Latest news with #BritishIndoorAthleticsChampionships
BBC News
25-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Teen wins 'crazy' high jump gold after call-up four days earlier
A 17-year-old high jumper who won gold at the British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham on Sunday - having only been invited four days earlier - has described his victory as "crazy".Otis Poole from Chippenham, Wiltshire, smashed his previous personal best of 2.09m, recording a height of 2.20m to take the teenager, who competes for the Yate & District Athletic Club in Gloucestershire, won the England U20 title earlier in the year and is now ranked second in the world in the U20 qualified for this summer's European U20 Championships in Finland, he is looking further ahead at potentially competing outdoors and gaining a college scholarship abroad. Speaking to BBC Radio Wiltshire after winning gold, Otis said it had barely sunk in."It felt crazy, I didn't really process it because I was so tired but, after a long sleep, I've kind of processed it. I'm not really sure how I've done it."I've ticked off one of my goals for the season, so now it's time to look further." Rapid progress Otis only started competing in the discipline three years ago and has made rapid progress in the even."When I cleared 1.95m a year and a half ago, I saw myself in the top spot for my age group, but now I'm trying to compete against the whole country, all ages. It opens up this sort of much wider spectrum."The 17-year-old currently trains under Joy Bray at the Yate club and is full of praise for her and the club's ethos."She's a very, very good coach. I'm also surrounded by good athletes in the group, and she personalises her training for each athlete."I think seeing their belief, and I think the other training partners, seeing them trying, it kind of pushes you to try and do better than them, but also do well as well."With a career as a professional athlete looming, Otis is already considering his next steps."I think I need to sit with my coach and talk about where I want to go for outdoors. "After A-Levels, I'm looking at going through the American scholarship route. "I've jumped the heights that they'll want me at, and it will make everything very cheap. Because America is very big on their sports, it drives you to do better."
BBC News
23-02-2025
- Sport
- BBC News
Mills wins indoor title with championship record
George Mills broke a championship record to win the men's 3,000m at the British Indoor Athletics Championships in finished 0.17 seconds clear of James West to claim victory in a time of seven minutes 40.16 25-year-old was watched by his father, former England footballer Danny Mills, as broke the previous championship record by almost 10 performance has qualified him for the European Indoor Championships."I came here to do a job - that was to first of all qualify for the European Indoor Championships and put my name in the hat again for worlds and obviously, to win," Mills told BBC. "Delighted to do that."When I go to races now in these championships, I'm going to win medals, so that's what I'm aiming to do."I really give everything to this sport and I just want to be the best athlete I can."In the women's 3,000m, Hannah Nuttall earned victory ahead of Laura Muir, who was beat Muir by more than half a second after overtaking her late on to finish in a time of 8: will also feature at the European Indoor Championships."I did think today I could potentially come out with the win if I had my best possible race but to actually execute it and do it is another thing," said Nuttall."I thought I'll just follow her [Muir] and see what I have left in the tank at the end; I had another gear and when I went past her and she didn't have anything left."The nerves the last few days have been off the scale."Elsewhere, 17-year-old Otis Poole won with a best jump of 2.20m despite only receiving an invitation to compete earlier that day. Poole's previous personal best jump was an attempt of European Indoor Championships take place in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands, from 6 to 9 March.
