2013 Great North Run – Medallist Quotes

Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) – winner:

“My injury was over three years and this time they are over and I’m recovered so I did good training and did well. I would like to run London if I’m invited.”

Mo Farah (GBR) – second place:

"Kenenisa’s a great athlete and has great experience. At some point, I honestly thought we’d dropped him and I said to Haile, the gap wasn’t enough for him not to catch us. You don’t want to lose but he’s a great athlete and it came right to the line.

“For me, my main aim this year was the World Championship but it was a great race with us all taking it on, it was awesome having the three of us.

“When Kenenisa went, I didn’t respond but you learn and now I’ll take my break and get ready for the marathon.

“It’s very exciting with Kennenisa stepping up to the road as well. We all get on well together, this is what the sport needs.”

Haile Gebrselassie (ETH) – third place:

“I know when I reached 18km, I don’t have enough speed to my only chance was to push.

“The two gentlemen did a good job, my time wasn’t too bad and I broke the world masters’ record by two minutes.

“I congratulate the organisers for creating this wonderful race, it’s a wonderful moment for all of us.”
Prischa Jeptoo (KEN) – winner:

“It’s a special day for me as I didn’t think I’d run such a special time so I’m very happy. I was very happy to run against them as they are very strong. Next I have the New York marathon in November.

Meseret Defar (ETH) – second place:

“I am tired from the World Championships so I had no time for recovery but I ran my best time and Prischa did very well. This is my last race for the year so now I will recover.”

Tirunesh Dibaba (ETH) – third place:

“I ran a good race, it is a good result for me at the end of the season.”

Winners Quotes - 2013 Great North CityGames, Newcastle-Gateshead

Sally Pearson (AUS) – winner of the 100m hurdles and 150m:

“The hurdles was ok, at least I’m running consistently so I’m happy.

“I can’t be excited by my season but it shows me there’s a lot to look forward to when I’m in shape next year.

“I was down to run the 150m all year and I’m always running sprints and it was good to do something different in my last race.”

Mike Rogers (USA) – winner of the 150m:

“I’m happy with today’s race, I’m really tired - it’s been a long season.

“It was a lot of fun, I enjoyed it here and I hope to come back next year. It’s my first time here, I did the Manchester CityGames two years ago.

“It was my best season ever and I’ve been very consistent. I was hurt last year but this year I was fit and hopefully I can do something special in the world indoor’s (in Poland in March).”

Ashleigh Nelson (GBR) – winner of the 100m:

“Me and my coach, Michael Afilaka have been working really hard this year, we know if I can stay injury-free then anything’s possible. We believe that I can do what the top girls do.

“It’s a great venue and crowd, I’m amazed by how many fans are out here.

“Now I’ll work at it all winter then see what the summer brings, hopefully the Commonwealth’s and European’s.”

Garrett Heath (USA) – winner of the one mile (road):

“It was good, the two Kenyans took it out pretty hard but I just settled behind until 1200m so then I decided to give it a go and leave it all out there.

“I was running out of gas on the final stretch on the track. I’m next racing New York (the Fifth Avenue Mile) next week.”

Jonnie Peacock (GBR) - winner of the IPC T44 100m:

“It could have gone better but it was a good way to finish off the season.

“It’s awesome and really special to be racing against the best in the world and for us to keep getting these opportunities to race.

“All I’m thinking about now is going on holiday, enjoying myself for a few weeks and not think about athletics for six weeks.”

David Oliver (USA) - winner of the 110m hurdles:

“This season was a learning process and it was definitely the best season of my career, especially coming back from injury.

“It was great to finish my year here with winning six races in a row. I was healthy this year and performed well when it mattered – at the world’s and winning the Diamond League.

“I’m now looking forward to spending a lot of time on my couch then starting again ahead of the World indoors.”

James Dasaolu (GBR) – winner of the 100m:

“It’s a nice, fun meet with the fans so close, I love it out here. It’s great to clock another good time and bring home the win.

“I’ve been healthy for 18-months now and it’s been a good season for me. I’m going to let the body recover for a month to six weeks and then possibly go for some of the three big champs to pick from next year.”

