20/05/2012 Athletics

. It is the season of extraordinary footballing finale's. Just six days

ago the streets in Manchester were packed of fans proclaiming Blue is

the Colour in the north-west as well after City's Premier League

colour -- a triumph and today those streets are packed again as some of

the world's great athletes come to down just as they have done over

the past three years. -- come to 11 weeks today they will be lining

up for the final of the men's 100m in the London Olympic Games. How

exciting is that? Today in Manchester and a Loughborough

University some top athletes are going through their paces. Some

genuine gold-medal contenders, others find a place on the podium,

and some just pleased to be involved. When Jessica Ennis makes

an appearance, she is inevitably top of the bill. Sheet that today

she is taking on some of the best of the world at the 100m hurdles.

We have track and field. British pole vault record holder Holly

Bleasdale will be competing in Albert Square. Making his first

European appearance since being cleared to run in the Olympics,

Dwain Chambers faces a star studded line-up in the 150 metres. In the

men's hurdles, Andy Turner attends the same double he managed last

year in the 110 metres and the 200m races. One always a welcome visitor

to these shores, Sanya Richards- Ross runs over 200m, one of

Christine Ohuruogu's biggest rivals in the 400m this summer. Instead of

the fans going to the stars, we have the stars coming to the fans

and these Great CityGames are a great idea. They have done them in

Newcastle and Manchester. There are one or two other cities in the

country toying with the idea of doing it themselves. This is what

we have over the next 90 minutes Colin Jackson is here. Very excited

at what the next few weeks have in store. In many ways for a lot of

our athletes, today is the start of the countdown. You could say that.

It is the transition time in the calendar. You come out of winter,

you have prepared very well and you make the hard work paid off. You

are choosing your races carefully, you need good, controlled

competition because these athletes, American and British, have trials

and about five or six weeks. That is one of the hardest things, you

have to peak at the right time, but also, you have to peak in the

trials because otherwise you don't get to the Games. Absolutely. In

the USA it is a very tough thing because it is the first three

across the line that get the automatic ticket to the Olympics. A

bit more flexible in the UK, but that is the reality of sport. Only

the strong survive. Last year, there was an absolute deluge here

and we were almost washed out. Huge crowds here today. It is a very

mild afternoon so these are good conditions. It is not bad at all, a

gentle breeze behind us. We should see some quick times. They would

all be described by Paul Dickenson and Steve Cram. -- will all.

Good afternoon, everybody. It has been a great day in Manchester

already. A great afternoon of athletics ahead of us on this track.

You can see how many people have squeezed into the space between the

track and the buildings all the way down Deansgate. Craning for their

chance to see some of these stars flying by, almost at head height.

Andy Turner, the first time we are going to see him running this

summer. He has been troubled with an Achilles problem this winter. He

has had a couple of injections, he thinks things are OK, but he will

have to race sparingly through the summer, but they can't afford to do

too much of that because the 110- metre hurdles in Britain is a very

strong event now. With the appearance of Andrew Pozzi, running

13.35 recently, and looking to push his chance of a place in the

Olympic team, it will add to that. The likes of Will Sharman, Lawrence

Clarke, three or four people aiming for just those three spots in the

team. He will want a good performance, Andy Turner. He won

this event and the 200m hurdles last year. He has got a pretty good

field against him. David Payne from As Colin was saying, it is not

exactly warm. It hasn't been worn anywhere in the UK for a while!

Theoretically it will warm up this week. Andy has been training in

Florida so plenty of speed work in the legs, theoretically. The wind

is very, very slightly against, a German champion over the last three

years. 13.36 as a personal best. In Colin Jackson's day, the Germans

were always tough in the 110 metres hurdles. Ryan Brathwaite,

unbelievable performance which surprised everybody in Berlin in

2009. Getting back to some good form as well. Andy Turner,

desperate to have a good start to medallist from Beijing, David Payne.

Only run 13.34 this year and there have been plenty of good times

already in the 100 m hurdles. -- Turner this year, but I think he

would like to have something reasonably fast. He really needs to

start the season well. He will be going in the 200m hurdles later as

well. But this is the proper track Brathwaite wins it in the end.

Turner, after having three or four bad hurdles in the middle of the

race, completely lost it. 13.61 was the winning time. Brathwaite

himself not a particularly tidy. Strong enough in the end, he got

the better of David Payne. Andy Turner, not a good start for him

and he knows it. That look on his face is not what he wanted.

Technically not good at all. Colin. I was bothered up I was hoping to

hear from Colin. It started to go wrong. Everybody was hoping for a

comeback from Andy Turner, but he from home, he lost any momentum he

had. The misplaced balance comes up in a couple of hurdles. Also, David

Payne outside him wasn't going too well at that stage. Not the start

But Ryan Brathwaite has started this season well. What did you

think of that performance? It was pretty good. A good competition,

competitive. I wanted to run faster, but I felt a bit of cramp in the

race. I just tried to maintain the technique. Your event is one of the

best this year with the likes of robbers, Jason Richardson. Where do

you need to be going forward? 13.20. I have had a good couple of

races. I'm just going to be the underdog and then come back to the

top. You have been a world champion before so hopefully you can do it

again. Yes. All the best. Thank you. Well, it is a pretty solid run.

