Rimmer’s 1.48.64!!!
 Michael Rimmer After an extremely disappointing run in the trials for the Under 20 World Championships in Italy, Liverpool Pembroke Sefton 800m star, Michael Rimmer, was consigned to sitting it out at home. However, a phone call from the selectors, keenly aware of his potential, revived his spirits. He was offered a guest place in an International match, Great Britain v Australia, at Manchester’s Sport City to see if he could achieve the qualifying time. After a nervous week Rimmer lined up against some class athletes in equally poor and windy conditions that had seen his downfall at Bedford. Tom Lancashire of Bolton who had already been selected set the pace and it was 54 seconds at the bell. Rimmer stuck to his steady running plan worked out with coach John Bradshaw and struck only 40 metres from home. He swept majestically past the entire field recording an astonishing personal best of 1.48.64 and well within the selectors demands. Rimmer`s performance is the talk of the athletic`s world and comparisons with Craig Winrow, coincidentally another local star athlete of yesteryear, are rife. He will go to Italy in two weeks time with real medal possibilities. |
| A Team win at Streford Stretford was the venue for the penultimate Northern League Senior Track and Field match. Dave Readle was again a massive point scorer recording wins in his favourite throwing events, Discus, Shot and Hammer, in all cases easily outclassing his opponents. He is also an excellent sprinter with a win in the B 100m race and third in the 200m. Naturally he turned up in the winning 4 x 100m squad. Veteran Mark Line is a great supporting act with B wins in the Shot, Discus and Hammer. LPS dominate the throwing events in this League. Other winners among the Men were Phil Taylor at 400m, Ben Jones 5000m, Adam Clansey 800m, Adam Morris Long Jump and another rejuvenated vet Mark Barrow in the B 400m Hurdles. Local women were also having a fine day. The Edge Hill College throwing squad is equally as impressive as the Men. Natalie Walsh was a good second in the Discus with team mate Kerri Massey taking the B event. They switched positions in the Hammer and with Kerri and Annmarie Pennington doubling winning the Javelin opponents were left scratching their heads at the LPS virtual monopoly. The club is also developing a reputation in the jumps. Rising star Helen Quirk was a comfortable winner of the Long Jump, adding to her second spots in the 100m and 200m. Rachel Green was first in the B Long Jump and Triple Jump. Club stalwarts Kiera Vogel and Maria Barrett were everywhere collecting points. Kiera was an was an easy winner of both the 400m and 800m and Maria the B 800m. Helen Green stole the 400m B race. An excellent afternoon was capped when the club beat the much fancied Trafford club in the match result. This edged LPS into the frame for a possible promotion next season. The final match is at Deeside. Report Charles Gains 4th July 2004 |
| Mike Rimmer 8th in Final at world Junior Champs After qualifying late for the Great Britain squad for the World Under 20 Championships in Italy 800m star Michael Rimmer was far from any body`s favourite. However, he surprised by running his heat in 1.49.64 and qualifying for the semi-finals. His heat there was quick and in finishing fourth he had an anxious 30 mins wait to see whether his time would take him through as fastest loser. It did and he lined up with the best in the world in a tense atmosphere. On paper it still looked an open race and Cobanoglu from Turkey took the field through the first lap in 53 seconds. Rimmer had placed himself a handy fourth and still looked a medal prospect at 200m to go. Clearly the three races in 4 days had taken it out of the Liverpool Pembroke Sefton runner but it was only in the closing stages he lost ground and finished 8th in 1.50.59 with Quatar runner Sultan winning in 1.47.33 from the Kenyan Yego 1.47.39 and Cobanoglu 1.47.71. No fewer than five runners posted personal bests. This is Rimmer`s second world championship final and he is learning all the time. Interestingly there were only two Europeans in front of him so his prospects for the European Championships look good next year. Coach John Bradshaw made the trip and comments ` He did everything right. He showed aggression to get himself in a good position just after the bell. He was still looking good with 200m to go but gradually ran out of steam’. The Ormskirk based athlete goes to Liverpool John Moores University in September on a sports scholarship. Report Charles Gains 16th July 2004 |
