Home comforts help Yorkshire stars shine in front of own fans

Sheffield athletes dominated the middle-distance events with Lee Emanuel winning the 1,500m national title and Mukhtar Mohammed taking the 800m, albeit after being promoted into first spot after race winner Andrew Osagie was disqualified.

Barnsley’s Luke Cutts was unable to replicate the national record-breaking vault of 5m83 he set in France two weeks ago but he nevertheless did enough to add the British indoor pole vault title to the outdoor gold he won last year.

And at the age of 31, Wakefield’s Charlene Thomas proved age is no barrier with a dominant run in the women’s 3,000m to make it four British titles for White Rose athletes from 14 events.

Cutts, Emanuel and Mohammed now head to Sopot in Poland next month for the world indoor championships, while Thomas still has work to do to meet the qualifying criteria.

Mohammed’s was the most dramatic event on day two of the Championships. The 23-year-old Somali-born runner finished second to Osagie in the 800m and was visibly annoyed at his performance as he crossed the line.

But within 20 minutes he was elated after being upgraded to a first national title after Osagie was disqualified for stepping outside the track.

Mohammed, who spent much of the winter training with Mo Farah’s group in Kenya, said: “It was really emotional.

“To win the gold in front of the Sheffield crowd, my hometown, is fantastic.

“I believed I could get the result, but it was disappointing that I wasn’t able to celebrate.

“I’ve been disqualified before so understand what’s happened to Andrew.

“For the world indoors coming up I need to be more competitive because I’m still disappointed with the way I ran.

“I ran Andrew’s race and not my own. I was reacting to others, not making others react to me.”

Cutts, 25, was one of the feature athletes on day two of the championships after his record-breaking feat last month.

But after entering the pole vault competition at 5m45 he was unable to threaten his new national mark of 5m83 after failing on three attempts at 5m60.

His rival for the gold and a man to have previously beaten him here at the EIS, Max Eaves, also failed which meant a straight shootout between the two at the same height and Cutts prevailed at the first time of asking.

“It feels good to finally get it after finishing runner-up four years on the trot,” said Dearne AC vaulter Cutts.

“I’ve been jumping ridiculous heights this year and my training is really paying off at the minute.

“In the shape I’m in I’m jumping as well as I ever have, I just need the consistency.”

He looks to add that to his repertoire this week when he heads out to the Ukraine to jump against the world’s best, including Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie.

“They’re all 5m80 jumpers and it’s good company to be in,” said Cutts, who quit the sport last year only to return in the Spring to perform better than ever.

“Having the chance to jump with him is in a different league to what I’m used to.

“It’s great to be at this level because since the world championships in 2009, everything has gone downhill. I had no help from anybody.

“I came back because I was bored at home as I’d also quit work.

“I thought I may as well give it another go and I came back and jumped a personal best – so I’m not quitting again.

“I’m in the fighting spirit now and, hopefully, it’s onwards and upwards.”

The future underneath Cutts remains as promising as ever with another of coach Trevor Fox’s pupils, 16-year-old Adam Hague, setting a new lifetime best of 5m15 yesterday.

Emanuel won the national title after finishing second last year and now heads to his first major championship in a Great Britain vest.

The 29-year-old spends six months a year training in New Mexico where he went to college, and credits the work he has done there in the last two years for his resurgence.

“When I was 23, 24 I was this close to being where I am now but I took about 10 steps backward,” he said. “Now I’ve finally made that jump.

“I’m not going to Poland just to get a vest, I’m going there to try and make the final.”

Thomas, a former world outdoor championship competitor, claimed the British title yesterday in a competition that is not her strongest.

Yet the manner of her victory underlined her growing consistency.

“I’m really excited to be British champion and to do it in front of that crowd as well was fantastic,” said Thomas, who works part-time as a receptionist for Alison Rose, the head physio to Jessica Ennis-Hill.

“I’ve got it right this year.

“I’ve got a good balance at the moment – I’m working part-time, I’ve got good coaches and I’m very happy.

“I feel fitter than I ever have and although I’m 31, that’s when the majority of female middle-distance runners hit their peak and there’s no reason why I can’t make it to Rio (2016).”

York’s Richard Buck, a two-time relay medallist at the world indoor championships, won a silver in the 400m final in a time of 46.88 seconds.

The star of the weekend was Katarina Johnson-Thompson – the heir apparent to Sheffield’s heptathlon queen Ennis-Hill – who won British titles in the high jump and long jump.

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