There will be more to come from him, he could be one of the ones who

could perhaps spring a surprise in the summer. But that first event

out of the way, we have a great Pole vault coming up. Really

looking forward to seeing Holly This is a bit of a novel will for -

- a novelty for you this weekend, taking part in the Great CityGames

and Albert Square has been turned over to you! I know. I have jumped

in the Great CityGames in Newcastle and I just love doing it in the

Street. It is such a different experience, especially in

Manchester where I trained and spend every single day. It is only

half an hour from my house. It will be good to get my family and

friends down. They never get to come and watch me because I'm

always competing abroad or in London or Birmingham. It is nice to

have support so close to me. In a stadium, they are always in the

stand whereas now they are only about a metre away from us. In the

indoor season you're having a fantastic time. Has the progression

continued? Yes. When I jumped my 87, I was still in quite a heavy block.

Me and my coach thought, if you jumped 87 when he was supposedly in

a heavy block of training, that is not what we want. We discussed it

and thought we would push me a lot harder. I feel sluggish in training,

I feel like an wading through the mud, but my technique has got so

much better. Although one not running the fastest, my technique

is really good. When I start shopping up towards the Olympic, I

will be in a great place. sharpening up for top I wonder

about that Olympic Stadium experience, how that will help you?

It was a great experience. Seeing the warm-up area, testing at the

track. One positive is that the track is really, really quick.

Although I felt sluggish on the day, the track will be rapid and I can't

Colin Jackson and I have relocated from Deansgate to Albert Square

with a fantastic town hall behind us. It is a great setting. This is

what the games are all about and we are here for that pole vault. The

reason they have brought this event here because a young lady from the

north-west, Holly Bleasdale, is very much in the vanguard of the

sport. She is a girl who has got better in the last 12 months

Meanwhile, this is Katie Byres, the British junior indoor record holder.

She has made huge strides this year. 4.16 at the third attempt. She

wriggled over on that occasion. Most of the athletes here have had

a little bit of a problem getting used to the run-up. She has had

seven British indoor records over the course of the season. Hopefully

she can get the next tide and that would be a new outdoor personal

best. She has gone much higher indoors. The next event on the

Joice Maduaka. Candyce McGrone has run 11.54, although she is 11.08 at

her very best. Joice Maduaka is aware of 18 sprint titles, indoors

and out. Verena Sailer is the European Champion over 100 metres.

Finally, LaShaunte Moore of the United States. At her very best she

has run under 11 seconds. Certainly the UK AA Olympic standard that is

required. If you want to have any hope of joining the Olympic team in

London this year the standard is 11.29. That is the sort of figure

that Joice Maduaka will have on her mind over the next couple of months.

Maybe she could even do it here Candyce McGrone is going well. But

LaShaunte Moore gets it. She left it late, but she got it. She came

powering through in the second half of the race. That was really

interesting. This is a good close- up shot of what happens in berets.

She comes up and it is almost as if suddenly there is a bit of extra

effort from LaShaunte Moore. She was the big favour coming into this

and she surges through in the end. For about 10 or 15 metres in the

middle of the race you can tell she thought, this is not going to plan.

Joice Maduaka will be hoping that somehow or other a relay slot would

be hers in the summer. But only Laura Turner has achieved 11.09 so

to do if she wants to make it into What was it like experiencing this

in Deansgate in Manchester? experience is really nice and the

energy is amazing. It is a little chilly, but I tried to come out and

warm up good. Colin Jackson was talking about the transition from

the hard winter training and you have got abate year ahead. Where

would you like to be right now? biggest goal is to stay healthy. If

I am healthy I can continue to train hard every day and get close

to my goal. It is great to see you moved up. She is very strong and

deceptively Athletic. It is goodbye a long, long way. Holly Bleasdale

delighting the crowd. She looks so strong when she is on the pole. She

is very athletic. Long may it continue. The track record in

Manchester is four metres and 27. If she can keep up this sort of

form, she will go way over today. Nicole Buchler of Switzerland. She

is a little bit taller than Holly Bleasdale. She is the Swiss record

holder indoors and out. That was her second attempt at 4.26. That

was much better than her first attempt. Holly Bleasdale and Nicole

Buchler are clear. The next height will be about 4.31, which is going

to be in excess of the track record, the highest of vault ever seen here.

We are seeing a lot of very experienced athletes some in their

twenties and some in their thirties. But there has been a fantastic

initiative over the past few days at trying to find the stars of the

future. This is effectively British athletes have got talent. They

started off with 3000 caves in sprint races and narrowed it down

Lots of track and field stars encouraged them and gave them

advice. We have had two races on the track here with the top four

athletes, both boys and girls taking part in front of these huge

crowds. It is a great experience for them. Lots of autographs taken

from Andy Turner and the rest in the indoor races. Here they were

I gather her uncle is a good sprinter. Maybe it runs in the

blood for her. That was impressive I gather the winner is a passionate

Manchester City fan. He was shifting their. It is a great

initiative. It is a brilliant one. This is a great opportunity for

spotting the stars of the future of. They see an end product quite

quickly. They only had one week to cut those numbers down. I can see

them with a bit of a smile when they crossed the line. Let's hope a

great percentage of the 3000 that started off state in sport in some

shape off-form. Down there is somebody who was one of the great

superstars of sprinting more than a Lewis-Francis. Jimmy Vicaut is the

bright, new talent from France. Jimmy Vicaut is on the inside.