| Courtney & Maria take top spots 17 July The 2004 National Biathle Championships were staged at Millfield School in Street, Somerset on 17th July with over 200 entries all trying to secure their places in the British Team for the World Championships to be held in Marktoberdorf in Bavaria on 4th September. LPS had a double interest in the junior ladies event as both Marir Barrett the bronze medalest at last year world championships and Courtney Birch twice national cross country champion came up against each other. The event which consists of a 1500m run followed by a 200m swim followed by another 1500m run was held in almost perfect weather conditions. Courtney Birch covered the distance in 13 minutes 27.9 seconds to win from Maria Barrett who did 14:14:2, the girls now await news of selection which should be theirs foir the world championships 1 Courtney Birch 13:27.9 2 Maria Barrett 14:14.2 17th July 2004 |
| Robbie Wood runs Snowdon Again 2004 It seems that this event comes around so quickly but it is only once every 12 months and does fly as you get older. This was the 29th running of the event and since I have missed only a few during that time I was once again posted off my entry last month hoping that this year I might have a better run, a lack of training and being two stones over weight saw to it that I once again struggled although I did complete yet another Snowdon race. Taking it easy(ish) I reached the summit in 64:56 and bimbled down to finish in 1:49:03 my slowest yet although not the normal sore legs. 24th July 2004 |
| Under 20s Report The competitive athletic season draws to an end and the Liverpool Pembroke Sefton Under 20 team went to Macclesfield for the final match with both Men and Women well placed. The girls were under strength and had a relatively poor time with only Anna Taylor recording wins in the B Hammer and Javelin events. Nevertheless they placed 5th and when the overall scores were added together took the local league title from Wigan. The men were also weakened but recorded a string of first placings, Adam Morris(100m B), Mark Ogden(400m B), Mark Leicester(800m A), Joe McKenna(800m B), Carl Williams(2000m Steeplechase and 3000m), Matthew Brooks(3000m B), Phil Berry(Javelin B). But not even the customary easy relay wins in the 4 x 100m and 4 x 400m could prevent them losing, albeit narrowly, to the North Wales combined team. Overall the club finished third in the league and will be reasonably satisfied with this result. At Millfield School in Somerset an unusual `biathle’ event took place consisting of a 1500m run, followed by a 200m swim and a final 1500m run. LPS provide both the gold and silver medals in the Womens events with Courtney Birch and Maria Barrett. This also included the trial for the Great Britain team in the world championships to be held in Bavaria in September. Report Charles Gains 25h July 2004 |
| Northern League Final Match Liverpool Pembroke Sefton senior athletes made their way to Deeside for the final track and field meeting. Among the women competitors only Ashley McComb in the High Jump and June Swift in the 800m B recorded wins but throwers Natalie Walsh and Anne-Marie Pennington gathered a clutch of second placings. Dave Readle`s astonishing return to domestic athletics after a sojourn in the United States continued with overwhelming victories in the Hammer, Discus and Shot. He is no mean sprinter either and was second in the 100m and was well clear in the 200m B event. He even teamed up with Adam Morris, Michael Rimmer and Phil Taylor in the 4 x 100m relay to rout the field and set a brilliant new club record of 43.1. International and World Championship 800m performer Michael Rimmer dropped to the 400m but cruised away from the opposition in 48.9. He also linked up with Adam Clansey, Steve Donegan and Mark Leicester to destroy the rest in the 4 x 400m relay. Phil Taylor predictably took the 200m but one of the afternoon`s best performances came from Adam Clansey who showed astonishing progress to win the 1500m in in 4.12. Ultra-reliable veteran Mark Line popped up everywhere winning the B Hammer, Discus and A Pole Vault, the latter together with B support from Dave McComb. When the points were totalled LPS were second in the match to Trafford but their early season disappointments left them third overall and out of the play-offs for promotion. The new scoring system does not favour the local club but significant progress across the board this season indicates highly optimistic prospects for 2005. Results Report Charles Gains 31st July 2004 |
Comments are closed.