Child claims two victories at Olympic test event

Eilidh Child pulled off a double victory in her first two outings at the Olympic Stadium in London but the Scot admits she still has ample room for improvement following the weekend’s test event.

The Commonwealth Games silver medallist won the 400-metre hurdles in 57.37 seconds, well outside UK Athletics qualifying time for London.

But Child, who also came first in the elite 400 flat, was denied a shot at her chief rivals after Meghan Beesley was disqualified and Perri Shakes-Drayton pulled out.

She said: “I’m happy enough with the win but I would have liked a much faster time. I suppose it didn’t help getting the first hurdle with the wrong leg.”

US-based Scot Dave Bishop produced a late burst to win the 3,000m in a new personal best of 7:56.37.

With the test event doubling as the BUCS Championships, Eilish McColgan was the sixth-fastest qualifier for today’s 1,500m final while Lynsey Sharp breezed into the 400m final.

Sharp said: “I just want to use this to sharpen up my speed after the winter.”

English hurdlers Andy Pozzi and Lawrence Clarke are among the many athletes hoping to experience the Olympic Stadium again for real this summer and both boosted their chances of doing so by achieving the qualifying standard yesterday. Pozzi defied temperatures of just seven degrees and a headwind of 1.1 metres per second to exactly match the ‘A’ standard of 13.52 seconds in the BUCS championships. And seven hours later, Commonwealth bronze medallist Clarke also achieved the standard with a new personal best of 13.50secs in the UK Athletics race.

Pozzi, 19, who finished fourth in the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul in March, said afterwards: “It was very good, I was really happy.

“It wasn’t quite perfect but for a first race it was what I’d hoped for. There was quite a strong headwind, so, given everything, I wouldn’t have thought I’d run quite so quick, so I’m very happy.

“I’m really proud to be in here right now and I’m really chuffed. I was always hoping for the ‘A’ standard, but to get it here in the stadium where I hope to come and compete again is great.”

Clarke, 22, added: “I’m really pleased. It’s a good marker for the season and it takes the pressure off as everyone has to run the qualification standard.

“Things have gone a lot better since the indoors. In the indoors I was worrying too much about times and doing the time here today has taken a lot of pressure off.

“I’ve never run that quick, it’s scary because the hurdles come so quickly. Now I just want to be in the top two come the trials.”