Super 8 goes off with a bang in Glasgow

ROCK 'n' roll athletics came to Glasgow last night, the second edition of the sport's jazzed up Super 8 event pumping up the volume and using all the not-so-subtle tricks that have revitalised cricket in a bid to lure the denizens away from the World Cup and into the revamped Scotstoun Stadium.

If the timing was lousy, at least there were some memorable performances, both from the domestic competitors turning out for the eight city-based teams and from the handful of overseas stars guesting here before heading 150 miles south-east to the altogether more glamorous stage of this weekend's Diamond League meeting in Gateshead.

Lee McConnell may not be on the A-List there but in Scottish terms, she still tops the bill. Front and centre here as the captain of the Glasgow Cobras - christened, presumably, after the popular imported beer rather than the not-so-indigenous snake - the European and Commonwealth medallist received no special favours. Condemned to Lane 8 in the 200 metres, she left her burst too late to overtake Joice Maduaka, who claimed maximum points for London.

"I just wish I'd had a better lane," she said. "But it was just good to compete in front of my home crowd. The wind was pretty strong around the top bend." Of greater importance is that McConnell will head to Italy next week to the Great Britain training camp, knowing that she will compete in the individual 400 metres at the European Championship later this month.

Monday, she admitted, had brought little sleep as she awaited the decision of UKA head coach Charles van Commenee. When it came, she declared: "It was a huge relief. I got a text message to say I was selected. Charles is known for his pretty strict selection policies and he was looking for high standards which was hard."

Glasgow's designated import Lolo Jones was similarly beaten into second place in the 100 metres hurdles by her American compatriot, Danielle Carruthers.

Bettered by Jessica Ennis when she raced at the Kelvin Hall earlier this year, the city has not proven a happy hunting ground.

"I just need to do a better job of staying focused on every hurdle," said the world indoor champion.

"I'm just extremely disappointed that I let Team Glasgow down. I just wish I'd picked another day to lose."

Icelander-in-residence Asdis Hjalmsdottir took full points for Glasgow in the women's javelin in a tight battle with London for overall supremacy.

Chris Baillie was a disappointing third in the sprint hurdles while pole vault Hen Paxton, designated as Glasgow's joker to earn double-points, was second to London import Jirina Ptacnikova.

While Nick Smith ran a season's best of 10.43 seconds in the 100 metres with Trell Kimmons claiming victory ahead of Mark Lewis-Francis.

"I didn't get a great start but I ran the second-half OK and I wasn't far behind the guys at the start," said Smith. "The good thing is that it's moving in the right direction and now I've got Gateshead at the weekend." z