Marvin Popoola and Katie Snowden swapped the red and black of Herne Hill Harriers for the red and white of England as the track athletes represented their country at separate indoor meetings in Europe.
Sprinter Popoola recorded two personal bests of 6.75 and 6.74 seconds in a heat and final of the 60m at the Vienna Indoor Classic, breaking club records in the process. Popoola was third in his heat before finishing fourth in the final in what was his senior international debut racing for an England.
Popoola’s selection is a reward for his first senior title over 60m at last month’s South of England championship. He will also be racing for his country over 60m on Friday at the Gugl Indoor Meeting in another Austrian city, Linz.
Racing in Bratislava for England, Snowden was fourth in the 1500m at the Elan Indoor Meeting. Having been part of an England B team, running the 800m, at the Loughborough International meeting outdoors last May, the Bratislava match was Snowden’s first full senior international vest for her country just over a month before her 21st birthday.
Snowden had earned her place in the England team over 1500m – hitherto regarded as her secondary event as she has specialised at 800m – by placing a fine third at the BMC Indoor Grand Prix meeting in Sheffield in January. In that race, the 20-year-old clocked a time of 4:22.15, an improvement of more than seven seconds in comparison to her previous indoor best and close to her outdoor best and women’s club record of 4:18.71 set in June last year.
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