World Championships Team Trials 2017

Laura Weightman

Laura Weightman firmly booked her place on the start line for the Women’s 1500m,
at next month’s World Athletics Championships, with two gutsy performances
at the UK Championships, at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium,
on Saturday and Sunday 1st and 2nd July 2017.

Commonwealth and European Silver and Bronze Medallist Weightman,
won the slower of the two heats on Saturday, posting a modest time of 4m12.36s, to qualify for the Sunday final.

Jessica Judd of Chelmsford, who had front run the fastest heat, to win in 4m11.96s,
obviously posed the biggest threat to Weightman, in her quest to win back the British
crown that she had lost to her great rival Laura Muir of Dundee, twelve months ago.
Not surprisingly Judd very much tried to repeat her Saturday plan,
however that came unstuck with 300m remaining,
when Weightman took a chance to take the lead.
Having gone through the bell in around 3m03s,
Weightman sensed that Judd was weakening, and made her break for home.

Although Judd made a final attempt to thwart Weightman’s effort,
the Morpeth Olympian dug deep, to win in 4m06.49s, which although was a little bit adrift of her best,
was enough to satisfy her that she had booked her place in London in August,
and had regained her British crown.
Meanwhile Judd, posted a finishing time of 4m07.09s,
with former Jarrow and Hebburn athlete Sarah McDonald
​getting what could be a vital third place, in a time of 4m08.14s.