Courtney To Race In Glamour Meeting In Zurich

Melissa Courtney’s wonder season could be about to get even better after she was included in the 5000 metres for the world famous Weltklasse event in Zurich on Thursday.

The Commonwealth Games 1500 metre bronze medallist has already bagged two Welsh records this year over 3000 and 5000 metres and could threaten here all-time best of 15:04.75 record in Berlin as she finished fifth at the European Championships.

With 11 athletes in the field who have run times below 15 minutes the pace is likely to be consistently high enough to potentially drag the new queen of Welsh middle distance running through to a very fast time.

Fellow Brit Eilish McColgan, who struck silver in Berlin ahead of team-mate Courtney, is one of those with a season’s best time of 14:52.83 that tops the current British rankings. Courtney is ranked second in the UK and 20^th in the world for 2018.

Of the 18 athletes ahead of her in the official IAAF World Rankings, eight of the current top 10 will be on the start line in Zurich. The fastest athlete in the world this year is Kenya’s Hellen Obiri (14:21.75), who took the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games, with the Dutch qualified Sifan Hassan (14:22.34) not far behind.

Also in the field this week will be the world 1500 metre record holder Genzebe Dibaba. She won the 5000 metres at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene in May in 14:26.89.

MELISSA COURTNEY IN MAJOR RACES 2018

1500       10 Apr                   Commonwealth Games                3^rd           4:03.44  PB
5000       14 Apr                   Commonwealth Games                9^th           15:46.60
Mile       3 Jun                      Hengelo FBK Games                       5^th           4:27.29
5000       8 Jun                      Nijmegen Next Generation           1^st           15:16.51 PB
5000       1 Jul                       British Champs                                2^nd          16:07.59
1500       5 Jul                       Lausanne Athletissima                   10^th         4:06.27
3000       21 Jul                     London Anniversary Games          5^th           8:46.33
5000       12 Aug                  European Championships              5^th           15:04.75 Welsh Record
3000       18 Aug                  Birmingham Grand Prix                  5^th           8:39.20  Welsh Record