Jessie Knight wins 400m thriller at UK Indoor Champs

Hurdles specialist beats middle-distance star Keely Hodgkinson and Ama Pipi in a blanket finish on day two of the UK Athletics Indoor Championships at the Utilita Arena Birmingham

The women’s 400m lived up to its top billing as Jessie Knight won what proved to be the race of the weekend at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

The defending champion’s performance in just holding off Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and Ama Pipi was one of a number of highlights on a day (Feb 27) which also saw two championships records broken and another equalled.

A total of 18 champions were crowned on the second day of competition in the West Midlands, while eight athletes automatically qualified for next month’s World Athletics Indoor Championships in Belgrade.

Knight was among that number as she successfully defended her title thanks to a dip for the line in a blanket finish. The Olympic 400m hurdler’s winning time of 52.37 edged the closing surge of Hodgkinson, who further lowered her PB for the distance to 52.42 as Pipi clocked 52.43.

“It was an incredible race,” said Knight, clearly thrilled with her win. “I really knew it was going to be close after yesterday’s hard heats. We all had tired legs so I thought it would it would be a blanket finish. Chris McAlister in my training group always does this and he told me ‘don’t forget to arm dip’ so I was ready!”

Hodgkinson, whose individual focus will be on the 800m in Belgrade, is now hoping to play a key part in the 4x400m relay line-up in Serbia. It is a squad which will be buoyed by the collective depth of performance.

“That was competitive, a lot of fun and great to be involved,” said the British 800m record-holder indoors and out. “My strength definitely lies in the second lap and it was building from the first 200m.

“The relays is something I definitely want to do in Belgrade and I think with the girls now we have a really strong team. I won’t be able to do the 4x400m relay heats because of the 800m but fingers crossed they let me do the final!”

The men’s 400m title looked to have gone to Alex Haydock-Wilson after he crossed the line in a PB of 46.21. However, he made contact with Thomas Somers when moving across to the inside lane and into lead at the bell and was disqualified.

Gold went to Ben Higgins in 46.82, with James Williams landing silver in 46.89 and Sam Reardon clocking 47.01 for bronze.

The other standout performances came in the field and the women’s pentathlon.

Sophie McKinna did her level best to fulfil her pre-championships ambition of breaking the long-standing British indoor record, smashing the championships record with her opening throw of the event.

The 2020 runner-up roared with delight after managing 18.82m, a distance which overhauled Judy Oakes’ 18.57m, and looked ready to make further history. That was to be her best effort of the day but, though Venissa Head’s 19.06m still tops the all-time rankings, McKinna will now set about trying to surpass it in Belgrade.

“I set my stall out, saying I’d break the British record and I got the closest I ever have,” said McKinna, who beat 2020 champion Amelia Strickler (17.62m) and PB of 17.02m for Adele Nicoll. “I now have the worlds to look forward to so I am hoping the British record will go there. I am creeping ever closer.”

In the women’s long jump Lorraine Ugen rediscovered her form at just the right time as she equalled the championships record of 6.75m. It was her biggest indoor jump since 2017, booked her Belgrade spot and made sure she finished comfortably ahead of Jahisha Thomas (6.43m) and Olympic finalist Jazmin Sawyers who managed third with 6.42m, one of just two legal jumps she produced.

Samuel Khogali became the first champion of the day when he won the men’s long jump in an indoor PB of 7.54m ahead of decathlete Murray Fotheringham’s 7.46m and Allan Hamilton (7.41m).

The other record-breaker of the day was Swansea’s Ella Rush, who produced a women’s pentathlon championships mark of 4365 after personal bests in four of the five disciplines.

There were also PBs for silver medallist Jodie Smith (4277) and Lauren Evans (4020).

England champion Lewis Church added the British indoor heptathlon title to his CV with a winning tally of 5488 points over clubmate Harry Kendall’s PB of 5441 and Howard Bell’s 5434.

Back on the track, British record-holder and new father Elliot Giles took the men’s 800m title in 1:47.99 as he beat defending champion Guy Learmonth (1:48.58) and Ben Greenwood (1:49.13).

It was at the bell – reached in 62.26 when Giles moved in front of early leader Greenwood. Though he was tracked by the Learmonth, the Birchfield Harrier was assured in making sure of his World Indoors place.

“I’ve got my fiancée and my five-month-old daughter Erin in the stands and it makes a difference,” said Giles, who already had the Belgrade qualifying mark. “It has put things in a different perspective.”

In the women’s race, Jenny Selman almost couldn’t quite believe that she had managed to beat Olympic fourth placer to the British indoor title and that she was now headed for Serbia.

The Fife athlete has been in fine form but had looked destined for second as Reekie picked up the pace. Yet the former British record-holder is clearly out of sorts and faded to second spot, with Selman seizing her chance in 2:08.29 as Abigail Ives took bronze.

“It feels surreal, to be honest,” said Selman. “It is my first British Championships gold and I was not expecting it. I was running well coming in to the final but obviously Jemma is such a good athlete and has run much faster times than today so I wasn’t optimistic.

“I wasn’t sure how I would feel but to come away with the win, I am delighted.”

Piers Copeland added his name to Britain’s Belgrade squad with his tactical 1500m win, his first British title coming about thanks to a well-timed kick which gave him victory in 3:49.01 ahead of 2019 world finalist Neil Gourley (3:49.13) and Charlie Da’Vall Grice (3:50.22).

The only defending world indoor champion who will be part of the British line-up is Andrew Pozzi, who took British 60m hurdles gold in 7.67. With closest rival David King disqualified because of a false start, the way was clear for the former European Indoor champion, who was a comfortable winner ahead of Cameron Fillery (7.85) and Miguel Perera (7.87).

European Indoor 3000m champion Amy-Eloise Markovc will now test herself against the world’s best, too, after her Birmingham success in 9:04.26 ahead of Amelia Quirk and the 9:09.30 of Izzy Fry.

The 200m is no longer contested in the global championships, but both contests made for great viewing. The men’s race saw Toby Harries’ 20.99 PB edge out the 21.01 PB from Ben Snaith, with Joe Ferguson third in 21.35. There were also PBs for the top two women as Hannah Brier clocked 23.64 to see off Ellie Booker in 23.70. Jazmine Moss (23.94) was third.

Much of the race walking fraternity have a different world championships – namely the upcoming World Race Walking Team Championships in Oman – to focus on, but Bethan Davies used the women’s 3000m walk to aid her preparations.

The Cardiff athlete was never threatened as she won in 13:24.07, well clear of Hannah Hopper, who clocked a PB of 14:24.14. Erika Kelly was right on her heels in 14:24.64.

In the absence of Olympian Tom Bosworth, Christopher Snook won his first British title in the men’s event. The England 10,000m walk managed a PB of 12:27.27 for victory over Tom Partington (12:41.43) and Luc Legon (13:15.66).

READ MORE: UK Indoor Champs day one coverage

In the remaining field events of the day, British record-holder Harry Coppell made sure of pole vault gold with his first leap of the day, clearing 5.50m.

The next five athletes all recorded 5.07m but countback saw the silver going to Ethan Walsh and the bronze to Jack Phipps.

Coppell’s girlfriend Emily Borthwick was second in the high jump on countback after she and Laura Zialor both cleared a best height of 1.88m. Kate Anson was third with 1.82m.

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