Hurdler notches impressive 400m win over European champion, while Matt McKenna breaks British U20 800m record and Joy Eze seizes her chance at EAP International.
Youth was to the fore at the scottishathletics EAP International in Glasgow on Saturday (January 31) as a number of emerging athletes seized their chance to come to the fore against more established names at the Emirates Arena.
Nowhere was that better illustrated than in the men’s 400m, as the 21-year-old Jake Minshull defeated the former world indoor and reigning European champion Alexander Doom.
The Coventry Godiva athlete got just the rapid start he was looking for and, despite a late charge from the Belgian – who was blighted by injury last year but was returning to the scene of his 2024 world indoor triumph – he hit the line first to win by 0.11 in a time of 46.51, taking over a second from his indoor personal best.
Not surprisingly, the 400m hurdler who finished fifth at last year’s European U23 Championships was thrilled with an evening’s work that sets him up perfectly for the UK Indoor Championships later this month.
“When I first saw [who was in] the race, I thought: ‘Oh God, I don’t know if I want to do this’,” said Minshull. “But then I started to think: ‘I’m going after it, I want to beat him. If I can get that scalp, then what better way to start the year?
“I got 100m into the race and I thought: ‘I’m on him. Shall I go?’ so I went for it and after that I was just trying to hold on. I’m new to 400m indoors but it’s going well so far. That’s a great way to start the season. We’ve got the British Indoor champs coming up and, off that time, I want to go there to win.”
There was a surprise in the women’s 400m, too, as Louisa Stoney continued her fine start to the year by finishing fastest across the three heats, winning the final race in a personal best of 52.08 ahead of Portugal’s Sofia Lavreshina in 52.19. Olympic and world 4x400m relay medallist Laviai Nielsen, returning to the track after taking a break from the sport last summer, was third overall after winning heat one in 52.37.
For Stoney, her time was only fractionally outside of the Commonwealth Games qualifying time as she eyes as spot on the Welsh team bound for Glasgow this summer.
“I was definitely after a PB,” said the 24-year-old. “I’m now going to push for 51 seconds but I can’t complain. I want to get that [qualifying] time. I know it’s in there. [Having the Commonwealth Games] to aim for is really motivating. I’m hungry and motivated to push for it every day.”
Matt McKenna is clearly not short of inspiration, either, and the 18-year-old was in record-breaking form, producing a time of 1:48.20 to take down David Sharpe’s 40-year-old British indoor U20 mark of 1:48.53 from 1986.
The European U18 champion finished second to David Race (1:47.66) in the the first of two heats in Glasgow, with Race fastest overall. McKenna’s performance pushed Guy Learmonth’s 1:48.58 from 2011 down to third on the British U20 list and the Scot – on the comeback trail at the age of 33 as he seeks Commonwealth Games qualification – has work to do as he ran 1:51.01.
Sale Harriers’ Lucy Armitage came out on top in the women’s 800m with her PB run of 2:02.55 in heat two, with Emily Simpson (2:02.66) second-fastest and the 17-year-old Shaikira King completing the podium with 2:04.44.
Another young athlete to enjoy a fine victory was Joy Eze, who took the honours in the women’s 60m, the former European U20 champion winning a close-fought battle with Jasmine Wilkins by just 0.01 in a time of 7.26.
“I was a little bit disappointed with the time but I’m happy to put together a good race and the times are coming,” said the 21-year-old. “My start in the heat wasn’t that great so I just said to myself: ‘Forget about that, it’s another race’. I’m excited [about the UK Indoor Championships]. The races that I’ve had so far have been preparing for it so I’m excited to see what I can do.”
The men’s 60m contest was even closer, with Ireland’s Toluwabori Akinola given the victory by the photo finish after he and Hungary’s Dominik Illovszky both clocked 6.59. European indoor bronze medallist Andrew Robertson was third in 6.70.
Full EAP International results here