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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
Sport
Jonathan Gorrie

UK Athletics Championships: Max Burgin and Jemma Reekie book Eugene spots with 800m finals wins

Max Burgin won the 800m men’s final at the UK Athletics Championships on Sunday.

The 20-year-old won with a 1:44.64 Stadium Record, booking his spot at the World Athletics Championships in Eugene next month.

2020 champion Daniel Rowden finished second while 2015 winner Kyle Langford claimed bronze.

“I am delighted with that race today. Going into today, I was the fastest so there was a little bit more of expectation on me to qualify. So, I am delighted to have come out and secured the win,” said Bergin.

“The conditions were tough so running from the front isn’t necessarily the best as you feel the wind more. It is quite normal for me to feel sick straight afterwards – it is a side effect of the effort but nothing to worry about.

“I have never run in a senior major championships so it will be a new experience. I have the world lead at the moment, so I am in a good place. With the Commonwealths and the Europeans, I have plenty of opportunities to get used to championship running with the three rounds and so on.”

Olympic finalist Jemma Reekie won the women’s 800m final with a commanding 2:06:03, with Ellie Baker a close second (2:0:26) and Isabelle Boffrey (2:06:59) third.

“Today means a lot to me. This season has been a bit of a rollercoaster for me, but I know I can be ready for the Worlds and I have booked my spot,” said Reekie.

“Some of the British girls are the best in the world so I really couldn’t take anything for granted. I knew it would be slow because of the wind and I knew some could sprint, but I really wanted it out there today.

“Last year, I was so nervous at the Olympic trials whereas today I decided I just needed to do my best and I had prepared myself the best I can.”

Elsewhere, 2020 winner Jessie Knight sealed her place in Eugene with an impressive 55.8 400m hurdles victory and Cindy Sember won the 100m hurdles with a windy 12.56 (+5.4).

British record holder Lizzie Bird, meanwhile, retained her 300m Steeplechase title with relative ease, speeding home with a 9:46:16.

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