Payton Jordan (Stanford) 29 April 2012

[usedtoit33]

I think there's probably enough action here to justify it's own thread. Some really good running from the Brits in the distance events here.

800m
Guy Learmonth 1:49.36; Darren St Clair 1:49.60

1500m
An A standard for Andy Baddeley in quite a good tactical race, believe it or not, a couple of B standards and quite a few PBs here. B standards for David Bishop and Chris O'Hare.
Men: Andy Baddeley 3:35.19; David Bishop 3:37.51 PB; Chris O'Hare 3:37.95 PB; Kris Gauson 3:40.16 PB; Jermaine Mays 3:41.57
Women: Hannah Brooks 4:15.59 PB

5000m
A few A and B standards and some huge PBs! I think Chris Thompson and Thom Farrell pretty much booked their places on the Olympic team running well under the A standard. I can't really remember the last time we had 3 men below 13:20. Things look good for Barbara Parker as she got an A standard and Steph Twell continues her return to form having been in second for a long part of the race before fading at the end a little, but still ran a good time.
Men: Chris Thompson 13:15.21; Thom Farrell 13:15.31 PB (11s); Mitch Goose 13:34.41 PB (28s); Jonny Hay 13:59.97
Women: Barbara Parker 15:14.26 PB (12.8s); Steph Twell 15:15.24; Sarah Waldron 15:37.49 PB (22s); Katrina Wootton 15:39.31

10000m
A phenomenal A standard for Julia Bleasdale who finished 3rd overall. Good PBs for Charlotte Purdue and Andy Vernon who was just 8 seconds away from the A standard he needs for selection.
Men: Andy Vernon 27:53.65 PB (17.8s); Keith Gerrard 28:34.90; Jonny Mellor 28:51.81 PB
Women: Julia Bleasdale 31:29.57 PB (2m51s!!!); Charlotte Purdue 32:03.55 PB (33s)

[nevetssllim]

Bleasdale's result.

Pleased to see Twell claim the A standard too although 15:20 has to be one of the weakest entry-standards.

[Geoff]

It's fantastic to see so many giving it a real go to make our Olympic team. It seems a number of outsiders and young hopefuls may spring a few surprises but what chance Badderley of getting back to his best and making the Olympic final?

[BigGut]

THis has really put the cat amongst the pidgeons. Farrell's performance is great to see. He showed last year that he had the potential to make the A standard and its great to see him get it nice and early. On the otherhand, what does this mean for Vernon and potyentially Badderley. There have been murmurs of Badders moving to 5k, but with Farrell so clearly under the A standard will this scotch any possible move. Whilst for Vernon missing out on the A standard in the 10k means surelynow another attack on that time beckons as he has to find 7 seconds to get level with Farrell over the 5k. Throw Lemoncello into the mix and with the stadards thus far in 5k and only one of them may get a 10k berth. maybe we will see both return to the 'chase, where Rob Mullett lowered his PB at Stanford by 8 seconds to come within a whisker of the B standard.

Usedtoit, the last, and indeed only time we have had 3 under 13:20 in one year was 1992 and many people will remember it as the three performances came on the same day as Hamer, Buckner and Denmark blanket finished in 13:09-10 in Rome.

[boysen]

If the answer is the Olympics..lets have one e very year. As suggested berths appear to be booked already..in APRIL !
If these people hold their form its going to be more than a little difficult for others to jump the queue.
Having savoured our performances take a moment to digest the American depth.

[sidelined]

What a bunch of fantastic results. I wonder if Barbara Parker and Steph Twell were bagging the 5000 A standard as backup and intend to put their main efforts into the steeplechase and the 1500? I imagine Parker would have more chance of making the Olympic final in the steeplechase. I think it may be next season before we see Steph Twell back to her very best.

I hope Andy Vernon can find those 8 seconds. This is being picky, but I was expecting Charlotte Purdue to run under 32 minutes, since she ran 32:10 on the roads in Dublin recently. But she has had an interrupted winter with a couple of injuries and I'm sure there's more to come. The fight for 10,000 places could be a real contest with Bleasdale, Pavey, Steel and Purdue. Things are getting more and more interesting...

[sidelined]

[quote="furlong"]Great results,but makes me think that UKA should move to the States as the sport has little UK based interest

Looking at the results and the comment from Bevone about the standards at the Penn relays it makes me think that there must be lots with some form of GB qualification awaiting our recruitment.[/quote]

Of course the USA has got more depth than we have; they've got five times our population.

[BigGut]

Furling,

You are in the UK, yes? Did you see the weather this weekend over here? Of course it makes sense to send distance runners to California in April, they have the weather and the quality of field that cannot be provided in the UK. The only way to mitigat this is to change the global climate or move the UK to another part of the world. The IAAF does not say that you need to run 27:45 in ideal Cali April conditions or 28: in the rain in Manchester, so the way to mitigate is to take the athletes where the conditions are suitable, which is exactly what has been done.

The second bit of your post is just lazy as well. Who cares how many US citizens are also UK qualified. If there are any that choose to comeover then great, but unless you plan on actively recruiting the total number is of very little importance.

[usedtoit33]

I think the decision (by a number of people, not just UKA) to spend the very early season in the US seems to be paying off, looking at the results achieved so far by our distance runners and throwers. Holding form, or peaking again for July/August is still possible I think?

Mo Farah is pretty much guaranteed selection in the 5000 and 10000. Chris Thompson now has As for both 5 and 10 and Farrell has the 5. So if anyone wants to join them they're going to have to run fast.

