Tom Bosworth rewrote the history books as he broke his own British race walk record on the final day of action at the British Indoor Team Trials in Sheffield.
The 27-year-old was in a league of his own over 5000m in the Steel City, his winning time of 18:39.47 minutes more than a minute better than his nearest challenger Callum Wilkinson.
It was also a new national record and Bosworth admits he is now looking forward to London and the 2017 World Championships.
“I’m delighted to break that British record – I have to thank the crowd because they really did spur me on to achieve that time,” Bosworth told British Athletics.
“I can only imagine what it will be like on the Mall in London [for the IAAF World Championships] this summer; I cannot wait.
“I am in a really good position – that was a world lead today by some way but I knew I was capable of it.”
Gemma Bridge won the women’s equivalent and took her first British title in a personal best time of 13:23.59, while Lorraine Ugen won a thrilling three-way battle to claim long jump gold.
With Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Jazmin Sawyers vying for top spot, Ugen had to be at her best in order to finish top of the pile.
She did exactly that as her final effort of 6.72m was not only good enough to beat Johnson-Thompson by 3cm, but was also the fourth longest jump in the world this year.
And with the European Athletics Indoor Championships fast approaching in Belgrade next month, Ugen is looking forward with confidence.
Ugen said: “It was quite a consistent series which was good, and considering it was my season opener I felt quite happy with the distances.
“I think it was my furthest season opener so far, so I’m quite happy with it. After next weekend in Birmingham it’ll be all about looking towards Belgrade at the beginning of March.”
The men’s high jump was just as tight competition but it was Scotland’s Allan Smith who prevailed as three men finished with 2.25m clearances.
It was a first time clearance at that height that eventually won it for Smith, although both London 2012 bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz, in his first competition of the year, and Chris Kandu both went clear at that height to win silver and bronze respectively.
Elsewhere, Guy Learmonth lead from start to finish to win the men’s 800m, stopping the clock at 1.48.19 to book his place on the plane for Belgrade.
Lee Emmanuel secured his third 3,000m title in succession with consummate ease as he pulled away from the field with 600m to go. The reigning European Indoor Championship silver medallist coasted across the line in 7.55.91 and will head to Belgrade in a month’s time in pursuit of another medal.
Local favourite Luke Cutts wrapped up his fifth British indoor pole vault title with a 5.43m season’s best to beat Max Eaves on countback.
The women’s 1500m saw Eilish McColgan return to the track after 3,000m victory less than 24 hours before, but she couldn’t quite muster the speed necessary to hold off Sarah McDonald who kicked away to win her first British title.
Elliot Giles took the men’s 1500m title, while Jarryd Dunn won his first British indoor 400m title in 46.97 seconds.
Mollie Courtney won the women’s 60m hurdles while fellow junior Connor Wood took the men’s 200m race in 21.19, with Finette Agyapong winning the ladies equivalent.
Scott Lincoln took gold in the first final on day two, winning the men’s shot put with a best effort of 18.76m, while the women’s triple jump saw new British champion Alexandra Russell produce a personal best of 13.27m to take gold.
And the very last race of the competition saw Eilidh Doyle hold off twins Laviai and Lina Nielson to take gold, the duo settling for silver and bronze respectively.
Doyle said: “I knew it was going to be really tough today – I raced Laviai out in Vienna and she really pushed me, and that was where I ran my season’s best, so I knew it’d be more of the same here today.
“Over the final lap I could feel people behind me but I didn’t really know what was going on, so I just thought ‘keep digging and digging’, so I’m delighted to just get the win and secure the spot for European Indoors.”
Sportsbeat 2017