European Junior Champion. Just 20 years of age. A lot of people are

saying he has got a big career ahead of him. Christian Malcolm is

still one of the men whose some of the youngsters are going to have to

finish ahead of if they want a place in the individual or the

relay squad. Mark Lewis-Francis has already been in good form this year.

He has achieved the standard with 10.21. A few others have done

exactly the same. He says he is looking forward to today. Paul

Hession from Ireland in lane four. Christian Malcolm was talking a

little earlier on today about the fact they have all been a weight

training in America, Mark Lewis- Francis as well. They have come

home to rather chillier temperatures in the UK generally

and in Manchester today. From here on in every single race, every

opportunity needs to be taken to build your confidence and to show

your rivals as well that you are going to be a contender come the

into a headwind. I am not going to call him the old veteran, because

he is not that old yet. A bit of experience. They have all got a

fair bit of experience. I am sure he knows he just probably paid to

it. We will clear that up in just a moment. On the far side the

imposing figure of the Frenchman Jimmy Vicaut. Then Mark Lewis-

Francis began to show a bit of form. He just gets it ahead of the

Frenchman. There will not be a lot of difference in terms of the times

between the first three. A massive difference in terms of the physical

capabilities of both men. Christian Malcolm shows that experience

times are not that startling, but I Mark, come on back in. There is a

bit of banter between youth. You kept the crowd enthralled. It was

good fun. He got me in America, so I got him today. This is the start

of the season. What about you, Mark? How have you found these

chilly conditions? Things are going really well, I cannot complain, I

am in good shape. Jimmy is one of the fastest people in Europe at the

moment. I keep coming, man. Keep coming. What do you think of this?

The crowd is bigger than ever. is fantastic, to have this in the

city centre. The crowd is amazing. It is a great start to the season,

but at the same time it is competitive. Jimmy is one of the

fastest men in Europe, it is a great competition. But they have

also come to see Desert Air Ennis. It cannot be easy being higher, she

is only 26. But you cannot just train and train, even though you

have got seven disciplines to adapt to. Sometimes you have to have some

Is he like the Jamie Oliver of the class? Will you guys do it as well?

We have got a set there. It is pretty easy to do, stir-fry. Good

and healthy. You get a lot of vegetables and a bit of protein

from the chicken. Do you have to be on a strict diet as an athlete?

Kind of, but it is not really strict. It depends on the event.

Long-distance runners have strict diets, but because I train so much,

I just have to make sure I eat enough carbohydrates and protein so

why can train as hard as possible. Do you watch cooking programmes at

home? Who is your favourite chef? The guy from MasterChef, the bald

guy. Heston Blumenthal. What about Jamie Oliver? He uses too much salt.

Which event are you least confident in? It would be the javelin,

probably. I'm not a natural frailer, I'm more a sprinter and a jumper.

The javelin is quite hard. If are you nervous before the start of an

event? I have a few little superstitions. When you get ready

and how you pack your bag and what you do. I have a certain routine on

the start line. Definitely. You two haven't even started yet! Are you

married? I'm getting married next year. Can catch relations. Thank

you. -- Kong regulations. You can cut them off a little bit. It

smells nice. Can you smell it when It is good. Have you got Clarityn

at? -- carat in it. What about beansprouts? What was scarier,

GCSEs or the Olympics? They were both scary! I think the Olympics

will be a bit more scary. One more time and then I think it will be

ready. Very flavoursome. A bit of spice. A lot of veg, very nice. I

thought everyone's was amazing, I can't pick one because they were

all really nice. You are all beleaguered. Next time you can do

it. The - next time you can bring your medal. OK! No pressure for the

next 11 weeks. The great thing about pentathletes is you have to

be good at seven things and her coaching team have issued

responsibility of getting the balance right over the next three

months. It is the vital thing for her to make sure she nails down all

of the events accurately. She doesn't want to over performing one

of the other. The most important thing is to get the right balance,

choosing the right competition, who will be in those competitions.

Where can you be flexible? It is a tough decision when you have to do

seven events to get one gold medal. She did the javelin and the shot in

the Yorkshire championships last weekend. This is her competing in

the hurdles. It is not like she is just competing, she is competing

again some of the best in the world. Is she raising the bar too high?

She is one of the best hurdlers in the world. She went under 7.9

seconds at 60m indoors. She elevated herself to be a serious

contender in hurdling. This is an event she could specialise in. She

would do very well indeed. She would be capable of being an

Olympic finalist. She is hugely popular. The reception she got here

Ennis. I don't think she will be looking at a victory here, she will

certainly be looking to put in a good performance against these

great athletes. Dawn Harper in a hugely competitive event in the

World Championships. So many women capable of running fast. Sally

Pearson is the world's number one, perhaps. Jeff Ennis in her own

right is a top-class hurdler. -- points when it comes to the

heptathlon. The first outdoor race of the season for Danielle

Carruthers. She came close last year to winning the World

Championships. But not that close. She ran very, very well, but Sally

Pearson was a great champion. Gemma Harper is already in good form this

year. She ran a really good race in day do. Carruthers is trying to

establish herself at a consistent level in the world's top three or

four. This event itself at the Games will be one of the highlight

races. Sally Pearson is the world No. 1, but she will have it tough.

