Reid Goes For Games Qualification Mark in British Trials
29 June 2017
The Province's top sprinter Leon Reid will once again attempt to gain the Commonwealth Games qualification mark in this weekend's British Championships in Birmingham which is the key selection meeting for the forthcoming World Championships in London.
Birchfield man recently captured two sprint titles in the NI Championships at the Mary Peters track. In his 200 metres heat Leon recorded a time of 20.81 secs which is only 0.04 secs off the time required for the Gold Coast Games next April. With a season's best time a week earlier of 20.79 secs the 2014 Games competitor is confident that given good weather he can reach the target in Birmingham particularly as he will be racing against the cream of British sprinters.
Should Reid succeed he will become the 11th NI athlete to reach a qualification standard for the Games. One athlete already qualified is Cheltenham's Mollie Courtney who will be racing in the 100 metres hurdles along with Belfast's Megan Marrs who recently set a PB of 13.68 secs. 19 year old Mollie recently got the Gold Coast standard with a time of 13.44 secs when securing bronze in the England U23 Champs.
Courtney will be hoping that the fierce opposition in Birmingham will push her to a fast time and closer to her PB of 13.28 secs set last year in the World Junior Championships.
Also competing is hammer thrower Hayley Murray who is another athlete eligible for NI as her Father is originally from Banbridge. Hayley recently broke her own NI record at the Mary Peters with a throw of 59.49 metres when successfully defending her title.
Meanwhile Newry's Kate O'Connor and Sarah Connolly will be taking part in the Euro Team Heptathlon Champs in Spain . Hurdler Jason Harvey and long jumper Adam McMullen are competing in Switzerland.