Aquatics

King claims yet another British title, while Tank enjoys an encouraging debut at world level

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CITY of Plymouth’s David King added another British title to his collection and booked his place at the European Indoor Championship with an impressive run in Birmingham on Saturday.

King ran a season’s best time of 7.62 seconds to claim his third British indoor 60m hurdles crown and sixth British title of his career.

He beat a strong field which included former world and European champion Andy Pozzi.

Olympian King, who had triumphed last weekend at the World Indoor Tour event in Berlin, showed great consistency on Saturday by also clocking 7.65 seconds in the heats.

After his success, King, who had been struggling with flu going into the competition, said: “I had a really good run. I’m very excited now for the rest of the indoor season.

“I just want to keep improving, get back in the 7.50s.

“The goal is the European Indoors – I want to get into the final. I made the final at the worlds last year with a coin toss name in the hat thing, but I’d like to get into the final by right this year an then contend for a medal. I don’t see why not.”

Fellow of City of Plymouth athlete Toby Clayden also competed in the 60m hurdles event in Birmingham on Saturday, but he was unable to progress from the heats with a 8.94 second run, which was off his PB and season’s best of 8.38 seconds that he ran at the start of the month.

Further afield, City of Plymouth’s Poppy Tank produce another good run at international level by claiming a top-40 position at the World Cross Country Championships in Australia.

Tank finished 36th and fourth European on an extremely tough 10k course in hot conditions on her debut at world level.

She helped Great Britain to finish sixth in the team event and her run followed on from impressive results at the European Cross Country Championships and the World Tour event in Elgoibar in Spain.

The World Cross Country Championship race was 2.4k further than those two races and tested even the most experienced of international athletes.

Afterwards Tank said: “It was by far the hardest thing I have ever put my body through both mentally and physically.

“I wanted to do better, but what a brilliant experience to have run alongside the world’s most talented athletes. It definitely makes me hungry for more.”

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