Kelly Sotherton & Others

[Geoff]

Kelly Sotherton and other British combined eventers, including Katarina Johnson'Thompson and Ashley Bryant, will be competing in Italy this weekend. The link below gives access to entry lists and over the weekend to results:

http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/WCE12/Results/ ... code=4910/

As far as I am aware Kelly has not competed in any individual event this year and in fact has not competed in most events since 2009. Her last heptathlon was in 2008 in Talence soon after placing 4th in the Olympics. It will be really interesting to see how well she competes in each event as well as overall. Will she achieve the 'A' standard? Will she finish the heptathlon?

She may not have things all her own way, even at a domestic level, as KJT is also entered. She too is capable of reaching the 'A' standard and possibly join Louise Hazel to fight it out for selection and join Jess Ennis in London. What are the chances of KJT jumping an Olympic 'B' standard this weekend in either high jump or long jump?

In the decathlon Ashley Bryant will be trying for the Olympic 'A' or failing that a 'B' standard. He's one of perhaps two or three British decathletes who have an outside chance of making London. The decathlon is also one of two or three events where we are struggling to get an athlete qualified but I am hopefull at least one will make it. Everything, though, has to come together and will require several PBs and other events to be close to a PB. Good conditions will, obviously, help.

A reminder of the Olympic qualifying standards:

Decathlon 8200/7950
Heptathlon 6150/5950

[usedtoit33]

Daniel Awde is the closest to the B standard in the Dec, just 61 pts away. I really would love to see one (at least) of the guys making it to London. BOA do seem keen to have as many athletes as possible in the team.

The women's contest for places behind Jessica Ennis is going to be fascinating. Louise Hazel has the standard, but Kelly and KJT are unknowns in one way. No one knows what form Kelly's in. The outsider is KJT who is aiming for a place in London apparently. Her PB is in the 5700s, but she showed good jumping form indoors. I can certainly see her going 6000+ but it's going to take a a pretty high score of 6200-6300, which Kelly in theory should be capable of, to dislodge Louise Hazel from the team. This weekend's going to be very revealing.

[SteveK26]

At her age Katarina is likely to continue to improve by massive amounts. She will likely be constantly revising all her PB's, and for that reason I fancy she may qualify ahead of Kelly. Louise is probably going to be no. 2 , provided she has improved her throwing.
It will be very intersting to see who scores what.
Kelly will surely be a bit fragile, and I'm worried that she may pull out of whatever comp she attempts to get the qualifying mark, if she has a mare in an event.I'm going to keep everything crossed and hope she stays in one piece and qualfies. By 2013 Katarina will almost certainly be UK no. 2, but Kelly still has a shot at staying ahead of her this year. Its difficult to envisage Kelly being anywhere near as good as she once was,though.

[Geoff]

The intriguing thing is Kelly has not even had a low key warm up meet so we have no idea how she's going. The first two events will give us a good idea. I hope she can complete the heptathlon without a major disaster and put a marker down for the rest of the summer. Something along the lines of 13.8/1.73/13.75/23.8/6.15/35.00/2.13 and finish in one piece would be good start. Try to build on those marks through the summer and push the score up towards 6200/6300.

It wouldn't surprise me if she had a half decent javelin!

[Geoff]

London 2012 Olympics: Kelly Sotherton refuses to give up on her heptathlon dream in quest to end career on a high
It is four years since Kelly Sotherton last completed a heptathlon, but Britain’s 2004 Olympic bronze medallist is refusing to accept her dream of ending her career at London 2012 is over.

The Birchfield Harrier has been ravaged by injuries since she last finished an event in September 2008 and she was forced to give up multi-event competition two years ago after suffering two prolapsed discs.

But, at 35, Sotherton is determined to end her career on a high by competing alongside Jessica Ennis in the Olympic heptathlon in August, which means securing the necessary ‘A’ qualifying standard of 6,150 points. That bid begins on on Saturday at the Multistars event in Desenzano, Italy.

“My only job is to secure the qualification score, and that’s all I’m going there for,” she said. “I’m not going there to win and I’m not going there to be competitive.

.....But, after suffering a hip problem in February which forced her to scale back her training for five weeks, she admits her physical shape is “85 to 90 per cent” of what it should be.

“Hopefully, that will be enough,” she said. “I wouldn’t really be going to this competition if I didn’t think I could do it and my coach wouldn’t be putting me through it either.”

Even if Sotherton does make the qualifying standard, her Olympic selection will still not be certain because reigning Commonwealth champion Louise Hazel and former world youth gold medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson are also vying for one of the two available spots.

Ennis, as the former world champion and one of Britain’s best medal prospects, is guaranteed the third berth.

“I really need a safe qualification so that it would be a stretch for Katarina or Louise to overtake me,” said Sotherton. “If I can get to 6,300, then I think it would be very safe.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/olympi ... -high.html

[SteveK26]

If Kelly does get to 6300 I would be very happy for her. It will not be easy though, esp in the light of the hip injury.....

