At last after years of training in Europe and the USA, Stockport Harrier Ross Millington has booked his berth for the Rio Olympics in the 10,000 metre event.
He kept company with the best of the Africans and it paid dividends as a result at the prestigious Golden Spike athletics meeting in Leiden stopping the clock in 27:55 being five seconds within the Olympic qualifying standard to record a 6th finish position with first place going to Aran Kifle of Eritrea (27:27:04) and second finisher being Moses Kurong of Uganda (27:27:43).
Millington recently took part in the night of 10,000 metre PB’s at Highgate stadium and although finishing in first position for automatic Olympic qualification was still 27 seconds outside the required time and he knew what he had to do which was effectively shave a second off his lap times and this he undertook in the Netherlands with great aplomb.
It may have been a slightly last minute situation, but the Stockport athlete who has also subbed four minutes for the mile has made the grade and is the first athletics Olympian that can be recalled at the local club and goes forward to South America with the best wishes from all in the local athletic community.
- Ross Millington runs qualifying time to secure 10,000m spot for Rio Athletics Weekly