How can Jessica Ennis do against takes it! 12.76. Into a headwind.

That is world class. She has just beaten two of the best hurdlers in

the world. A new personal best for Jessica Ennis. There have been a

lot of good performances by British athletes already this year, records

all over the place, but that will please so many people. If she can

reproduce something like that at the Olympics, watch out the rest.

That was super. It was great to see. She was under pressure from the

start. She held her form together, she didn't panic. Dawn Harper is

the Olympic champion, capable of very quick times, but Jessica held

her form and drove hard to the line. She really, really wanted a new

She really, really wanted a new personal best. She has certainly

delivered. Nice, steady, she can see the pressure, she can feel the

pressure around her. Dawn Harper made a little bit of a mistake and

Jessica capitalised. A new personal Jessica capitalised. A new personal

best, she must be related. -- You can look at that in all sorts

of ways, but she has just beaten the two people who won the silver

and bronze medal in the World Championships last year. That says

an awful lot for her capabilities. The fastest Jessica Ennis has ever

run... CHEERING AND APPLAUSE.

You have seen it come up on the board as 12.75, a new personal best.

I'm absolutely made up. I wanted to see the wind reading, but I knew it

would be a great race with some quality athletes. I can't believe I

have opened by season with a P D. Everyone talks about this being a

fun event, but you have got a competitive edge -- competitive

edge from two World Championship medallists. To have the crowd right

on you is quite a bit of pressure, but it is a great pressure and a

lot of support. I can't believe I ran that! They have been behind you

all the way today. What is next year? A big heptathlon. Next

weekend. It is great to have come here to have had a good race and

driven my time down and hopefully do even better next week. This will

send confidence soaring through you. A perfect send-off. Definitely. I'm

happy with training and I'm really pleased to have come here and run

that. I'm hoping I can keep it going for a few more months. We all

hope so. Congratulations. Thank you. A massive ovation for Jessica Ennis.

And deservedly so. Absolutely. You were tentative at the beginning,

thinking she might have bitten off more than she could achieve, but

she proved to us why she is a great heptathlete and a fantastic hurdler.

I always put these young lady under pressure, I always say please do

the hurdles because she is great at it. She keeps demonstrating race

after race. When she takes on serious contenders, she's always up

there. If anybody thinks it is almost like a friendly, Dawn Harper

was absolutely livid with Jessica Ennis beating her. That is

testimony to how or Jessica but so much pressure on her. Absolutely.

Nobody likes being beaten by somebody who is not a specialist.

You have to realise that Geoff Wicker is an exceptional,

exceptional hurdler and she proved that time and time again. --

Jessica. I'm looking forward to seeing her set off at the Olympic

Games and maybe post anything better time. From one exceptional

athlete in this part of Tarring -- town to another 1,400 yards away. -

town to another 1,400 yards away. - - 400 yards at.

Rysich has elected to pass on the side. Holly has gone clear. -- this

height. This is a new Albert Square all-comers record! It is the

highest height ever achieved in a city Games. For 0.43 is looking

very good in Dade -- 4.43. Holly Bleasdale and Lisa Ryzih will

We extend the distance in Deansgate Still pretty good conditions for

sprinting. Most of these guys have never run a straight 200m in the

past. They just seemed to go For ever and ever in a straight line.

We have seen Tyson Gay run in this event. A couple of years ago, he

ran 19.41, the fastest-ever 200m was on a bend when Usain Bolt ran

that staggering 19.19 in Berlin. That was in 2009. We have got some

good athletes here. The interesting thing about this, it is so rare to

see anybody running 200m in a straight line. It is an unusual

test for. In training, you will run all sorts of different variations,

but you always have a bend involved. This is a bit unusual for the

athletes. The good thing about it is nearly all of them have done

As John was saying, we have the women's pole vault in front of the

town hall. That is the athlete I town hall. That is the athlete I

was telling you about, the first time we've seen her jumpers

afternoon, Lisa Ryzih of Germany. For 0.50 is the target and she gets

it. -- 4.50. That has put Holly Bleasdale under a little bit of

pressure. Both athletes attempted 4.50, they both had one failure,

but Lisa Ryzih of Germany is the first person to go over. Not by a

lot, but by sufficient to put pressure on the British record

We may yet see something higher than for 0.50 and that puts her in

the top 10 in the world for this On the far side, Lennon-Ford.

European under 23 4x4 hundred metre gold medallist. He has got the

strength. Two world indoor really metres the Great Britain. He is a

Joe soon end Zurich, who has been competing for Norway from his

native Gambia. He is the Norwegian native Gambia. He is the Norwegian

100m and 200m record holder. He might be the straight 200m record

holder as well. David Neville of the USA, you don't often see him

running in a 200m. Olympic 400m bronze medallist. Finally, James

Ellington, he has run in Manchester in the past. A good 100m runner,

after some injuries. I do not suppose we will see times the likes

of which we have seen over the past couple of years with Usain Bolt.

