“Very special” first individual global medal as Eilidh Doyle wins World Indoor Champs bronze in Birmingham

05 March 2018

University of Bath-based athlete Eilidh Doyle said winning her first individual global medal was “very special” after she bagged 400m bronze at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham.

It was a 14th podium finish at a major championship for the 30-year-old, who has won Commonwealth and European medals in her specialist 400m hurdles discipline but had previously narrowly missed out on the indoor or outdoor World stage.

Roared on by a home crowd at Arena Birmingham, Doyle attacked the first lap to get in a strong position and then once again displayed the determination she is renowned for as she held off Poland’s Justyna Swiety-Ersetic on the home straight to take third place in a season’s best of 51.60. The American duo of Courtney Okolo and Shakima Wimbley took gold and silver respectively.

“I’ve always won medals in the relays but to win one on my own in an individual 400m is very special and means a lot,” said Doyle. “It’s not my preferred event so to do this is incredible.

“This adds another accolade to my collection which is just amazing. It was a good race for me – I went out hard which was the plan and I’m so pleased with the end result.”

Doyle, who is coached by Brian Doyle at the University’s Sports Training Village, will now turn to her attention to the outdoor season and the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games taking place from April 4-15.

“I love the indoors and I think this has prepared me so well for the Commonwealth Games as well,” she said. “I can go into that with so much confidence. I’m testing my flat speed and it is clearly there so I’ll look forward to getting back to the hurdles.”

MJ Church ambassador David King – coached by James Hillier – reached the semi-finals of the 60m hurdles, a competition won in dramatic style by former University of Bath-based athlete Andrew Pozzi. His winning time of 7.46 was just one-hundredth of a second faster than Jarret Eaton of the United States.

Click here for more information on the athletics programme at the University of Bath.
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