The script was turned on its head in the men’s 800m, 400m hurdles and 3000m steeplechase in the UK Champs in Manchester on Sunday
On a day of thrills and spills at the Microplus UK Championships in Manchester on Sunday (June 30), the men’s 800m, 400m hurdles and 3000m steeplechase in particular were full of drama.
With Olympic selection at stake the much-anticipated 800m saw Elliot Giles and Josh Kerr crash to the track in the home straight as Ben Pattison strode to victory in 1:45.49 ahead of Max Burgin’s 1:46.01 as Finley Mclear, who was also impeded in the home straight, took third in 1:46.33.
Giles, Burgin and Pattison were locked in battle with 80 metres to go but Giles drifted slightly inwards from the outside of lane one and, oblivious to Kerr coming through on the kerb, the two men clashed and went down hard.
Pattison will now hope to win another global medal in Paris after his bronze in Budapest last summer, while Burgin, who was competing in his first meeting of 2024, continues to manage a sural nerve issue in his calf and Achilles but hopes to fit in some more races in the run-up to the Games.
“I went into today not thinking I had secured my spot,” said Pattison. “I wanted to go and prove I deserved that spot and the only way to do that was to go and win.”
Ben Pattison (Getty)
With Mclear not having the qualifying time for Paris, selectors surely have a choice now between Giles and Jake Wightman, the latter being top of the UK rankings at 800m this year but given an exemption to miss the 1500m at these trials due to a minor calf injury.
A remarkable 400m hurdles was won by Alastair Chalmers in an Olympic qualifying time and championship record of 48.54 but only after a nerve-wracking and ultimately successful appeal against a disqualification.
The drama erupted when Chalmers false started. He claimed the music in the stands was putting him off but he was able to run under protest. Fired up, he stormed around the track, literally diving over the finish line as he clocked a championship record and Paris qualifying time, but due to his DQ the official win went to Alex Knibbs with 49.37.
Full of emotion, Chalmers launched an immediate protest and was involved in heated discussions with officials as he made his case. An hour and a half later it was announced that he had been successful, a decision that proved popular with the crowd.
“This is the best day of my life, but it’s been the most stressful couple of hours of my life as well,” said the Guernsey athlete, whose PB prior to the event had been 48.76 compared to the Olympic standard of 48.70.
“To run 48.5 in the rain in Manchester is unbelievable and legendary. I am just so proud of myself and absolutely ecstatic.”
Chalmers’ time also beat Ed Moses’ championship record from 1979.
He continued: “Besides the Olympics and Europeans this is the peak right here. I knew I would have to come and run my best time. I have won this five times in a row so I know what to expect and what needs to be done of me.
“The field was phenomenal, four guys running 49.2 I had to bring my A game and they dragged me along. Today has been very emotional but I can’t wait to see what happens next.”
There was no such luck for steeplechaser Phil Norman as he ran the latter stages on his own in the quest to break the Olympic standard of 8:18.50 but finished an agonising 15 hundredths of a second outside the mark.
Overlooked by selectors on numerous times over the years, Norman was despondent at the finish and said he had possibly run his last serious race as a steeplechaser.
Such was his effort, he beat the championship record of 8:22.22 held by Philip Bartukwo from 1990 – in the era when international guests were allowed to compete.
It was also the quickest time by a British steeplechaser since 1992.
After the race, however, he was still hopeful that he might get picked when the selectors meet on Monday.
Phil Norman (Getty)
In a fine race where the leading competitors made a determined bid to hit the Olympic standard, Will Battersill was runner-up in 8:21.83, Zak Seddon third in 8:27.32 and Mark Pearce fourth in 8:33.57.
“This is my last British champs, so to have the crowd backing me and sign off with a win was really special.
“Throughout the race I was feeling great,” said Norman. “I came into the race in good shape running 8:20 a few weeks ago and 8:19 last week, so I knew on a good day that I could run inside the qualifying time. It’s real mixed emotions, because it was a good race and time, but ultimately not what I needed.”