When he first ran here he ran 1.50. It is an interesting moment for the

likes of James Ellington. He has run 10.23 for the 100 metres. It

will be a real test early in the season to see what sort of shape he

is end and how his training has been going. He has been coached by

the same man ever since he was 13 years old, John Powell. He also

played rugby like so many of the sprinters and throwers and jumpers

as well. Rugby seems to be the game Ellington is trying to maintain his

form. That was quite close. I think Jaysuma Ndure got hit by a whisker.

It is not a world record, but 20.63 is the winning time. The camera is

looking at Jaysuma Ndure. It was very close on the line. A confident

run by James Ellington. STEVE CRAM: A very good performance from him.

He asked for sponsorship during the winter and he got a lot of

publicity during that. This will give him a lot of confidence.

Jaysuma Ndure is a very experienced athlete. There is probably just a

couple of hundredths between them in the end. Jaysuma Ndure ran last

week in Doha and ran pretty solidly. It was much warmer, 33 degrees. He

will be a danger come the Games, certainly he will make the final. I

am not sure he will ever challenge the big names. There is a little

This is the second half of a fantastic festival of athletics.

This morning, more than 40,000 people work on the streets of

Manchester taking part in the Great Manchester Run. That is more than

they have ever had before it. Charlotte Perdue was the first

British athlete home in 4th place. Haile Gebrselassie won the men's

race. It is the first -- 5th time he has won the race. He does not

even need to have his surname on his numbered tag. He is here with

us now. You like this place, don't you? Of course, it is wonderful.

This morning it was amazing as your colleague, he is telling you about

the atmosphere. But he is not going to run 10,000 metres. Absolutely

not. You smile like nobody else miles, but in your heart are you

thinking there is the slightest possibility of you competing in

London 2012. Yes, possibly, why not? I do not want to miss London,

that is one thing I want to tell you. We will see. Next week could

be the decision. We will see. going to be too embarrassed to talk

about this, but you are one of the most extraordinary ambassadors in

the world. You are known globally and the amount of work and effort

you put in, everybody appreciates you. You are there and you are

always smiling and happy. The reality is, how tough a decision is

it for you if they do not select few to do London? It is a question

of myself. If I am in the top three on Sunday, I do not care. It is not

just the trial. You were running like a spring chicken today. I am

sure everybody watching hopes are that you'll be here in 11 weeks'

time. Thank you for running an absolutely startling time. Highly

Gabba Sella said. Now to one of the most recognise faces in women's

athletics, a woman who has run below 50 seconds more than anybody

else and she will be a real threat to Christine Ohuruogu. This

afternoon she is going to be running a straight 200. I think it

is a great idea, especially for the sprinters. It gives you a chance to

see the transitional phase and it will be a lot of fun. When my coach

competed he competed on a straight 200 and he gave me some experience

and really good advice about how to be patient in the phases. You kind

of want to run full speed all the time on a straight and you cannot

do that for the 200, so you have to go through the phases. I am looking

forward to it. Hopefully it will culminate in the London Olympics

for you. Is it difficult in the first place? It is, you have to be

in the top three at the trials. There are no selection committees.

If you are not the best on that day, you cannot be on the team. For us,

that is the focus going into the trials and making the team and then

you can start to dream again about being on the podium in London.

the last couple of days there were headlines with somebody saying you

were in a dying sport. The reporter asked her about and the euro in our

sport when the Olympics were in Atlanta. Of course, it is going to

be a bit different because the track and field was the talk of the

town when they were held there. We have not had an Olympics or a World

Championships in many years and we do not have a US circuit. For the

American fans it is very hard to keep up with the world's best these

days. I would not say it is dying, but we can do a lot to improve our

sport in the United States. But something like the Olympic Games

always gives people a lot of energy for the sports. Craig to see you on

the streets of Manchester, how does that sound? It is going to be

awesome. It is a lot more substantial and sturdy and I

thought it would be. I thought I would fall off the side of the

track. It will feel like any other an unusual race. Margaret is in

reasonable form already this year. A personal best indoors and looking

forward to the outdoor season. This is the European Indoor Champion

over 400 metres. Maybe the straight favours the 400 runners a little

bit. It will be interesting to see how sunnier Richards Ross goes. She

is wrapped up, as she has been racing at Ayr but already in the

United States. She was beaten in Jamaica by Williams. Nicola Sanders

has had a reasonable winter. It looks as if she is starting to get

back into some good form. Nicola was part of the team that held off

be a really tough one. 200 metres flat today. Richards Ross gets a

good start out of all of the runners. She is in the lead at the

moment. It is a big lead. She needs to maintain theirs. Now she really

starts to pull away. That is a big performance. That looked pretty

relaxed. It was very impressive from the American. She is a good

200 metres runner. Just outside her best. I am not quite sure of the

time. Sorry we did not get a clock on that. But it was a pretty

impressive run. She certainly meant business in that race. She stayed

low for the first five strides out of the start and then when she came

up to her full height and started striding away, nobody could live

with her. What a good performance by Sanya Richards-Ross. Always a

threat, no matter who she is running against. She was metres

ahead of absolutely everybody. That was a very good performance right

from the start all the way through to the finish. Already at this

stage she was quite some way ahead of Nicola Sanders. Look at the

concentration of the American. look how relaxed she is. That was

really good sprinting from her. She has got a couple of benchmarks.

