IAAF World Challenge Meeting

Laura Weightman in action at the IAAF Challenge meeting, held in Hengelo on Sunday 11th June 2017

Having only her third track outing of the season, Morpeth Harriers Commonwealth, and European medallist
Laura Weightman posted her second fastest time ever, when she finished fourth to Netherlands Sifan Hassan,
in the Women’s 1500m at the IAAF World Challenge meeting, held in Hengelo on Sunday 11th June 2017.

She finished an excellent fourth in 4m01.95s, only just over four seconds adrift of the Dutch winner,
and only mere fractions adrift of second placed Besu Sado of Ethiopia, and third placed Winny Chebet of Kenya.

Behind Weightman in eighth and ninth places, were fellow Brits Sarah McDonald (4m05.83s), of Birchfield Harriers, formerly of Jarrow and Hebburn, and Melissa Courtney (4m06.0s), of Shaftesbury Barnet,
who are also currently ranked third and fourth respectively in the UK rankings for the distance this year,
ahead of Aldershot distance specialist Steph Twell.

Weightman’s time is also the second fastest by a Brit over the three and three-quarter lap distance this year,
only headed by Dundee’s Laura Muir, who posted 4m00.47s in Oregon at the end of May.

This factor will no doubt please Weightman, with only a few weeks to go to the UK Trials in Birmingham,
and indicates that she is rounding into her best form, ahead of the very important,
​and most prestigious World Championships, on home soil in London in August.