European Championships - silver again for William Sharman

Oooh!  So close again!  William Sharman had a terrific start in the final of the 110 metre hurdles, edging out a lead from Shubenkov the Russian and holding that advantage 'til over half way. But that quest for the elusive perfect race was yet again to be unfulfilled. Now running faster than ever, barrier seven came up a bit quick for Will who struck it with his trail leg, and after that set back he couldn't avoid hitting the next barrier with his lead leg. Recovering well, he had nevertheless been knocked back into the chasing pack and it was only a huge final lunge that gained him the silver medal. William's winning run in his semi-final was clocked at 13.16 - yet another advance on his personal and club record.

William Sharman (second from right) recovers to take silver medal in the 110 metres hurdles final in Zurich.

Qualifying for the final in 9th position Goldie Sayers languished at the back of the field in the 12 woman final with a 55.81m effort until her third throw moved her up to 8th to gain three further throws. But that was her last valid throw and she remained in 8th until the competition end. It must have been very frustrating for Goldie, Team Captain, knowing that in her last decent throw before injury and surgery she had hit a British Record of 66.17m and earlier this year had managed to reach out to 62.75m in the trials - but that's athletics and she will no doubt bounce back.

Another frustrated Belgravian will be Dwain Chambers. Conserving energy in the 100 metre semi-finals he placed 2nd and as a result was drawn in the outside lane for the final, away from the action in lanes three to six. Nevertheless a great early phase of that final seemed to have him just ahead or very close to the lead but instead of that high knee-lifting run in to the finish, concentrating only on his own run, our man seemed to tighten dramatically as he became aware of the tussle a few lanes to his left, and suddenly a metre and a half was lost.  Fourth place - that cruellest spot in any final.

100m: (13) -0.4 1 J Dasaola (GB&NI) 10.06; 2 C Lemaitre (France) 10.13; 3 H AAikines-Aryeetey (GB&NI) 10.22; 4 D Chambers (GB&NI) 10.24 (2s3 10.25/-1.1, 1h2 (12) 10.18/-0.4).

110mH: (14) 0.5 1 S Shubenkov (Russia) 13.19; 2 W Sharman (GB&NI) 13.27 (1s1 13.16/0.4, 1h3 (13) 13.29/0.3); 3 P Martino-Lagarde (France) 13.29.

JT: (14) 1 B Spotakova (Czech Republic) 64.41; 2 T Jelaca (Serbia) 64.21; 3 L Stahl (Germany) 63.91; 8 G Sayers (GB&NI) 58.33 (9Q (12) 58.07).

 

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