Three ‘On Camp with Kelly’ athletes competed for the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team at the Spar European Team Championships in Bergen, Norway, on 19-20 June.

Hannah England (Oxford City AC - right) was the leading scorer, running an excellent race in the women’s 1500m to take second place in 4:05.70.  As Belarus athlete Natallia Kareiva led the field, Hannah was tucked on the inside towards the back of the pack in the early stages.  With 600 metres to go she started to move around the outside of the field and at the bell was in third place behind Kareiva and Ukrainian Anna Mishchenko, with six athletes away.  As Mishchenko moved into the lead on the back straight she was tracked by Hannah who couldn't quite catch her on the home straight as she won in 4:05.32.  Kareiva took third in 4:07.98.

After the race Hannah said: “I got a bit far back early on but tried not to panic and was pleased to get myself up into the top three by the bell.  I competed against Mishchenko ten days ago and I was much closer to her this time.  Maybe I used up my kick a bit too early on the back straight but I didn’t want to let her get away.”

Emma Jackson (City of Stoke - right) and Emma Pallant (Aldershot Farnham & District) were both in action on Saturday and scored good points for the team.

Emma Jackson, who came in as a late replacement for Jenny Meadows, finished in an excellent fourth place in the women’s 800m to score more points than predicted.  After a slow first lap, with the bell reached in 61.43 seconds, Russian Svetlana Klyuka and Ukrainian Nataliya Lupu pulled away around the final bend to fight out the win which went to Lupu in 2:02.74, with Italian Elisa Cusma Piccione also pulling away from the pack on the home straight to take third.  Emma moved to the outside out of trouble and held her form well to win the bunch sprint with a dip at the line to take fourth by 0.02 in 2:04.53.

After the race Emma said: “I'm so happy with fourth as I was predicted seventh but I wanted to get more points than that for the team.  I'm pleased to have exceeded expectations on my first senior outing with the team.”

In windy conditions not conducive to fast times, Emma Pallant finished seventh in a slow, tactical 3000m race in 9:17.47.  Pole Renata Plis went into the lead with two laps to go and increased the pace with Emma running in sixth place as the field began to spread out.  By the bell early leader Russian Yelena Zadorozhnaya was back in the lead and she and Plis had pulled away followed by Natalia Rodriguez of Spain, with Emma running in the next group of three athletes.  Emma moved into fourth place just after the bell before being passed by Norwegian Ragnhild Kvarberg with 200 metres to go.  Emma paid the price of running into the wind on the back straight and was passed by two athletes on the home straight as she tired to take seventh.  The race was won by Zadorozhnaya in 9:08.42.

Emma (on picture above) said: “I am not happy with that, I could have got fourth.  I should have been wiser and saved my kick for the last two hundred instead of using it going into a head wind.”

The Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team finished second with 317 points behind Russia with 379.5 and ahead of Germany with 304.5.


Photos Mark Shearman