Olympic selection was more certain for European record-holder Matt Hudson-Smith in his specialist 400m event so he switched to 200m this weekend and won impressively in a PB of 20.34 (-0.4) from Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake’s 20.55 and Michael Ohioze’s 20.68.
Matt Hudson-Smith (Getty)
“I am in good shape, the shape to win and I just want to get that gold,” said Hudson-Smith.
With no Hudson-Smith in the one-lap race, it left Charlie Dobson clear to stamp his mark on the event as he clocked a swift 44.56 – a stadium record – to win easily from US-based Ben Jeffries and Alex Haydock-Wilson with Jaden Smith, the son of Olympic hurdler Natasha Danvers, fourth.
Dobson said: “I had one job to do today and that was to run the race and qualify for Paris.”
Neil Gourley (Getty)
Neil Gourley won a more straightforward 1500m as he outkicked George Mills with Adam Fogg, who had done much of the early leading, third.
In the final race of the weekend, Gourley clocked 3:37.67 to seal his place in the team for Paris alongside Mills and, in this event, reigning world champion Kerr.
Gourley was full of emotion after the race after having battled back from serious injury in the winter. “I feel really good to win and also confirm my spot in Paris,” he said. “Especially considering that three months ago I wasn’t able to run, never mind quickly.”
Daniel Goriola (Getty)
With 17-year-old Phoebe Gill making her mark in the women’s 800m, another youngster, Daniel Goriola, showed his brilliant ability with victory in the 110m hurdles as he became the first under-20 athlete to win this particular title since Colin Jackson.
Goriola, 19, won in 13.55 (-0.6) from Sam Bennett, David King and defending champion Tade Ojora. Goriola said: “I am so excited, and so happy. I came here never thinking about medals, I came here just to run my race as I am still an under-20 and have nothing to lose.”
Efe Uwaifo successfully defended his triple jump title but it took a final round effort of 16.22m (0.1) to snatch victory from Ben Williams, whose 16.10m (0.3) had led from the third round.
Coincidentally he won the 2023 title with a last-round leap too. “It’s a bit of a trademark,” he said.
Uwaifo was fourth in the European Under-20 Championships 11 years ago and went on to study economics at Harvard before working in venture capital.
Since winning last year Uwaifo has had knee surgery and then tore his hamstring earlier this summer, but the 29-year-old believes he has the ability to approach the 17-metre barrier before he retires.
Efe Uwaifo (Getty)
“I feel fairly happy although I think I was in shape for a bigger jump out there today,” he said. “But I am grateful to take another champs and remain healthy.”
James West won a slow men’s 5000m in 13:43.62 as he outkicked Patrick Dever in the home straight to successfully defend his title. Jack Rowe was third and Scott Beattie fourth.
Joe Dunderdale won his first UK javelin title for seven years with a mark of 75.06m as Ben East finished runner-up with 74.16m. The 31-year-old Dunderdale said: “My plan coming in was to focus on the technical things that I have been working on. It took me a couple of throws to get in going well but by my fifth throw it all came together.
“Gold is always my aim regarding of where I am in the rankings because I feel I can get it and I have had too many silvers! I might look at a couple of other competitions now I have done well today.”
Daniel Bainbridge, Joe Dunderdale, Ben East (Getty)
With a stadium record of 76.03m, Jake Norris held off a challenge from Kenny Ikeji to take the hammer gold.
“Of course the weather wasn’t great so I feel I could have done a bit better,” said Norris, who turned 25 on the same day. “But it has been tough as I have been to a lot more meets where the throwing circles give positive performances to try and get the B standard.
“It hasn’t always gone to plan, although I have been throwing well, so I am hoping I am in with a chance of selection but I will have to wait and see of course.”
Jake Norris (Getty)
There was a pleasing return from Harry Coppell in the pole vault too. The UK record-holder has not competed much since 2022 but won in Manchester with 5.40m from Owen Heard’s 5.25m.
Full results here.
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