Four Loughborough athletes win medals at London 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships

As the London 2017 IAAF World Athletics Championships draw to a close, our Loughborough Athletes are celebrating a total of four medals won during the two-week long event.

 

In the final event of a very successful London 2017, Loughborough Alumnus Martyn Rooney helped to ensure the British team won 4x400m relay bronze. The former Loughborough student ran a great leg but was unable to pass the Trinidadian and American athletes who were out in front.

 

Speaking of the event, Martyn said:

 

“I wish I was in the shape I was in last year because I think I could’ve gone past those guys down the home straight. But it’s still amazing to come away with a medal at our home World Championships. I’m really proud to be part of this team.”

 

In the women’s 4x400m relay, Alumna Emily Diamond ran an outstanding anchor leg to bring the British quartet home for silver medals. Having run the last leg at Rio 2016 when the team won bronze, Diamond was delighted to upgrade that medal to silver, running a quick first 200m to put distance between herself and the chase pack. 

 

“We didn’t expect to go to Rio and win a medal, so it was a new experience. But this year in front of a home crowd, we came in with different expectations. To do this in front of our home crowd is just amazing. We’re getting so much more confident; we noticed yesterday that on certain legs we were coming up on the Americans and we were closing the gap, so we just need to believe in ourselves more.”

 

In the men’s high jump final, Alumnus Robbie Grabarz equalled current Loughborough student Morgan Lake’s performance from the previous night as he finished sixth. Having won bronze in the same stadium in 2012, the British record holder wanted more, but eventually bowed out at 2.29m. In the women’s 800m, Loughborough-based Lynsey Sharp ran sub 1.59, a truly world class time, but had to settle for eighth.

 

On the penultimate night there was medal success for both British teams in the 4x100m relays, with Loughborough-based athletes Asha Philip and Danny Talbot taking part.

 

For Talbot, who has been part of the GB sprint relay team for six years, it hasn’t all been plain sailing, but it has all been worth it now he can call himself a world champion. Having looked good in the heats, the Brits stretched their check marks in the final and it paid off as they ran the third fastest time ever to take gold.

 

In the women’s equivalent, Asha Philip put the team on track for a medal which resulted in the team winning silver, which is one place better than the bronze they won in Rio.

 

In total, 19 Loughborough athletes were in action at the IAAF World Championships, including five current students. Amongst those was first year psychology student Morgan Lake, who placed sixth in the women’s high jump final. Jess Judd and Meghan Beesley made the 1500m and 400mH semi-finals, whilst David Omoregie and Jess Turner made their World Championship debuts in the 110mH and 400mH respectively.

 

A month earlier at the World Para Athletics Championships, Loughborough-linked athletes won a total of nine medals, of which seven were gold, thanks to outstanding performances from Jonnie Peacock, Sophie Hahn, Richard Whitehead, Stef Reid, Hollie Arnold, Olivia Breen, and Jonathan Broom-Edwards. There were also three world records for Loughborough athletes; two for Hahn and one for Arnold.

 

For more information regarding Loughborough’s success at London 2017, visit: www.lboro.ac.uk/london2017