Today was one of mixed emotions, with the highs including a fantastic Silver medal for Heather Fell in the Modern Pentathlon; and the lows including Shanaze Reade’s dramatic crash in the BMX final. Elsewhere team GB women’s Hockey team finished a creditable 6th, our best result since 1996.
Athletics:
4×100m relay Final: The British team of Emma Ania, Jeanette Kwakye, Laura Turner and Montell Douglas failed to finish the relay after they appeared to have their lane impeded by the Jamaican team at the second changeover. The exchange between Douglas and Freeman faltered and the Brits failed to finish.
Despite a team protest, the result stood, and the girls were disappointed with their failure to finish. This was a sad end to what looked like a strong medal chance.
4×400m relay heats: Despite being disrupted by the news that Lee McConnell was injured, the women have qualified for the final. However, this relay too was almost upset by mistakes when Olympic Champion Christine Ohurugu took things a little too easily and was almost pipped at the post by the German runner.
The team of Christne Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders and Marilyn Okoro were joined by heptathlete Kelly Sotherton who ran a PB. Great Britain’s time in finishing third in their heat was 3.25.48. Leading the qualifications overall from the semi-finals were the American quartet, featuring Sanya Richards on the final leg, with 3.22.45.
Long Jump: Jade Johnson put together a strong series of jumps to finish seventh in a high quality long jump competition. Johnson was disappointed she could not make an impact on the medals.
“I’m quite frustrated with that - I’d felt really good,” she said. “Everything felt good, it was just at the board I was leaning back which was killing my speed and killing my jumps.”
Cycling:
BMX: Shanaze Reade crashed in the final of the BMX racing today chasing the gold medal. The double BMXC world champion was in the silver medal position and chasing down leader Anne Caroline Chausson when she clipped the French rider’s back wheel and crashed on the last major bend. This was a dramatic end to a dramatic event, Reade had crashed in her first semi-final too, but had regained form by her third race to post the fastest qualifying time going into the final.
“It’s been a tough day I am so cut up and hurt I can’t actually say that I could have put anything more in to that race, I gave it everything.”
Hockey: Team GB’s women hockey players finished the competition in sixth place, three positions above their pre-tournament ranking, after going down to a 2-0 defeat to Australia in 32 degree heat at the Olympic Green Hockey Stadium in Beijing.
This represents Great Britain’s best Olympic result since 1996 and qualifies them a place in next years elite six nation Champions Trophy tournament where they will gain further valuable experience of competing against the best teams in the world as they now look forward towards London 2012.
Modern Pentathlon: Heather Fell won a fantastic silver medal in the Modern Pentathlon after putting in a series of great performances, and going into the run in second place. Despite gaining 10 seconds on Germany’s Lena Schoneborn she was unable to catch up the 17 second lead but was thrilled to have gained the medal. Team GB’s other competitor Katy Livingston finished seventh.
Read our interview with Heather Fell
Danielle Sellwood, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
