Slaughter just out of the medals

IRONMAN Brian Slaughter finished just outside the medals at the World Masters Track and Field Championships in the heat and humidity of Puerto Rico.
By The Newsroom
Published 10th Jul 2003, 16:07 BST
Updated 7th Jun 2018, 20:10 BST

The Bexhill-based veteran athlete had to settle for fourth place even though he managed to set a new personal best and record the fourth highest points total ever by a UK veteran athlete.

Slaughter remained philosophical: "Having won at European level I was in great shape to be on the podium at these World Championships. Having said that to finish fourth in the world and again beat fellow Brits is very pleasing."

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He began well by notching a pair of season's bests - 12.24 for third in the 100m and 5.83m for fourth in the long jump. A sixth place in the high jump with 1.57m was what Brian expected before running his best 400m time for two years of 55.48 to win heat one and end day one in fourth position.

A sensational 17.82 in the 110m hurdles - his best since 2000 - saw him post the fourth fastest time. Useful points were accumulated following a 31.14m discus throw but a 2.40m pole vault fell at least 60cm short of expectations. Slaughter's fifth longest javelin throw left him in fourth place overall with one discipline remaining.

Never-say-die Slaughter blitzed the field by over 20 seconds in the concluding 1,500m in a fatigue defying time of 4.44.36. But he still couldn't quite claw back the minute he needed for a rostrum position, missing out by an agonising 15 seconds.

Related topics:Bexhill