Strong Day One of competition at Combined Events Championships and Disability Open

There have been some impressive performances on the first day of the England Athletics Combined Events Championships with the Senior, Under 20 and Under 18 competitions all looking set for a great second day of action to decide the medals. Today's open disability athletics events also saw notable performances achieved on the track and in the field.

Senior Men’s Decathlon

Peter Moreno (Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Neil Dodson) leads after the end of Day One in the Senior Men’s Decathlon. He made a quick getaway in the first event with a sub 11sec in the 100m (10.98, 865pts) to take an early lead from Aiden Davies (Club: Doncaster AC, Coach: Bruce Bewley) with 11.06 (847pts) as James Wright (Rugby & Northampton, Grant Brown) ran 11.21 (814pts) to be in an early medal position.

Mark Cryer (Blackheath & Bromley, Martin Brockman) went out to 7.04 for 823 pts to move into the third of the medal positions as Moreno was the only other competitor over 7m with 7.01 (816pts) to consolidate his lead and Davies’ 6.82 (771pts) kept him in silver medal contention.

After the shot the gap between the top two had closed to just 9pts as Moreno achieved a mark of 11.88 (599pts) to Davies’ 12.76 (653pts) and Michael Bowler (Enniscorthy AC) moved third with a 12.32 (626pts).

Lewis Church (Club: Tonbridge AC, Coach: David Hull) went clear at 1.97 (776pts) in the high jump to move into third but with Moreno and Davies both clearing 1.88 (696pts) they remained the one-two once again going into the 400m.

This last event of Day One saw Moreno open up a gap on Davies and the duo moving further ahead of the chasing pack. The two were quickest and second quickest of the day with Moreno clocking 48.93 (865pt) to Davies’ 49.61 (833pts) to move 41 points clear. Bowler lies in the bronze medal position overnight courtesy of a 50.39 (797pt) 400m.

Click here for end of day one Senior Men's Decathlon results

Senior Women’s Heptathlon

It is Jessica Taylor (Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Mike Holmes) who leads the Women’s Heptathlon at the end of Day 1 but it was not until the last event of the day that she moved into top position.

Marilyn Nwawulor (Club: Harrow AC, Coach: Lloyd Cowan) and Taylor both went sub 14sec in the 110m hurdles with Nwawulor’s 13.77 (1,011pts) putting her in the lead ahead of Taylor’s 13.94/ 987pts and Katie Stainton (Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Kelly Sotherton) who clocked 14.02 for 976pts.

Stainton moved into the lead with a 1.75 (916pts) high jump as Nwawulor retained second with 1.69 (842pts) and Taylor lay third after a 1.66 (806pts). The shot saw the same three retaining the medal positions but with Nwawulor moving into the lead courtesy of a 12.47 (692pts) and Taylor’s 12.63 (703pts) moving her closer to second placed Stainton (11.42/ 623pts).

This meant that Taylor’s 23.67 (1013pts) 200m PB put her 37pts clear of Stainton (24.25/957pts) going into Day 2 with Nwawulor lying third and 39pts back on silver position with 3431 after her 25.01 (886pts) 200m. So it looks as though we have a great second day of action in prospect.

Click here for end of day one senior women's heptathlon results

Under 20 Men's Decathlon

William Seed (Cleethorpes & District, Ben Frary) was quickest of the Under 20s in the 100m with 11.42 (769pts) ahead of Ryan Long (Poole AC) 11.48 (757pts) and Dylan Carlsson-Smith (Shaftesbury Barnet, Ian Grant) 11.55 (742pts). But a 6.74 (753pts) long jump put Howard Bell (Edinburgh, Iain McEwan) into the top position as Long retained second with 6.39 (673pts) and Ben Clarke (Worcester, Kerry Eddie-Jury) moved third with 6.48 (693pts).

Carlsson-Smith moved into top spot after the shot with a 12.72 (650pts) seeing him just 7 points clear of joint second placers Bell (11.52/ 577pts) and Harry Lord (Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Christopher Bartram) whose 13.13 and the associated 675 points put him right into the mix for the medals.

Bell’s 1.97 (776pts) clearance in the high jump put him back in the lead to Carlsson-Smith’s 1.85 (670pts) and Lord’s 1.82 (644pts). He extended that lead going into the overnight break with a 51.25 (758pts) 400m ahead of the 52.92 (685pts) and 52.70 (694pts) of Carlsson-Smith and Lord who lie in second and third with the top three’s points at 3589, 3417 and 3393 respectively.

Click here for end of day one Under 18 and Under 20 men's results (combined table)

Under 20 Women's Heptathlon

Elizabeth Morland (Club: Cushinstown AC) has led from the first event in this competition and takes a 268 point lead into Day 2. A sub 14sec 100m hurdles (13.97/ 983pts) put her into the lead with Emma Canning (Club: Whitemoss AAC, Coach: Iain McEwan) lying second after a 14.58 (898pts) and Katie Garland (Club: Loughborough Students AC, Coach: Julia Machin) third after 14.61 (894pts).

The high jump saw Morland being one of three athletes to clear 1.66 (806pts) and so extending her lead as Garland moved second with a 1.63 (771pts) and Canning third (1.60/ 736pts).
A 10.15 (539pts) shot saw Michelle Hughes (Havering, Lloyd Cowan) move from just outside of the medals and into second place. But Morland was again extending her lead as she put 10.37 (554pts) and Garland moved back to third with 8.97 (462pts) before the 200m.

