The exciting young Welsh athlete Seren Bundy-Davies capped an impressive breakout indoor season with her first major championship medal after a dirty and desperate 400m final. There was further success for Britain at these European Indoor Championships as Lee Emanuel claimed silver in the 3,000m.
Emanuel, a 30-year-old who trains in Albuquerque, was always expected to make the podium. But Bundy-Davies had to really fight for it. There were pushes, trips and sharpened elbows before the Ukrainian Nataliya Pyhyda, who, in 2009, was banned for two years after testing positive for the steroid stanozolol, pushed clear for victory in 51.96sec.
Yet Bundy-Davies, a 20-year-old biomedical science student, clung on desperately as the lactic acid surged through her veins to claim bronze in 52.64, with the Spaniard Indira Terrero taking silver in 52.63.
Not that Bundy-Davies was entirely satisfied. “I’m a disappointed,” she said. “I know that sounds strange, and I realise it’s a massive achievement but I did come in it wanting to win it.
“Over the last 50m my legs were aching. Now my hamstring is in pain. But I am happy – because I’m just 20 years old, and I’m not an indoors runner, I am an outdoors runner.”
This time last year, Bundy-Davies had never broken 54 seconds for 400m and, after a series of niggles, missed out on qualification for the Commonwealth Games. This year she has run 51.72 indoors – the third fastest time in the world in 2015 – and if she can continue to improve her future will be bright as her smile on the podium.
Emanuel, who ran a PB of 7min 44.48sec but still finished nearly six seconds behind Turkey’s Ali Kaya, also admitted to being disappointed. “I was aiming to win but with the new PB and silver medal I cannot be mad,” he said. “But Kaya just kept going and going.”
Earlier in the day Richard Kilty, wearing what he called his Superman outfit – a full-body running suit – showed lightning-fast reflexes and power as he qualified joint-fastest for Sunday’s 60m semi-finals with his compatriot CJ Ujah in a time of 6.57.
Kilty, the reigning 60m world indoor champion, even believes he is in shape to challenge his personal best of 6.49 after returning to his old coach Linford Christie. “Linford has brought me confidence,” he said. “I’m stronger in the gym. I’ve got more endurance. If I just make a few technical improvements I can’t see why I can’t run a PB.”
Ujah has been likened to Spiderman because of his full-body outfit. So who will triumph in the battle of the British superheroes? Kilty has no doubts. “It will be a great battle – but Superman can beat Spiderman.”
In the women’s 60m Dina Asher-Smith admitted she was shocked to break her personal best in breezing into the semi-finals of the women’s 60m in 7.10. But she faces a tough task to defeat Dafne Schippers, the reigning 100m and 200m European champion, who powered through in a PB of 7.07. “She’s absolutely amazing,” said Asher-Smith, “but everybody has their flaws and weaknesses.”
Jenny Meadows, a huge favourite for the 800m going into these championships, had to rely on the judges to qualify for Sunday’s final. Meadows, who is suffering from a heavy cold, finished fourth in her semi-final in 2:02.40 but was given a reprieve because the Russian Anastasiya Bazdyreva was disqualified for stepping off the track.
Charlie Grice and Chris O’Hare qualified for Sunday’s 1500m final by winning their heats while Guy Learmonth also made the 800m final. But there was no joy for Britain’s Laura Muir or Emelia Gorecka in the women’s 3,000m final. Muir fought hard but could only finish fourth in 8.52.44 behind Russian winner Yelena Korobkina, while Gorecka was last.
