The Brits are in form at the Irina Shewinska Memorial and Continental Tour Gold meeting, but a midway rally in the women’s 800m dashes the hopes of Gemma Rickey and Issy Boffi.
British athletes Ben Pattison and Alastair Chalmers were among the winners at the Irina Szewinska Memorial in Bydgoszcz, Poland on Friday (May 29).
Pattison won the men’s 800m in convincing style in 1:45.58 before a strong 150m final with Britain’s Henry Jonas third in 1:46.25. Pattison has a good history in Bydgoszcz, having won here in 2023.
Chalmers had a similarly strong finish in the 400m hurdles to win in 48.71 as GB team-mate Emily Newnham ran 55.46 for second in the women’s 400m hurdles.
One of the main talking points of the night, however, was the big build-up in the women’s 800m.
Gemma Rickey led as the field of 13 hit the final bend but was cut off and accidentally pushed from behind and hit the ground hard. A chain reaction caused other athletes to fall, including Britain’s Issy Boffi, and neither Ricky nor Boffi could finish.
Phoebe Gill avoided the worst of the trouble but faded a little at home to finish fourth in her first 800m since the Paris Olympics in 2:01.50.
Switzerland’s Valentina Rosamilia won the race in 2:00.73 from Nelly Jepkosgei of Bahrain and Renelle Lamotte of France.
Elsewhere, Poland’s Klaudia Kazimerska had an upset win on home soil in the women’s 1500m. She clocked 3:59.99 as Great Britain’s Erin Wallace and Melissa Courtney-Bryant ran 4:04.01 and 4:04.04 for second and third.
Natalya Bukovetska gave the hosts a great finish to the meet, winning the women’s 400m in 50.12, while Great Britain’s Yemi Mary John finished a close second in 50.36.
