By Alex Seftel and Daniel Rees
Results on Roster Athletics website and app
A brilliant National Athletics League team recorded nine top-three finishes at the Loughborough International Athletics Meeting.
Abigail Fitton produced perhaps the most exciting finish of the day, securing victory in a nailbiting women’s 400m in a time 54.88.
Paralympic bronze medallist Didi Okoh was awarded first place with an impressive Raza points score of 956, after a 15.03 time in the Para 100m.
Kayleigh Presswell (hammer), Chukwuemeka Osammor (discus), Tommy Owler (400m), Andrew Thomson (800m) all finished second, with Lucy Armitage, Sophie Elliss, Tyler Panton coming third in their races.
But Fitton stole the show as she battled for the line with England’s Asha Root and Wales’ debutant Isabelle Boffey, summoning all her strength to beat Root by 0.1 seconds.
“My indoor races didn’t pan out how I wanted them to, or as well as I expected them to. Hopefully that’s proved I am back to it. I could see everyone in my mind’s eye. I just knew I needed to keep on going and fight for the finish.
“I found out about selection last week. I was really happy I made the individual. Last year I did the relay do I haven’t done the individual before. To come and represent the NAL in an individual race…to start my season with this sort of time, I’m really happy. I’m looking for 53 this year,” she added, mentioning that she intends to represent Thames Valley Harriers in the 400m and 4x400m at the first Premiership match of the year at Eton on 31st May.
Another athlete who will do that is Presswell, who started the team off in fantastic fashion as she went over 60m for the first time this year with 60.78.
Okoh finished behind the likes of Sophie Hahn’s time of 12.97, but the T42 runner ultimately won by virtue of her performance in respect of the different classifications of the Para athletes competing.
“It was ok, it was a nice day out. It was good to see everyone. It was a good season opener for myself,” Okoh said.
“We didn’t know where the finish line was, that was a bit confusing. I actually crossed it at 110m, not 100m!” she admitted.
Also opening her season was Sophie Elliss, who came third in the 400m hurdles for the second consecutive year in an NAL vest.
Her time of 60.47 kicked off a string of high finishes, including in both the men’s and women’s 800m.
Thompson nipped in ahead of Nirobi Smith-Mills to clinch second on the line in a time of 1:51.01, while Armitage stayed with the leading group to smash her personal best by 1.26 seconds, lowering it from 2:07.12 to 2:05.86.
Thompson said afterwards: “I didn’t know what to expect. I was expecting more of a tactical race but it went out relatively quick. It caught me off guard and I made a move in the home straight but I used too much energy early on.
“I started running competitively last year. I did some parkruns before that. Just by chance I showed up to Norman Poole’s training group and he said ‘I’ll give you a chance’ and it turns out I’m alright at it.”
“It’s been a crazy journey in athletics. I couldn’t have imagined being here last year.”
In the discus, British champion Osammor produced a season’s best of 56.65m to take second behind Scotland’s Nick Percy.
The Sheffield and Dearne athlete, who was ranked third in the UK last year, catapulted himself into contention, having been in the lower positions early on.
His fifth-round throw brought him within a few metres of eventual winner Percy, who took the win with a throw of 61.75m in round four.
Tommy Owler achieved a personal best of 47.09 in a tight battle with GB Juniors’ Stan Chevous, who finished 0.04 ahead of him.
Tyler Panton had an eventful day, winning the 200m guest race, finishing second in the 4x100m, and then coming third for NAL in the 100m in 10.49.
At the end of the day, the NAL secured fourth place overall on 126 points – with second overall in the women’s events.
