Back to the big time for Theo

HW's Theo Etienne made a welcome return to competitive form when he reached the final of the 100m at the British Championships in Birmingham last weekend: a race loaded with stars from Adam Gemili and Chijindu Ujah, to Zharnel Hughes and the ultimate winner, Ojie Edoburun. Etienne, who reached the final of the 60m in the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade in 2017, and as an U23 in 2016 was ranked number one in the UK over that distance, has had a leaner time recently, so it is heartening to see him back in the big time.

Although below his season's best of 10.23, he was the fastest of the trio of HW sprinters taking part in the Championships, winning his heat in 10.45, finishing fourth in his semi final in 10.34 and clocking 10.54 in the final into a 1.9 headwind.

The Miller brothers, Rechmial and Chad, were third and second in their first round heats, in 10.68 and 10.78 respectively. They both finished seventh in their semi finals, with Rechmial clocking 10.57 and Chad 10.85.

In the 400m Dwayne Cowan battled to fourth place after winning his heat to qualify for the final, and now must wait to see whether the selectors include him in the team for the IAAF World Athletics Championships in Doha at the end of this month. His best this season of 45.77 is outside the UK Athletics qualifying time of 45.30 but he will be hopeful of a place in the relay team (with whom he won a bronze medal at the World Championships two years ago in London). 

Finally!

Senior Men and Women’s Team Manager Heather Jones was doubly rewarded for a season's worth of leadership and inspiration, when the senior women won the Rosenheim trophy for the very first time, triumphing over second place Belgrave by just three points. Last season, while the men’s team won the trophy, the women’s team agonisingly missed out by half a point.

It was a solid team effort, with Danisha Banee winning the 200m in 26.85, fellow teenager Georgie Clarke taking the 1500m in 4:54.94, and Lisa Thomas setting a new British W50 record in the steeplechase (see below). 

Rosenheim League women’s trophy: 1 Hercules Wimbledon 59pts; 2 Belgrave (holders) 56; 3 Serpentine 38; 4 Sutton & District 33; 5 Epsom & Ewell 23; 6 Kingston & Polytechnic 7.

The men’s team, having prioritised promotion in the Southern Athletics League, finished second, and the match was notable for the commitment of sprinter Pete McLeod, who has competed for the Club in all eleven Southern  League and Rosenheim League matches this summer. In the 800m Ross Franks finished second by just 0.62 in 1:58.90, while former Swedish international Christer Hagberg also just missed out on taking the discus competition with a throw of 41.28 metres.

Rosenheim League men’s trophy: 1 Belgrave 85pts; 2 Hercules Wimbledon 60; 3 Holland Spots 53; 4 Serpentine 51; 5 Epsom & Ewell 49; 6 Kingston & Polytechnic 48; 7 St Mary’s Richmond 35; 8 Walton 23.

Elsewhere...

Jonny Cornish clocked a pb of 3:59.54 over 1500m in the British Milers Club’s Gold Standard meeting at Watford on August 21.

And at the Herne Hill Harriers Open meeting Christer Hagberg produced his best form since returning to the sport this summer when he won the men’s hammer and discus with throws of 48.58m and 41.81m respectively. Hagberg, 45, achieved his best hammer throw of 57.14 metres more than 20 years ago in 1998 and has a discus pb of 60.39m set in 1999.

This weekend, South of England U15G high jump champion Mabel-Rose Scales and English Schools and South of England U15B 100m silver medallist, Freddie Arkell, are among six HW athletes competing in the England Age Group Championships in Bedford, while tomorrow (Saturday) the U13-U17 teams compete in the Lily B Girls League Finals in Kingston.