That looked wait too easy for her. Anyway, she has won and will be

You you what's yourself on the screen and it looked like good

viewing. Yes, I did what my coach wanted me to do. I'm happy with the

win today. We were talking on Friday about the things you look

for in your peripheral vision, did that work for you today? Not really.

I was able to see some of the marks on the track. But I felt good.

you get a nice, warm Manchester welcome? Absolutely, this is

amazing. I wish we had more races like this where the fans could be

this close and this internet. I really love it here and I hope to

come back. Maybe bring it to the vault. Holly Bleasdale is going for

4.57. Just one attempt left for the Britain. She pass at 4.50. Lisa

Ryzih has got the advantage. She has only got one attempt left if

she wants to beat the German. It has been her really keen

competition indeed. What a view those spectators have got. Holly

Bleasdale only has one attempt left This track seems an awful long way

down here. This is what they are going to hurdle very shortly. Andy

Turner is warming up behind us. Colin Jackson, who better to ask

about this? Presumably you never trained doing 200 metres straight.

Yes, it does not make any difference in any shape or form. It

is a good way of practising and combining two events. The beauty of

this is the stride pattern is different for both events and that

makes it an even keel. The advantage of the sprint hurdlers is

they can move over the barriers much quicker, but the endurance of

the 400-metre hurdler as well see them through at the end of the race.

There are some very fast runners here both on the flat and in the

400 hurdles. It is a good at little I don't imagine Andy has been

practising too much at this. don't have time. People like Felix

Sanchez have returned to great form. He was the Olympic champion way

back when. He has returned with great 400m flat speed so his

hurdling will be pretty sharp, too. From the point of view of somebody

like Andy Turner, without being disparaging, he is a potential

medallist. He would not be in the top three or four medal

opportunities. Is he one of those people who is lucky that he can go

under the radar slightly? He is not being focused on the way Mo Farah

and Jess Ennis are. Every athlete, their individual performance is

important to them. He will just think he needs to be in great shape

to put himself in the best position he can. He won't think too much

about what is going on around him and whether he is under the radar,

he will only be focusing on delivering performances when it

counts. We can see him looking very serious. You can say this is an

Invitational novelty event, but everything these guys are doing

every day between now and August is a key element of being in the right

condition on the big day. You are so right. And on top of that, being

competitive. You have to be able to deal with being competitive and

when you're up against quality rivals, you want a practice that as

much as you can. If you beat them, it gives you a lot of confidence.

We saw it with Jessica Ennis earlier, she set a personal best,

she beat the Olympic champion. She was excited and she feels confident.

Each athlete will try to get victories and get some confidence.

Let stir up a few listens from the Another bit of news for you. We

have got the hurdles coming up. Andrew Pozzi, the number one

British hurdler this year, won in Loughborough this afternoon in

13.34. He has done the thing before Holly Bleasdale under a little bit

of pressure now. Third and final of pressure now. Third and final

attempt at 4.57. Otherwise the spoils go to Germany in the shape

of Lisa Ryzih. That was certainly her best effort so far. An audible

gasp from the audience, they were certainly behind her today. She

lives in Blackburn, just up the road. Her heart is in the north-

west. Nevertheless, a good performance. Lisa Ryzih of Germany

has just won it, but that was a valiant attempt by Holly Bleasdale.

Bleasdale, of course, bronze medallist in the world indoor

championships earlier this year. Let's hope she can keep the

momentum going. We have the line-up It really is a field full of class.

Andy Turner, who is the British record holder, the UK all-comers

record holder, the UK all-comers record holder, 22.1. And on the

inside lane, Richard Yates, one of our best 400m hurdlers in recent

years. Commonwealth relay bronze medallist in 2010. And then a man

who are no the guys are in awe of in terms of his record over one lap

of the track. Felix Sanchez, the Olympic champion in 2004 and twice

a world champion, too. 34 years old now. Andy Turner holds that record

that he set in Manchester last dear. 22 point 10. Colin Jackson,

incidentally, still holds the 200m hurdles around a bend at 22 point

63. That has lasted since 1991. Finally, Jehue Gordon of Trinidad

and Tobago. Fourth in the 2009 World Championships when he was

just 17 years old. That was 400m hurdles. Haven't been in that sort

of shape since, but he is still a very useful athlete. Andy Turner

was disappointed earlier today with the last place in the 110 metres

Gordon would take advantage of any mistakes, but he won here last year

athlete, no matter the event. What The holdalls are lower than the 110

metres hurdles. -- hurdles. Andy Turner holding his form, good

Andy Turner may have just felt the presence of Felix Sanchez as they

came towards the last couple of hurdles, but he composed himself

after that 110-metre hurdles and came back stronger and faster. Two

years in a row he has won this event in Manchester. Colin, a good

performance. It was an excellent performance. For him to return

after his disastrous 110 metres hurdles, he had a lot of style and

composure. Even though he clattered a hurdle, it did not affect his

rhythm. He kept driving and working hard. He is the man with the leg

speed, he can get over the barriers very efficiently. But watch Felix

Sanchez, way behind, and look how he uses his strength and expertise

to claw back the distance of up but Andy has already done enough at the

beginning of the race. He drives hard into that line, well done.

