Joe Thomas goes to Paris

Sunday 13 February 2011

Cardiff's Joe Thomas produced an outstanding personal best time indoors to win today's UK Championship 800m at Sheffield in 1:47.87; also a stadium record.

His winning time was inside the qualifying time for the European Indoor Championships (1:48.00) and Joe has thereby achieved his first target for this year, to be selected for the Great Britain team which will travel to Paris in March.

After winning his heat in a relatively comfortable 1:50.51, Joe dominated the final despite a late effort by runner up Andrew Osagie.

Clubman Gareth Wiltshire set a personal best of 1:51.88 in heat 5 of the 800m, missing out on a place in the final.

Other Cardiff athletes in evidence in Sheffield included three in the men's 200m - Gareth Hopkins, Tom Knight and Phil Doorgachurn. Gareth led the trio, clocking 21.76 to finish third in the B final. Commonwealth Games finalist James Thie reached the final of the men's 1,500m, finishing fifth in 3:47.78.

In the women's pole vault, Bryony Raine was sixth and Jessica Abrahams eighth with 4.06m and 3.91m respectively.

Riannon Yates contested the women's 60m and the long jump, finishing eighth in the latter.