The Independent
23-02-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Georgia Hunter-Bell passes ‘first big test' to retain title at British Indoors
Georgia Hunter-Bell insists she is getting used to her new role as favourite as she reclaimed her women's 1500m indoor crown at the British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The 31-year-old successfully defended her title as she came home with a time of 4.13.23 in front of Revee Nolan-Walcott in second and Ellie Leather, who took bronze. The Paris bronze medal winner tracked the leaders all the way and turned on the afterburners as the bell rang for the final lap, passing Nolan-Walcott and storming down the home straight in front of the Birmingham crowd, a week after her personal best at the Keely Klassic. Hunter-Bell said: "I really wanted to come back and defend my title and every year it is so hard, you have to step up. "This is the first big test of me coming in as a favourite rather than an underdog so I'm adjusting to that. "I prefer being the underdog. It's just no pressure and can be really confident and good shape but it's a new thing and I'm learning. "There is no secret formula, it's just practicing racing to be able to perform at championships. I did my undergrad here so it's nice to be back in Birmingham." Hannah Nuttall produced a stunning sprint finish to beat Laura Muir and clinch the women's 3000m title. The 27-year-old produced a stunning 29.1 second last lap to overtake the Tokyo Olympic medallist in the final bend to cause an upset at the Utilita Arena. Muir, alongside Nuttall, gradually broke away from the rest of the pack but it was the former who made the first move with just over a couple of laps to go and looked like she would go on to retain her title from 2024. But Nuttall - the reigning 5000m outdoor champion - hit back before the home straight and breezed past Muir to take gold, coming home almost a second before Muir. Nuttall said: "I did think today I could potentially come out with the win if I had my best possible race but to actually execute it and do it is another thing. "I thought I'll just follow her (Muir) and see what I have left in the tank at the end; I had another gear and when I went past her and she didn't have anything left. "The nerves the last few days have been off the scale." Olympic relay medal winners Amber Anning and Lina Nielsen came home in first and second respectively in the women's 400m race, while Katarina Johnson-Thompson finished 10th in shot put. Anning and Nielsen were part of the team that clinched bronze in Paris last summer and the pair fought till the end in Birmingham, with Nielsen's personal best of 1.11.77 not enough as Anning finished 0.27 seconds in front of her.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Azu retains British indoor men's 60m title
Jeremiah Azu retained his British indoor men's 60m title by just 0.06 seconds at the British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham. Azu matched his personal best time of 6.56 and that was just enough to top the podium ahead of John Otugade and Andrew Robertson, with just 0.22 separating the whole eight-man field, "It's amazing. I don't think words can describe it," said Azu. "I love what I do entertaining people in the right way. You take one step wrong you are out the race. I'm a winner at heart and what my heart wanted, it got." Bianca Williams ran a personal best time of 7.19 to win the women's 60m title for the first time. "I've had so many ups and downs in my journey and I feel like I'm on a great path now and over the moon," she said. "It's so nice to be number one, I'm so happy. I know I'm in great shape and I can't wait for the European Championships." Abigail Pawlett ran a personal best 8.09 to win the women's 60m hurdles, just 0.02 ahead of Emma Nwofor, with Marli Jessop third. Daniel Goriola, bronze medallist in 2024, won the men's event ahead of Iola Grant and William Ritchie-Moulin. In the para 60m, Zac Shaw won the men's race and Sophie Hahn the women's. The action was delayed by around 90 minutes at the start of the day after the Utilita Arena was evacuated because of a fire in a nearby flat. Attention will now turn to the European Indoor Championships, which will take place in Apeldoorn, the Netherlands from 6 to 9 March.
Yahoo
22-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fire delays start of indoor athletics event featuring Olympics stars
A fire has delayed the start of the British Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham. The Utilita Arena had to be evacuated after the incident on Saturday morning, around 90 minutes before the first event was due to start. British Athletics said in a statement: 'The start of the 2025 Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships has been delayed by one hour, following an incident that required the evacuation of the Utilita Arena in Birmingham this morning, Saturday 22 February. 'A one-hour delay to the timetable has been agreed in order to give athletes, officials and spectators adequate time to prepare for the day's events.' (Image: Martin Rickett/PA) Former Olympian Katharine Merry wrote on X: 'Not made it into the Utilita Arena yet. It's been fully evacuated due to a fire. Fire brigade here and smoke coming from the top floor.' She added a few minutes later: 'The British Indoor Champs will be going ahead today after a fire in a kitchen. Just now need to clear the water.' Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Laura Muir are among the star names competing this weekend. The event is also being used as the British trials for the European Athletics Indoor Championships, which take place in the Netherlands next month.