Colin said well done to you. The tremendous performance coming off

the back of the 110. Good for you to get that one out of the way

quickly. Yeah! It is quite daunting when you have to run the 200m

hurdles after the 110. I am happy to slowly make amends for what was

a disappointing 110. I did not think I was going to win that race

when I hit that hurdle. I didn't think I would be up to keep my

rhythm and momentum. Felix has been talking big. He wanted to win today.

I thought he would have caught me. But I managed to hold on. Bearing

in mind the 110 and this, where do things sit for you Overall? You had

a great season last season, getting the World Championship medal. Are

you happy? My training shows me I am in shape, the time yet to put it

into a race. Today I maybe tried too hard and made a mistake, hit a

hurdle. Myself and David Payne, we were punching each other the whole

way down. It is not ideal. But it happens in hurdles, as we saw in

the world Champs last year. I do feel in decent shape, I just have

to put that in a race. A quick word on what is next year. A couple of

races on the West Coast of America, pre- Fontaine. Not too sure after

that. One race at a time. Well done today and coming back so strongly.

Andy Turner choosing to be in Manchester when he could have been

at Shanghai at the latest of the Diamond League meetings. There was

one British success there, Phillips Idowu with a tremendous set of six

jumps in the triple jump, all of them over 17 metres. This was his

best in the second round, 1724. This whole meeting took place in

the most appalling conditions, torrential rain from start to

finish, which impacted not just on the track events, but also on the

field. I suppose most of the Chinese crowd who assembled to see

this meeting had come to see Lou Yi Zhang in the 110 metres hurdles.

The great Chinese hero won it in 12.97. He was so determined to do a

great performance here. The people left in his wake here beat him at

the World Championships. He wanted to prove how great he was. An

exceptional time, fastest time in the world, he is back and hungry.

He beat the top Americans in that He beat the top Americans in that

race as well. Talking of top race as well. Talking of top

Americans, in the women's 200m, they were all there. We are not

supposed to read too much into the time because there was a tailwind

which could have blown them from start to finish. Pretty tight all

the way to the end. Campbell-Brown just making it on the line. 1

Diamond League meeting we must You were with Usain Bolt at the

Champions League final last night. I was there, hanging out. He is

enjoying himself. He has been based there for some time in Munich,

preparing for this season. In important year for him. Usain Bolt,

31st May. Make sure you watch. They 150 metres away from where they are

standing is the start of the women's race. A couple of races to

go, both over this distance, and his distance is the one which is

least... It tells you a lot for the sprinters, neither 100 or 200. It

The wind has been against them in a couple of races, with them in a

couple of races. Nothing like the conditions in Shanghai! Derval

champion in 2006. It doesn't seem that long ago. It was a shock win

back then. 30 years of age now. A bit of speed work for her here.

Montale -- Montell Douglas has changed coaches recently, looking

to have a big year. The British record holder, Montell Douglas.

LaShaunte Moore took a little while to get into her running in the 100m

after a very good start from the German, but she came through very

strongly for the win. She said it was a little bit chilly. It has not

got any warmer! Sonia Tavares of clip from Shanghai, almost pulling

up at the end in her race against Veronica Campbell-Brown. She ran

16.58 seconds in Gateshead last year so that gives you an idea of

the benchmark for these athletes. I'm not sure anyone will get close

to that here, but Moore has been in good form this year at the 100 and

this, the class of the American, pulling away, stretching the field.

A really good run from her. Without doubt, an impressive win. The time

is not so fast, perhaps. She got a little bit tied up in the last 20

metres. Wasn't the tidiest finish from the American, but she was very

good in the middle part of the race. race of that date. She began to

pull away after about 70 or 80 metres and her stride was

lengthening all the time. Everyone else was tiring out. Montell

Douglas got second place. Sonia Tavares got a third. My goodness,

what a winner. There is Montell Douglas. Certainly she has got one

eye on qualifying for the Games. But she was well beaten here today

competition. Nobody else is left in. 4.57 is the target. The crowd were

really getting behind the German. Well, she could not finish it off

with a flourish. She did not have the forward momentum to create a

bend in the bar. She has beaten Holly Bleasdale, Britain's number

one, and Katie Byres, the British junior record holder. They have all

had to give weight to this talented German. She was bronze medallist a

couple of years ago and has proved the class performer in the pole

How much fun was that? It was really great fun. I have done a

couple before, but having people cheering you on so close to you was

real fun. I wish I could do the Olympics on there. That is the

interesting thing about the dynamic of the event. When you are doing

the pole vault, you are in a bubble and you are in the middle of the

arena. Today they were right on your toes. Today it was completely

different and when you are on the track you cannot hear them cheering.

It really spurred me on and I love coming to the events like this.

it has been a fantastic 12 months. How do you view the next few

months? I have had such a hard eight-week block because I want to

train harder to jump higher for the Olympics. It is a bit different now,

I am trying to peak at the Olympics. I am in the best place I can be

right now. The best of luck over the next few weeks. You are a

serious contender. What date is your file? 6th August. It is

indelibly printed on your mind. Back to Steve Cram for another

Two good wins four or LaShaunte Moore.

