The past week has seen two exceptional performances in jumping events from Herne Hill Harriers under 23 athlete Ore Adamson.
On Saturday Adamson competed in the Roadrunner Invitational meet in San Antonio, Texas and produced a best long jump of 6.25m, her longest performance to date. A strong following wind of +4.4 metres per second was over the wind legal limit for national ranking purposes, but this level of performance would see her in the current top four or five in the UK if replicated in calmer conditions this season.
This represents a strong breakthrough for the 19 year old who is studying at the University of Texas San Antonio on an athletics scholarship. Her superb long jump follows a week after she had set a very good new personal best of 12.16m for the triple jump at the same venue in the UTSA Invitational meet. This places her fifth in the UK rankings for 2021 to date in an event she has so far only tried competitively on two occasions and clearly with scope for further substantial and exciting progress.
Adamson’s performances in these two disciplines have only ever been surpassed in Herne Hill history by one other athlete, Olympian Jade Johnson who twice placed in the top seven at the Games in 2004 and 2008. A multi talented sportswoman, South Londoner Adamson is also a member of Crystal Palace Netball and Aces Netball when at home from across the pond.
In road racing action last Wednesday at the RunThrough Chase the Sun Olympic Park 10km in Stratford one of Harriers’ Australian twins Brandon Dewar took the race win in 31:30, while club mate Ryan Willmott obliterated his previous PB placing fifth in 32:38.
On Sunday Andrew Warburton placed 26th in the Mallory Park 10km road race in the Leicestershire. His time of 31:59 is equal to his PB after a fast first 5km in 15:22.
On the track Fiona and Chris de Mauny were by the seaside in Worthing for the “Opener” track meeting with both looking to bring some very early season speed to their legs racing unusual competition distances. Fiona finished fourth of seven athletes in the fastest women’s 600m race of a sunny afternoon, clocking a time of 1:39.61 and was then third in a 300m race with 46.66. Husband Chris was racing for the first time since an injury layoff and placed sixth in a men’s 600m race in 1:47.82.
Geoff Jerwood