Chris Tomlinson (GBR) – winner of the long jump:

“To be honest, I’d actually prefer for the season to go on, what with not going to the World’s and I enjoy my athletics. It’s nice to finish my season in the north-east with lots of friends and family here to support me.

“Moscow was the first major champs I missed since 2002 so it’s rejuvenated me and there’s a big carrot there next year to do the three major champs.”

Reliving Olympic Memories

This past weekend, it was fantastic to revisit the London Olympic Stadium for the 'Anniversary Games', which provided a wonderful opportunity to relive my many happy memories of London 2012.

One year from the date of the Olympic Games' opening ceremony, British Athletics held a two-day extravaganza of world-class Olympic action and it was a pleasure to join the organising press team once more.

Working alongside a plethora of experienced and all-round lovely bunch of athletics media professionals, I joined the flash-quote team for trackside interviews, which - just like in Gothenburg and Gateshead earlier this year - was certainly a fun way of both witnessing the performances and gauging the initial reactions of the athletes.

I am looking forward to returning to the stadium when it reopens in 2015 and particularly, heading back there for the 2017 World Championships...!

Now, as the season almost reaches its' close with the Moscow World Champs and few remaining Diamond Leagues on the European circuit, it's time for me to reflect on a fabulous indoor and outdoor season which included five major championships and trips to four different countries before a long-awaited holiday to Rome with my beau next month...

Boys' medley relay final report - Donestk 2013

WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

Jamaica toppled favourites USA for victory in the Medley Relay, storming to a 1:49.23 World youth best* in the process.

Improving the USA’s 2011 winning squad’s 1:49.47 time, the Jamaican quartet were led off by Waseem Williams - who finished seventh in the 100m final on Thursday (11) - on the 100m leg before Michael O’Hara took over on the 200m stage of the race.

O’Hara, the 200m gold medallist from earlier in the evening and 100m silver medallist, established a slight lead from the USA outfit, as Okeen Williams took over with 300m to run.

It was then down to Friday’s (12) 400m gold medallist, Martin Manley to take charge with an unassailable lead over his one-lap run for home, finishing almost a second clear of the runners-up.

Surprisingly, Jamaica have only ever won bronze in this event at the Ostrava edition in 2007, whilst the USA team’s fine tradition was upset following their six victories in the eight editions of this championship. 

The USA’s 400m silver medallist, Ryan Clark could not match Manley’s closing speed, as the American joined forces with Jaalen Jones, Noah Lyles and Taylor McClaughlin to claim the silver medal in 1:50.14.

In bronze, Japan clocked a 1:50.52 personal best as Daiki Oda, Shunto Nagata, Kakeru Yamaki and Kaisei Yui took their nation’s fifth medal in the history of this event.

*Subject to the usual ratification procedures.

Girls' heptathlon report - Donetsk 2013

WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

With an inspired second day, Germany’s Celina Leffler used her leading performances in the long jump, javelin and the 800m to grab victory in a 5747 championship best.

The 17-year-old’s score was a lifetime best by 67 points, finishing over 150 points ahead of Sweden’s Emma Stenlof, who in turn recorded a 5590 personal best for the silver medal.

Leffler’s team-mate, Louisa Grauvogel moved from fifth to third place after the final event courtesy of a 2:19.26 800m lifetime best, her score culminating with 5581.

The winner in Donetsk, Ukraine was almost 300 points adrift of Britain’s Morgan Lake at the end of day one following world youth leader, Lake’s impressive 1.90m high jump to head the outright 2013 global youth list by 2cm.

But as day two began, Lake suffered disappointing performances in the long jump (4.73m) and javelin (30.81m) and so decided to withdraw from the final discipline of the heptathlon competition, looking visibly devastated.

For Leffler meanwhile, today kept on getting better with a 6.09m long jump personal best, a 40.95m javelin lifetime best and a third dominant performance in the 800m to take the gold.

Her title is Germany’s second in the 14-year history of this championship, following Annett Wichman’s victory in Debrecen, 2001 and the nation has additionally taken three silvers and three bronze during the eight editions of this event.