Let's not beat about the bush, we have got some embarrassing news,

because we thought Jessica Ennis had recorded a personal best of

12.75, but we find it is not going to stand because they forgot to put

out a 10th set of hurdles, so she only jumped over nine. It is

unfortunate putting it one way, or a mess up putting it another.

will be very disappointed, but at the end of the day she was the best

female hurdler over the 9th and took that victory, so she should be

happy and strong with that. I am surprised she did not realise she

had not jumped 10. She must have been soaked in the zone. Absolutely,

you just get carried away with it, but she will crack on regardless.

This is the big race from a media point of view. For one man this is

his first showing in front of a British audience since he was

cleared to run in the Olympic Games. A very controversial figure, Dwain

Chambers. I do not think you can dispute the fact he divides public

opinion. You are along the lines of forgive if not forget, he has paid

his time and we must all now move on. We play by the rules and those

are the rules of the game. He is able to represent us at the Olympic

Games and that is the weight of the world. But saying that, he still

has to qualify. He has a very competitive field in a few weeks'

time in the trials. Is there a possibility that he might not make

it? He might not make it as an individual. I think he is one of

the top six printers in the country at the moment, but when the trials

happen, things can go wrong for athletes. He looks confident and he

is smiling, but the most important thing for him is to go out there

and compete. This is not an easy field. Not an easy field and the

race will be described to you by morning about his hunger still

being there and he would desperately love to be apart of the

British sprint squad. 35 years of age, he has been training in

America, so this is his first big event of the year. He has already

won at 200 in the States in California. Wallace Spearmon has

already been in very good form. He is a bit of a character and he is

the youngest in the field at 27. Dwain Chambers, just one race over

100 metres. He said he did not get a good start on that day. Colin's

comments about making the team, but it will be close at the Olympic

trials. Lots of new names tried to push forward into the team. This is

the veteran of the track. A silver medal in Athens in 2004. He is 34

years of age, the Portuguese athlete. So, 150 metres. But times

have not been particularly fast, apart from Jessica Ennis, and now

we know why. The conditions are very much to blame, it is chilly.

Many of the sprinters have been training in warmer weather or

racing in warmer weather as well, in conditions different to these.

It is not too windy, it is just that it is pretty chilly out there.

Usain Bolt ran this distance on this track in 14.35. Early on, Andy

Robinson was pretty impressive. start. Wallace Spearmon is starting

to come through. Now Wallace Spearmon forges ahead. The 200-

metre man running very impressively. 14.87. The American has been in

super form already in 2012. He is going to have to be if he wants to

get into the American squad. The likes of Walter Dix will be quick,

but Wallace Spearmon is showing he could well be a match for them. It

was a good, clear win for him and I think you would have expected it.

Dwain Chambers just hung on for second place. Dwain Chambers got

the 100 metres sprinter start. But then it was the strength of the 200

metres specialist, Wallace Spearmon. Wallace Spearmon is the youngest

man, at 27 years old. Dwain Chambers just beating Marlon

Devonish. Look at the contrast in styles. Dwain Chambers is still

bristling with muscles. Wallace Spearmon took a little look across

before he crossed the line, but he must have known he had got its some

It is not the day for really quick times, but it is about winning. To

be fair, it was a pretty swift time for a Wallace Spearmon. A good

performance from him. Well done on the win. What do you

think about your time? I was hoping to run a little quicker. This guy

got off to a great start. Before the race he said he would be

chasing me and I think he lied. was not wrong. I hope to showcase

this threat the year and I hope to get a medal in London and keep it.

It is a great competition. I love it here. Congratulations to

Manchester City, but congratulations to Chelsea as well

because I am a Chelsea fan. What do you think about this whole

atmosphere? This is the best thing that has been invented. It is a

great opportunity for the crowd to get in touch with the athletes.

this coming week you have got a small matter of Usain Bolt, what

about that? I am looking forward to that, but it is an opportunity I'm

really relish. Beyond that you are back in the Olympic picture. How

has that changed the way you approach everything at the moment?

I am going to keep focused on the races at hand, but my next

objective is to get into the team. Thank you for talking to us, all

Let's have a final word about Dwain Chambers. During the period of his

ban he was effectively ostracised and was not able to compete against

the best people in Europe. Now he is able to be invited, how much

will that help him to get back into the team and can be? I do not think

it will be a problem at all. He is back and competing and has been

winning medals for Great Britain. He is embraced by the system

already and for him it is a chance to qualify for at the Olympic Games.

Ultimately he was still part of the British athletics team and they

know him very well indeed. So is it just us talking about him, the

media? There are others who have failed drugs test and it is an

issue that is still there and you cannot get away from it. Especially

in the Olympic year because we have had so many rules and regulations.

Now when things are being centralised, people will talk about

it for a while and it will quieten down again. He is going to compete

and if the team meeting in a really ought the individual, they will use

him. He has clearly enjoyed competing here today. There is an

awful lot of sports taking place across Europe over the next few

There is also the Monaco Grand Prix and the PGA championships to come.