held on in the last 50m to secure the title.
Scott Rider won the men’s shot put with a season’s best effort of 18.34m, while Sophie Hitchon took gold in the women’s hammer with a 65.56m throw.
There were also wins for Zane Duquemin in the men’s discus, Steve Lewis in the men’s pole vault and Charlie Grice in the men’s 1500m, his first national title.