Mind you, if anyone can hurdle, there're 3 berths available in the 'chase! Luke Gunn ran 8:44. I completely missed Rob Mullett's 8:32 'cos there are a few Brits who run for colleges and it's not always easy to work out who's British.

[jjimbojames]

Mind you, if anyone can hurdle, there're 3 berths available in the 'chase! Luke Gunn ran 8:44. I completely missed Rob Mullett's 8:32 'cos there are a few Brits who run for colleges and it's not always easy to work out who's British.

I am amazed that more guys haven't tried it to be honest - there must be some 1500/5000 lads who can run a decent 3000m and hurdle, surely. It doesn't have to be incredible - just basic technique will do

[BigGut]

Sidelined.

Not saying that UKA are not doing good work but the nature of our UK sport taking place in the USA and not on our own soil is worthy of note.I understand why but how can this be mitigated.
Given the massive population of the USA how many have got GB potential qualifications ?

You said it was about our sport taking place in the US not the UK. So I explained to you why it is necessary to do so. Your words are there in black and white. "the nature of our UK sport taking place in the US and not in the UK is worthy of note. I understand why but can this be mitigated". I am answering this point. IT CANNOT BE MITIGATED. The weather here is disadvantageous. I really is that simple.

What makes you think you deserve an apology foreign ting out the stupidity of your comments?

The laziness is that you are trying to make something sound plausible by making a very ignorant bland statement. The UK athletes are not at American meets to recruit other athletes. You are just a pathetic wind up merchant and until you post a reasoned argument I will treat you as such.

[BigGut]

Come on then, how do you mitigate the weather being unreliable in the UK in spring. Go on, I fully understand mitigation being a Prince 2 practitioner, so please explain how you mitigate against the weather in the UK. You do not see to understand at all.

The weather isn't always bad in the UK. BUT it is very good the majority of the time in California. Taking them to Cali IS MITIGATION against the affects of the weather. A 10k runner may have 3-4 full efforts in them in a year. That's it 3-4. It's not like throwing, you don't get to just try again today's later. Given that 2 of them will be at the games would you risk one of your 1-2 decent qualifying chances by doing it inn the UK weather. You mitigate the risk by going somewhere with more consistently good weather.

[BigGut]

You have posted a couple of times about US athletes possibly having UK qualification. Why? What possible point is being made other than to suggest recruitment, WHICH UKA DO NOT PURSUE. It's just lazy sting trying to insinuate without making any discernible point, classic garbage.

On the point about putting comps on at later dates, unless you know what opportunities are going to be given to the Smiths and Co, such as Euro Cup and Euro meet invites, then how can you say whether the mitigation is already in place? For distance runners the US meets are the best option as they have more runners at the lower end of the A standard rather than running on your own a lap behind the ethiopians in a diamond league. That is probably why they are out there.

Do you know who has funded them to be there? Do you realise that Myerscough may have funded himself?

I have already said that I would like to see Regional Champs and regional leagues included in the qualifying comp list. So it's not like I am saying everything is perfect, but I really cannot see that you are trying to make any sort of factual point at all when you cannot say that anybody who has a chance of Olympic qualification will not be given opportunity to avhieve it.

[fangio]

Furlong, I woudl be grateful if you didn't try to turn every thread about current performances into a diatribe about the qualification process which we have heard before, if you could keep that for one thread so that others get a chance to discuss the actual performances on performance specific threads that would be good.

[BigGut]

Garbage. You made the comment about uka moving to the us. I take it you think that wasnt about the qualification process. Really. You expect people to believe that.

[BigGut]

Do you seriously expect people to believe thatyour objection to them being abroad is that people dont get to see a report. For a start they do get to see a report. For another thing any self respecting supporter of uk athletes would gladly have them performing abroad if it increases the chance of qualifying and finally its up to the athletes and coaches where they go not you or me or anyone else.

If your objection is that people wont get to see a report then the mitigazion is to write a report. Oh wait a moment there are teports on the internet fromthis meeting and no doubt video footage.

I have a suggestion. Post your actual poinr and stop trying to infer things. It is very clear that this business of teporting is not at all what was meant by your post and you are just trying to get away with inference and then denial of inference.

[BigGut]

You implied it and then come out with a simply pathetic pretence of what you actually meant.

[BigGut]

Just looked back through the thread, where have I said that you said they were there to recruit. I have stated as fact that the UK athletes are not in the US to recruit. But did I say you had said they were, NO. So get off your high horse and stop making up accussations you compete and utter hypocrite.

[flemaldinhio]

Just managed to watch Andy Baddeley's race and usedtoit is spot on, it's a pretty good tactical race from Andy and he looked quite strong down the home straight.

Some great early season perfomances from a number of athletes

[djlovesyou]

fangio.

My post in this topic was to point out the consequences of athletes going abroad to compete because of the weather.It was not about qualification until asked by biggut what mitigation there could be.
Stop making things up.

The consequences appear to be that GB have got a stack load of A Standards in events we've struggled in recently, and it's only May 1st.

I would say that it's a good thing.

[BigGut]

How about you keep all. This utter nonsense to a single thread where I can disagree with your nonsense and defend myself without taking up other peles Tim who want to discuss the fantastic performances of our athletes.

[usedtoit33]

He's saying, or rather I'm saying, could you take this pointless arguing over basically nothing and either exchange PMs or keep this 'discussion' to one thread.

I created this thread to celebrate some outstanding early season results by British distance athletes. Now the decision for a lot of our athletes to not waste time and get in some early season racing and hit the qualifying standards early so they can concentrate on racing and hitting their peak in August has clearly paid off.

Mods, can we have 'on-topic' threads where posters focus on the subject of the thread please?