Jade soars into gold contention
10:10am Wednesday 14th May 2008
Herne Hill Harriers' European and Commonwealth long jump silver medallist Jade Johnson went to the top of this season's UK rankings as she regained the Surrey senior women's title at Kingsmeadow Stadium on Saturday.
The 27-year-old produced a fourth-round leap of 6.56m in her first long jump competition since last season's World Championships trials in Manchester, where she had failed to make the British team for Osaka.
She had a following wind of just 0.7mps as she bettered the long-standing championships record of 6.51m, set in 1985 by Joyce Oladapo.
"I am pleased with that. It equals the best I jumped for the whole of last year and this is much earlier in the season," Johnson said.
Coach John Herbert was also satisfied. "It is early yet in the season," he said, obviously hoping for even better in the run-up to the Olympic trials.
Johnson's leap takes her to the top of the 2008 UK rankings, 11 cm ahead of her fierce Birchfield rival Kelly Sotherton.
Kingston & Polytechnic's international all-rounder Dom-inique Blaize posted a lifetime best of 6.23m in taking silver behind Johnson.
Blaize, a student at Brunel University, left her best till the last round to add 9cm to her PB, achieved in winning the British Universities indoor title at Sheffield in March.
Her best prior to the start of the season was 6m.
Her leap lifted her to sixth in this year's UK rankings and second in the U23 list.
Hercules Wimbledon's Emily Martin also produced her best leap of the year, taking bronze with 5.57m.
Johnson returned on Sunday to finish third in the 200m in 24.36 seconds, just outside her PB of 24.31, behind Windsor's Helen Pryer, whose 23.70 bettered the 2002 championship record.
Blaize picked up a second silver in another PB of 24.16.
A day earlier, she had claimed gold in the sprint hurdles, clocking a time of 14.24.
Pryer made it a sprint double, winning the 100m in 11.84, well clear of Herne Hill's Denise Osei (12.29) and Michelle Watson (12.31).
Clapham Chasers' Justina Heslop achieved an impressive endurance double in Sunday's heat.
First, she won the senior women's 1,500m in 4:33.54, with Herne Hill over-45 veteran Clare Pauzers taking the bronze in 4:51.57. Later in the day, she took the 3,000m in 9:48.21.
Epsom & Ewell's Jo Bennett achieved a gold medal-winning double, taking the shot (12.20m) and hammer (37.10m).
Running into a stiff 2.3mps headwind, Jo White of St Mary's Richmond took the junior 200m in 24.86.
In contrast, Epsom & Ewell's Sandra Seaton was aided by a 4.5mps tailwind to a championship record of 14.42 in the junior women's 100m hurdles.
Other junior women's winners included: 100m: Jade Phillips (Herne Hill) 12.35. 3,000m: Sophie Cowper (Wallington Grammar School) 11:11.31. 400m hurdles: Lizzie Thompson (Epsom and Ewell) 64.98. Pole Vault: Jennifer Honeyball (Herne Hill) 3m. Triple Jump: Helen Stewart (Sutton) 10.35m. Shot: Jade Dodd (Herne Hill) 12.32m. Discus: Briony Phillips (Herne Hill) 38.41m. Javelin: Jade Dodd (Herne Hill) 42.49m.