A 24.87 (899pts) put Morland’s overnight lead beyond doubt as Hughes clocked 25.81 (814pts) to stay second and Canning edging back into third with 25.66 (827pts) as the battle for the medals is all set to continue on Day Two.

Click here for end of day one Under 20 women's heptathlon results

Under 18 Men’s Decathlon

Sam Talbot (Club: Exeter Harriers, Coach: Eldon Lake) has been in typically strong form from the off. A 11.39 100m was also quicker than any of the Under 20s and gave him 776 points and a lead over Scott Connal (Club: Whitemoss, Ciach: Iain McEwan) who ran 11.54 (744pts) and AJ Bennetts’ (Club: Belgrave, Coach: David Lucas) 11.72 (707pts). His long jump was also the best of anyone Under 18 or 20 as he went out to 7.16 (852pts) from Connal’s 6.33 (659pts) and Bennetts’ 5.72 (527pts).

Talbot recorded 12.64 (645pts) in the shot followed by a 1.76 (593pts) high jump compared to Connal’s 10.70 (528pts) and 1.79 (619pts) and Bennetts’ 12.32 (626pts) and 1.85 (670pts) to head into the 400m with a strong lead. The last event of the day saw him showing good speed again with his 50.87 (775pts) quicker than all the other Under 18 or 20s with the exception of William Seed (49.49/838). Connal clocked 52.82 (689pts) and Bennetts 52.55 (701pts). The end of Day 1 scores see Talbot on 3641, Connal on 3239 and Bennetts on 3231.

Click here for end of day one Under 18 and Under 20 men's results (combined table)

Under 18 Women's Heptathlon

Niamh Emerson (Club: Amber Valley & Erewash AC, Coach: David Feeney) holds an end of Day 1 lead having led from the first event. Her 14.33 (932pt) 100m hurdles was ahead of the 14.41 (921pts) of Isabel Wakefield (Club: North Devon AC, Coach: Garry Gahan, Ryan Norman) and the 14.87 (859pts) of Grace Bower (Sale, Matt Cullen). The high jump saw both Emerson and Ada'ora Chigbo (Club: North Somerset AC, Coach: Ken Holmes) clearing 1.75 for 916 points to go 1-2 with Wakefield staying third after 1.57/ 701pts.

Chigbo closed the gap at the top of the leaderboard with a 14.04 (797pts) shot to Emerson’s 12.37 (686pts) and Wakefield’s 10.82 (583pts). In the last event of the day Emerson pulled further ahead with a 25.54 (838pts) 200m to Chigbo’s 27.51 (670pts) and Wakefields 25.61 (832pts).

Click here for end of day one U18 women's heptathlon results

Results updates available from resultsengland.athletics-uk.org

Disability Events

There were a stream of strong performances in the open events held alongside the Combined Events Championships.

Click here for IPC event results

Seated Club

A monster 80cm personal best moved Kylie Grimes (Coventry Godiva Harriers, Philip Peat, F51) up to 5th in the Paralympic Rankings with 16.62, plus she also had two other throws over 16m. Grimes switched to athletics from wheelchair rugby in 2014, initially racing and subsequently making her mark in the club throw. Leanna Horne (Bromsgrove & Redditch, Sam Cater, F31) threw 7.37 for second.

100m Heats

Three of the World top four athletes went head-head, with 2015 IPC World bronze medallist Toby Gold (Weir Archer Academy, Jenny Archer) taking this domestic T33 race-off with IPC silver medallist Daniel Bramall (Stockport, Rick Hoskins) and Andrew Small (Stockport, Rick Hoskins) with 18.00, 18.62 and 18.86 (+1.4) respectively.

Fastest sprint performances were by UK Number One Richard Chiassaro (Harlow, Jennifer Banks, T54) clocking 14.71, followed by a PB for Danny Sidbury (Velocity, Christine Parsloe, T54) with 15.10 and Sheikh Sheikh (Weir Archer Academy, Jenny Archer, T54) in 15.39, with a notable 15.87s for leading T53 Moatez Jomni (Weir Archer Academy, Jenny Archer). On her comeback from illness in 2015, Georgina Oliver was the leading women (Leeds City, Paul Moseley, T54) with 18.13.

200m Finals

Strong tail winds led to a string of sub-PB performances, with Richard Chiassaro once again at the fore (25.30s +2.4) and Jade Jones (New Marske, Ian Thompson, 31.08s +3.0) getting the better of Georgina Oliver (31.60), plus another fine performance by Moatez Jomni (26.70s +2.4).

1500m Finals

Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Jade Jones took the 1500m with a solo 3:46.30, whilst Nathan Maguire (Halton & Frodsham, Steven Hoskins, T54) came out top of the 3-way battle with Dillon Labrooy (Weir Archer Academy, Jenny Archer, T54) and Will Smith (City of Norwich/ Weir Archer Academy, Jenny Archer, T54) with the trio clocking 3:19.84, 3:20.42 and 3:24.84 respectively.

Seated Javelin

Only the fourth time over 22m, UK Number Danny Nobbs (British Wheelchair Athletics Association/City of Norwich, Tim Newenham, F54) had a strong series with 22.20, 22.21 and 21.94.