Athletics: Smith strikes back at critics
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Your support makes all the difference.Steve Smith criticised the selectors last night after winning his showdown with Dalton Grant in the Pearl Belfast Games for the right to represent Britain in the high jump at next weekend's European Cup in Rome.
The world junior champion was annoyed that he had been forced into such an awkward situation after a disappointing performance at last Sunday's British Championships when Grant had beaten him. Smith's comment afterwards that he was using the competition as nothing more than a glorified training session had angered Britain's chief coach Frank Dick.
'I was hurt by what was said during the week,' admitted Smith, heavily criticised by Dick. 'It would have been nice if someone had spoken to me about what was happening and I could have explained what I was trying to do last Sunday. The selectors should have had more faith in me.'
At the British Championships, Smith had used only a five-stride approach to the bar and cleared 2.05 metres. Here, on his full approach, he cleared 28 centi
metres higher. Grant, who was also angry at not being selected and had threatened to boycott Rome even if he won, cleared 2.30.
In the 800m Martin Steele, the British champion overlooked in favour of Tom McKean, easily beat McKean and shattered his personal best with a time of 1min 45.28secs. Joan Allison, the team manager, affirmed there was no question of de- selecting McKean for Rome.
There was a world veterans' record in the Mile by Coventry's David Moorcroft. The former world 5000 metres record holder, 40 last April, clocked 4mins 2.53sec in a race won by Kenya's Robert Kiplagat. Steve Cram, so disappointing over the longer distances, finished second in 3min 59.32sec, beating Britain's No 1 5,000m runner Rob Denmark in the process.
PEARL INTERNATIONAL GAMES (Belfast): Men: 100m: 1 J John (GB) 10.48sec; 2 E Tuffour (Gha) 10.59; 3 M Adam (GB) 10.68. High jump: 1 S Smith (GB) 2.33; 2 P Sjoberg (Swe) 2.30; 3 D Grant (GB) 2.30. 100m hurdles: 1 J Agyepong (GB) 13.17; 2 K McKenzie (US) 13.60; 3 L Solli (Nor) 13.63. 800m B race: 1 A Lill (GB) 1min 47.11sec; 2 K Barnabas (Ken) 1:47.12; 3 P Konchellah (Ken) 1:47.53. 3,000m: 1 F O'Mara (Irl) 7:49.33; 2 P Hanneck (Zim) 7:50.12; 3 J Mayock (GB) 7:50.70. 300m: 1 J Regis (GB) 31.98; 2 D Grindley 32.45; 3 D Ladejo (GB) 33.00. 800m A race: 1 M Steele (GB) 1:45.28; 2 W Kipketer (Den) 1:45.49; 3 L Gonzalez (Sp) 1:45.81; 4 T McKean (GB) 1:46.17. Mile: 1 R Kiplagat (Den) 3:59.24; 2 S Cram (GB) 3:59.32; 3 R Denmark (GB) 3:59.60; 10 D Moorcroft (GB) 4:02.53 (world veterans best). 200m: 1 T Jarrett (GB) 21.08; 2 S Gariba (Gha) 21.28; 3 T Box (GB) 21.33. 400m: 1= S Amegather (Gha), A Mafe (GB) 46.51; 3 A Patrick (GB) 47.36. 110m hurdles: 1 T Kearns (Irl) 13.81; 2 A Tulloch (GB) 13.84; 3 G Gundersen (Nor) 13.96. Triple jump: 1 J Edwards (GB) 17.28; 2 T Fasinro (GB) 16.78; 3 J Golley (GB) 16.61. Women: 100m hurdles: 1 J Agyepong (GB) 13.17; 2 K McKenzie (US) 13.60; 3 L Solli (Nor) 13.63. Les Jones Memorial Mile: 1 Y Murray (GB) 4:36.52; 2 B Hartigan (GB) 4:38.60; 3 D Gunning (GB) 4:38.81. Discus: 1 J McKernan (GB) 55.18m; 2 D Callaway (GB) 52.90; 3 S Andrews (GB) 52.66. Shot: 1 K Danilczyk (Pol) 17.80; 2 M Augee (GB) 17.70; 3 M Lynes (GB) 15.92.
Michael Marsh won the men's 200 metres in a wind-assisted 19.97sec at the US championships in Eugene, Oregon, last night. Carl Lewis took second place in 20.07, while newcomer Jason Hendrix was third in 20.35.
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