Athletics: Learmonth's disappointed

LASSWADE athlete Guy Learmonth set a new personal best of one minute 50.23 seconds for the 800 metres in a meeting at Trafford, Manchester, but was disappointed as he had been hoping to break the 1:50.00 barrier, writes SANDY SUTHERLAND.

His time was just 0.02sec inside the mark he set last winter when he captured the Scottish senior indoor title at the age of only 17 but he lowered his outdoor best by over half a second.

Learmonth said: "I ran a perfect 750m and was just about to take the lead but my legs felt dead – Mukhtar Mohammed stormed past me and won in 1:47.7.

"I still think there's a virus lingering in me but my training times have indicated I should be well under 1:50.00 – I'll just have to relax and get out there and do it."