World champion Talbot set for British comeback in Nuneaton with Beesley, Emerson, Adenegan also entered
World 4x100m relay gold medallist Danny Talbot is expected to line-up on a British track for the first time in three years at this Sunday’s Birchfield Harriers Club Challenge meeting.
Talbot celebrated victory on home soil at London 2017 but has since struggled with injury problems including multiple operations on his ankle.
This weekend’s race in Nuneaton will be just his second 200m race in three seasons. The 29-year-old is one of a number of international medallists on the entry lists that also include Meghan Beesley, Niamh Emerson, Nathan Douglas and Kare Adenegan.
The event is being streamed live from The Pingles Stadium on RunnerSpace and you can watch it from 0530 EST in North America, with the action available on-demand afterwards.
European 400m hurdles medallist Beesley is entered for two events. Firstly the sprint hurdles where she is likely to be joined by Scottish record holder Heather Paton and European junior medallist Lucy-Jane Matthews, then the 100m flat which is also set to include Maltese international Charlotte Wingfield, European junior relay champion Georgina Adam and Winter Olympic bobsleigher Mica Moore.
European indoor runner-up Emerson could be set for a busy afternoon, having signed up for the shot put, javelin and 200m. Fellow heptathlete Holly Mills joins her in the latter two and is also down for the 400m.
The men’s one-lap hurdles looks to have a good battle in store with world semi-finalist Chris McAlister up against England silver medallist Efe Okoro, European junior second-placer Seamus Derbyshire and Jack Lawrie, who has won the last five Scottish titles. On the women’s side, multiple England champion Hayley McLean faces Welsh junior record holder Lauren Williams and British Universities’ medallist Anna Nelson.
Elsewhere in the field, European silver medallist Nathan Douglas is included in the triple jump start lists, while British champions Nicholas Percy and Jessica Mayho are involved in respective discus and hammer competitions.
T34 world record holder Kare Adenegan – just 19 – will line up just days shy of what would have been the opening of her Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
As athletes step up their preparation for next month’s British Athletics Championships, two athletes who have shown great promise this year are expected in the long jump. Alex Farquharson set a 7.77m personal best indoors in February while Rebecca Chapman recently leaped to 6.51m, her best effort since medalling at the nationals in 2017.
Sunday’s format involves Birchfield taking on a team from Thames Valley Harriers, along with opposition from Coventry Godiva and a selection of local competitors under the name ‘Nuneaton Nomads’.
A points-based competition – with eight being awarded for the winner, six for second, four for third and two for fourth – will decide the winners, with each team having two ‘joker cards’ which can double the points for one man and one woman in each squad.
Check out this page for a full list of who is competing. The event will be broadcast outside North America on runjumpthrow.com.
