Peacock equals second fastest 100m time ever

Athletes will now move onto Lyon, France for the IPC Athletics World Championships which take place between 19-28 July.

Great Britain’s Jonnie Peacock sent out a clear message to his rivals that he intends to add the 100m world title to his London 2012 Paralympic gold by running the joint second fastest official time in history for a single leg amputee at the Sainsbury’s IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final in Birmingham on Saturday (29 June).

The 20-year-old ran 10.90, equalling the time he ran to win London 2012 gold and 0.05 seconds outside his year-old world record, to take gold in the 100m T43/44.

Peacock finished well ahead of Canada’s Alister McQueen (11.71) and the Netherlands’s Ronald Hertog (11.72), who both set personal bests in finishing second and third respectively.

Speaking after the race Peacock said: “I’m pretty happy. Five months of training and I can come up with that, not really much to complain about is there.

“I think I’m in good form for Lyon. We’re working on starting and then getting better and better. Hopefully these next couple weeks we’re just going to get faster and faster.

“The guys are doing a fantastic job of keeping the rivalry alive. It’s bringing more eyes to the sport, which is always a bonus.

“I’m looking forward to London too, getting back to where it all started. It’s a lightning fast track so who knows what could happen.”

Peacock’s victory was one of the highlights of the first ever IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final and was the climax of a series that started in March in Dubai and has seen events staged in Beijing, Sao Paulo, Grosseto, Arizona and Berlin and featured many London 2012 medallists.

Although Peacock will steal the headlines with his scintillating time, the race of the day was the men’s 1,500m T54 which saw Great Britain’s Paralympic and world champion David Weir defeated by his Swiss rival Marcel Hug. At London 2012 Hug, the world record holder at every distance from 800m to 10,000m, finished behind Weir each time the 34 year old went on to win four gold medals.

However, in Birmingham Hug (3:27.60) was the victor with Weir (3:28.01), who will not compete at next month’s IPC Athletics World Championships in Lyon, France, the runner-up.

In total there were 20 events on Saturday and the first track event of the day was the women’s 1,500m T20 which was won by Poland’s Paralympic champion and world record holder Barbara Niewiedzal (4:31.55) in a season’s best time.

Germany’s world and Paralympic 100m champion Heinrich Popow won the men’s 200m T42. The London 2012 200m bronze medallist romped home in 26.19 ahead of Japan’s Atsushi Yamamoto (26.63 PB) and Denmark’s Daniel Jorgneson (27.08 SB). Favourite for the event, Great Britain’s world and Paralympic 200m T42 champion Richard Whitehead was disqualified after a false start.

Edith Wolf (3:57.91) of Switzerland, a winner of four medals at London 2012, took gold in the women’s 1,500m. At London 2012 Wolf took silver over the distance and, after breaking from the field with 500m to go, had enough to see off USA’s Shirley Reilly (3:58.74) and Great Britain’s Jade Jones (4:00.44).

The home crowd was delighted to see Great Britain’s Sophie Kamlish (13.56) secure gold in the women’s 100m T43-46 and were even noisier for home favourite Hannah Cockcroft (32.19) who was an easy winner in the women’s T33/34. In a repeat of the top three from London 2012, the Yorkshire born double Paralympic champion led home the Dutch pair of Amy Siemons (35.60) and Desiree Vranken (38.42).

There was a British one-two finish in the women’s 200m T37 as London 2012 silver medallist Bethany Woodward (29.48) finished ahead of her teammate Katrina Hart (30.53), the 2011 world champion.

Poland’s world record holder Daniel Pek (4:03.89) won gold in the men’s 1,500m T20 beating his teammate Rafal Korc (4:04.38). Third was Portugal’s Samuel Freitas (4:04.90).

Ireland’s Michael McKillop, the 800m and 1,500m Paralympic and world champion showed he has no plans to give-up his titles in Lyon with a sensational victory in the men’s 800m T37. He led from the front to finish in 2:00.48, ahead of Australia’s Brad Scott (2:04.40) and Tunisia’s Mohamed Charmi (2:05.71) in second and third.

USA’s David Prince, who recently became the first single below knee leg amputee to run the 400m under 50 seconds, was a clear winner in the men’s 400m T44. The London 2012 bronze medallist over the distance won in 52.73 to lead home an all American top three which also included Trenten Merrill (54.14) and Rob Brown (55.77).

In the field, USA’s Paralympic champion and world record holder Jeremy Campbell (62.05m) produced a season’s best throw to beat his British rival and world champion Dan Greaves (57.37m). Third place went to Slovankia’s Adrian Matusik (50.98m).

A thrilling women’s long jump F42/44 competition was won by Italy’s Martina Caironi (4.31m/968 points), who broke her personal best three times during the competition.

In other field events there were victories for Great Britain’s Kyron Duke (36.50m) in the men’s javelin F41, Tunisia’s Raouna Tilli (9.42m) in the women’s F40/41 shot put, and Great Britain’s Stephen Miller (28.78m /582 points) in the men’s club throw F32/51 who showed he has the ability to win a fourth world title at Lyon 2013.

Athletes will now move onto Lyon, France for the IPC Athletics World Championships which take place between 19-28 July.

Over 1,100 athletes from 101 countries will compete in Lyon in the biggest international gathering of track and field stars since London 2012.

For further information, please visit the Lyon 2013 website