Claiming Sweden’s first ever medal in the world youth heptathlon, Stenlof enjoyed a consistent series of events on both days.

The 17-year-old high registered three personal bests in the high jump (1.78m), shot put (13.84m) and javelin (38.81m), before improving her heptathlon score by 8 points.

In a great competition for Germany, Grauvogel too set new marks with a 44.65m javelin effort and her two lap time to finish only 9 points behind silver. 

Australian pair Aliyah Johnson and Alysha Burnett finished in fourth and fifth, respectively with personal best scores of 5547 and 5505.

Boys' octathlon report - Donetsk 2013

WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

Smashing his lifetime best by over 500 points, Norway’s Karsten Warholm stole the show in the boys’ Octathlon, recording no less than six lifetime best performances over the two-day competition.

With a 6451 score over, the 17-year-old fell only 40 points short of the World youth best and finished almost 200 points ahead of Russia’s Feliks Shestopalov (6260) and the Czech Republic’s Jan Dolezal (6222) in silver and bronze with a personal best each, respectively. 

For 17-year-old Shestopalov, the mark represented an improvement of over 200 points courtesy of six lifetime best scores, whilst – like Warholm - taking his nation’s first ever medal in this event in the 14-year history of this championship.

Dolezal, meanwhile with six lifetime bests also, took the Czech Republic’s third medal across the eight editions of this event, following silver in 2007 and bronze in 2003 for the nation.

For Warholm, the event was an opportunity to establish his dominance from the offset, which he did in speeding to a 10.86 100m personal best as the fastest qualifier of the day before producing a solid 7.30m long jump.

Later on day one, he threw another lifetime best in the shot with 12.94m to maintain the overall lead, before extending his margin again in the final event of the day, the 400m, by running 48.09 for the quickest time and a personal best to boot.

Warholm therefore held the overnight lead with 3347, with Shestopalov further adrift in fourth with 3137 and Dolezal in sixth with 3124.

Beginning the second day with the fastest time in the 110m hurdles via a 13.86 personal best before jumping another best with 2.02m in the high jump, Warholm fell over two metres short of his best in the javelin with a 42.53m effort but enjoyed a strong enough lead going into the final event, the 1,000m to have a glimpse at glory.

Speeding to a 2:57.93 lifetime best, the Czech finished behind Dolezal’s strong 2:48.15 personal best mark but it was by far enough to enjoy a comfortable victory.

Girls’ hammer throw final report - Donetsk 2013

WRITTEN FOR THE IAAF WEBSITE

As predicted, Reka Gyuratz and Helga Volgyi continued their intense rivalry and achieved a Hungarian 1-2 in the girls’ Hammer Throw final, surpassing the 70m mark on seven occasions between them as the rest of the field could not contend with their dominance.

Having thrown an impressive 76.04m lifetime best and world youth lead last month, Gyuratz – who has improved by a staggering six metres this summer – claimed the gold medal as expected courtesy of a 73.20 championship record in the second round.

The 17-year-old World junior finalist enjoyed a consistent series of efforts including 72.46m, 71.49m and 70.90m as Volgyi joined her team-mate on the medal podium with a 71.95m best on her third attempt.

Almost two and a half metres down on her personal best, Volgyi went over 70 metres on two other occasions with 70.81m and 70.49m to open and close her campaign.

Competing with the new 3kg implement, Gyuatz now leads the duo’s head-to-head battle 9-8, and following Friday’s (12) 71.72m championship record in qualifying before her 73.20m victory, she has taken Hungary’s first medal in this event since Andrea Keri won the 2001 title in Debrecen.

Taking the bronze medal, Ukraine’s Valeriia Semenkova delighted her home crowd with two lifetime bests.

The 17-year-old first threw 67.55m in the second round and then 68.62m to snatch third place. 

Meanwhile, Norway’s Beatrice Nedberg Llano finished fourth with a 68.31m personal best, the 15-year-old improving by over five metres ahead of Greece’s Dimitra Zotou in fifth place with 67.20m – a mark which represented an astonishing nine metre improvement in 2013.