At the European Athletics Under 23 Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, Hannah England (Oxford AC) took fifth place in the 1500m on Sunday 15 July in a time of 4:18.70. The top two places were occupied by her GB team mates Abby Westley, first in 4:15.48, and Liz Brathwaite, second in 4:16.45.
In the 800m on Saturday 14 July Loughborough University students Charlotte Best (Crawley AC) and Laura Finucane (Pendle AC) finished fifth in 2:02.72 and sixth in 2:03.07 respectively. The race was won by Russian Mariya Shapayeva in 2:00.86
After the race Charlotte said: “I was eighth with 100m to go. I couldn’t get out so I thought I would wait rather than go wide on the bend. If I had started to go with 250 left, I might have been with them. But it’s my first championship, I made the final – and now I have the World University Games* to look forward to.”
Finucane on the other hand was third at the bell, which was reached in 60.46, right on the shoulder of the leader. After the race she said: “I think I did all I could. I was disappointed I couldn’t hold on longer. I just need to be a bit stronger down the home straight.”
Both athletes had qualified from their heats on Thursday in second place, Finucane in 2:02.82 and Best in 2:04.02.
* Charlotte and Laura have both been named in the GB Team for the World University Games in Bangkok on 8-18 August 2007.
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