Callum Wilkinson once more showed his credentials for the IAAF World Championships in Doha with a brilliant performance on Wednesday at the Cork City Games.
At the end of last month, the British race walker qualified for the World Championships in style and he is now a close second on the world list albeit over a shorter distance than the one he will be contesting in Doha later this season.
A good performance in the 20km race walk will be his aim but at this European Athletics Area Permit Meeting in Cork, he won the 3000m walk in a personal best of 10:59.00, a time which was also a meeting record as he beat Irish internationals Alex Wright (11:06.28) and Brendan Boyce (11:17.84), just missing German Christopher Linke's world lead of 10:57.45.
World U20 10,000m walk champion in 2016, Wilkinson, 22, won the 20km at the British Grand Prix of Race Walking in Leeds last month in 1:21:46. That booked his spot for Doha and a lifetime best over the 3000m race walk shows he is on course to improve substantially on his 41st place finish from the IAAF World Championships in London two years ago.
It was a going meeting, too, for Spain’s Antonio Abadia who won the men’s 3000m in 7:48.26, beating Australian Pat Tiernan, second in 7:49.13, and Canada’s Luc Bruchet, third in 7:49.84. Great Britain’s Charlotte Arter was second in the women’s race in 9:02.29, won by US athlete Katrina Coogan in 9:01.42.
Asha Philip, the 2017 European indoor 60m champion, will be one of the key members of Britain’s 4x100m relay team in Doha and she was third in the individual race her in 11.47 as US athlete Candace Hill won in 11.37. Her British teammates Ashleigh Nelson (23.16) and Finette Agyapong (23.18) were second and third respectively in the 200m as Hill completed the sprint double in 23.07.
And there was another second and third for Britain in the men’s 800m with Spencer Thomas (1:47.83) and Jake Wightman (1:47.95), with victory going to US athlete Isaiah Harris (1:47.41).
France’s Cynthia Anais and Britain’s Adelle Tracey were second (2:01.49) and third (2:01.99) respectively in the 800m as Olivia Baker, of the USA, won the women’s 800m in 2:01.26 and there was another second for France in the 400m hurdles, with Muhammad Abdallah Kounta running 51.00 behind US athlete David Kendziera (50.38).
Sarah Lavin had one of the best Irish performances of the night in second in the 100m hurdles in 13.55 behind Canada’s Christie Moerman (13.30).
In the hammer, Sweden’s Tracey Andersson (65.85m) and Germany’s Charlene Woitha (65.45m) were second and third respectively in an event in which US athlete Janeah Stewart triumphed in 69.20m.
But the best performance of the evening came from South Africa’s defending world long jump champion Luvo Manyonga who broke the meeting record with 8.20m. British decathlete Tim Duckworth was second with 7.72m.
Full results here.