[d pickup]

The IAAF preview of this event

see
www.iaaf.org/Mini/WCE12/News/NewsDetail.aspx?id=64777

[Geoff]

If Kelly does get to 6300 I would be very happy for her. It will not be easy though, esp in the light of the hip injury.....

I think if she scores over 6000 points and stays healthy it will be a solid achievement that can be built on. The 'A' standard is a possibility but no one knows what to expect and she may do well to finish. Katarina Johnson Thompson may actually reach the 'A' standard as well and possibly beat Sotherton.

[SteveK26]

Geoff
the message of your last post more or less reflects what I said on 2nd May.
Its going to be very interesting......here's hoping Kelly can get through to the end.

I'd love to see her end her career in London 2012.

[Mr Halibut]

100H results are in: http://www.iaaf.org/Mini/WCE12/Results/ ... s.html#det

KJT 13.68 PB, Kelly 13.96 :/
Also Louise Wood 13.24 PB

[Geoff]

Kelly runs 13.96 hurdles - perhaps will be disappointed with that. Louise Wood runs PB 13.24 as does KJT with 13.68. I still think if Kelly completes a solid heptathlon in one piece she will have a good chance of getting the 'A' standard later. KJT could do it this weekend.

[tootingmick]

Thanks for link Mr H.
Still no HJ results for Ladies, hope
they have two 'pools' otherwise with
34 competitors it will stretch into tomorrow !

[Geoff]

Kelly 1.72, KJT 1.81, Louise Wood 1.63 which may be a PB. KJT will be disappointed with that but Kelly, provided she is fit, should be satisfied. Two technical events which she hasn't competed in since 2009 are out of the way. Every chance of two solid marks in the shot and 200m

[paul]

Do you know what the conditions are like Geoff?
If its tipping it down, 1.81 would not be that bad for KJT.

[Geoff]

Do you know what the conditions are like Geoff?
If its tipping it down, 1.81 would not be that bad for KJT.

May well be raining as it was forecast. Possibly thunderstorms at some stage over the weekend! As you say 1.81 may not be too bad in the conditions but a shame if that's the case.

[Geoff]

Kelly only 12.98 in the shot. I think she would have expected more than that but let's see if she can still run a good 200m.

[Geoff]

KJT 11.75 which is around her best. She is now 3rd with Kelly 5th.

[paul]

KJT 11.75 which is around her best. She is now 3rd with Kelly 5th.

Yeah thats a PB. (Big PB if you stick to out-doors figures.
But SP improvements no surprise at this stage in her career of course.)

[paul]

A tweet I caught:

Statman Jon ‏ @Statman_Jon
If @JohnsonThompson equals her PBs on day 2 at #Multistars, she'll score 6138. Any improvement on that could get her Olympic 'A' (6150).


(She did 23.78 in 200m. Which is a big PB.)

[jjimbojames]

Kelly DNF in the 200m - disappointing

[paul]

Oh thats a big shame. Kelly is a DNF in the 200m.

[sidelined]

Kelly DNF in the 200m - disappointing

Oh no! I hope it's nothing serious.

[Mr Halibut]

Do you know what the conditions are like Geoff?
If its tipping it down, 1.81 would not be that bad for KJT.

May well be raining as it was forecast. Possibly thunderstorms at some stage over the weekend! As you say 1.81 may not be too bad in the conditions but a shame if that's the case.

Looks like it was bad weather, KJT tweets:
Day 1 - 13.68/1.81/11.75/23.78 disappointing high jump but the other three events PB's....onto day 2. Hopefully it won't thunderstorm again

[PJS]

I'm sorry...but sad as some may find the DNF of Ms. Southerton... Is this to over shadow the upward trajectory of KJT?
As a poster mentions, if KJT achieves at least PBs on Day 2 she is going to be very, very close to Olympic A Standard ...well done girl...

[sidelined]

...And KJT is now leading the competition. That was a massive PB in the 200; her previous best was 24.25.

[Guto Nyth Bran]

I'm sorry...but sad as some may find the DNF of Ms. Southerton... Is this to over shadow the upward trajectory of KJT?
As a poster mentions, if KJT achieves at least PBs on Day 2 she is going to be very, very close to Olympic A Standard ...well done girl...

Quick bit of mental arithmetic on the calculator.
Straight PBs would leave her about 10 points short of A standard.

[SteveK26]

As always feared, Kelly is fragile and dnf. Shame, but not unexpected. Hope she is not injured seriously and gets another shot somewhere else.
Very good from Katarina; she is on a massive upward curve...if she gets to London she will benefit enormously from competing with Jess at the top table. A bit like Daley in Montreal. I seem to remember he followed Bruce Jenner around and learnt from him.
It seems likely that Katarina will finish ahead of Louise unless the javelin plays havoc with her score.

[Maza1987]

Hopefully KJT can keep it up.

[Guto Nyth Bran]

John Lane having a good 1st day of the decathlon - 3rd with 4028 points.
Olympic B must be out of reach but could put 300 points on his PB with a good second day.

[Geoff]

John Lane starts the second day with a PB in the hurdles of 14.93 Solid run from Ashley Bryant as well with 14.49.