The European U23 champion heads to Birmingham because the top-ranked 400m hurdler within the girls’s occasion
Because the Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham strategy this weekend (August 2-3), one title producing loads of pleasure is Emily Newnham. The 21-year-old heads into the 400m hurdles driving a wave of momentum, contemporary off a championship-record-breaking gold on the European U23 Championships, the place she clocked 54.08 — inserting her fourth on the UK all-time checklist.
On prime of that, she additionally walked away from Bergen with a second gold medal as a part of the victorious 4x400m relay staff.
After a standout season, Newnham is now getting ready to check herself as soon as once more — this time in opposition to one of the best within the nation.
“I believe I’m simply excited, to be trustworthy,” Newnham says. “British Champs is one other thrilling alternative to go on the market and expertise that stage of expectation on myself.”
This 12 months, Newnham arrives on the British Championships with a brand new type of alternative — one she hasn’t had on the occasion earlier than: not simply to compete, however to guide.
“There’s not many competitors environments that you simply’ll get within the senior stage the place you’ll be favorite,” she says. “So it’s essential to expertise what it’s wish to have that expectation.”
Newnham enters the 400m hurdles because the quickest girl on paper and whereas she jokes concerning the strain that comes with “bib colors” (“I simply need a regular colored bib at this level!”), she’s relishing the problem — notably the prospect of going through reigning British champion Lina Nielsen.
“I haven’t raced Lina since two years in the past on the British Champs once I got here third. I believe I ran like 57.13,” she says. “So hopefully it’ll be a bit extra of a tighter race.”
The final word purpose, after all, is to substantiate her place on the World Championships in Tokyo. With the qualifying time already secured, a top-two end this weekend would seal her first-ever senior World Championships look.
Between the British Championships and Tokyo, the main focus will shift to sustaining momentum.
“I’d love to do one other 400 someplace. I have to get a 200 time down too. I really feel like I haven’t skilled in eternally,” she says. “Hopefully every part goes properly at British Champs and I’ll get my Tokyo choice achieved. Then eyes can be on Tokyo and simply seeing how far I can get there.”
The trail up to now hasn’t been simple, and Newnham brazenly acknowledges how a lot her previous setbacks have formed her growth. Two years in the past, she narrowly missed out on a podium end on the European U20 Championships. However fairly than let that outline her, she used it as motivation.
“I wasn’t prepared mentally. I ready bodily and I used to be succesful, however I simply didn’t have the psychological headspace.”
Since then, she’s put within the psychological work — working with a sports activities psychologist, managing nerves extra successfully, and constructing the instruments to compete with confidence.
She’s additionally realized how fleeting success can really feel in elite sport. Even after a significant win, the need to maneuver on to the following problem kicks in shortly.
“The frustration on the U20’s stayed with me for these two years, whereas successful virtually feels such as you simply transfer on to the following factor,” she says.
“I don’t assume you actually get time to sit down again and assume till the top of the season,” she says. “It doesn’t actually really feel actual proper now.”
Alongside her particular person performances, this season has additionally seen Newnham thrive within the relay surroundings. She’s been a part of Nice Britain’s 4x400m squads, accumulating silver and bronze medals on the European Indoor Championships — bronze within the blended relay, silver within the girls’s.
That staff surroundings has been a useful studying area — notably with skilled athletes like Lina and Laviai Nielsen providing help throughout unsure moments.
“I keep in mind again in Bahamas on the World Relays I used to be panicking as a result of I assumed I may not get a run,” she says. “However Lina and Lavia have been at all times telling me to not fear and that I’d get a run.
“Seeing how they function in these environments, even within the holding camp beforehand, you find yourself watching what they do throughout the day, how they put together, how they get better.”
Ask Newnham how she discovered herself within the 400m hurdles, and the reply comes shortly. “I believe I used to be pushed,” she says. “I’ve at all times been an enormous advocate for not specialising too early. I did cross nation, sprints, even throws. Throws most likely was a step too far!”
It was that multi-event background — from cross nation to pentathlon — that helped her uncover the place her strengths lay.
“We realised I’ve bought the velocity, however I can even do cross nation,” she says. “After which my coach Paul at residence mentioned, ‘let’s strive 300m hurdles.’ I used to be like, what’s that?”
That preliminary trial run became one thing extra critical — and in the end, a breakthrough occasion.
“I ended up liking it far more than doing the 300m flat and now hurdles appears to be the one which’s caught.”
Newnham will race within the 400m hurdles on the British Championships this weekend, with the heats scheduled for August 2 at 11:40 and the ultimate on August 3 at 13:55.
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