TWO Poole Athletic Club stars secured Team GB selection at the British Championships in Manchester, reports Nigel Harding.

Melissa Courtney-Bryant put last year’s injury woes behind her, clocking 4:17.72 in the 1,500m to claim the second automatic selection slot for the World Championships in Oregon behind Laura Muir’s winning 4:12.91. The pair will be hoping to clash again in the Commonwealth Games final.

Edward Bird was picked for the European Under-18 Championships in Jerusalem after Dorset athletes finished second with personal bests in both under-20 3,000m races. Bird ran 8:18.22, missing gold by just 0.12s, while Wimborne AC’s Emily Shaw clocked 9:34.03 in the women’s race.

Poole Runners’ Verity Ockenden finished fifth in the senior 5,000m with 15:42.07, just four seconds away from the World Championships qualifiers. Wimborne 1,500m man Piers Copeland was sidelined after breaking his elbow when tripped in a recent race.

Phoebe Dowson missed a discus medal by 50cm, finishing fourth with 54.04m, while her BAC club-mates Patrick Sylla (long jump, 7.28m), Adam Phillips (shot, 15.48m) and Sophie Merritt (shot, 14.30m) all achieved eighth places.

Brooke Ironside, the club’s South of England double under-20 sprint champion, clocked wind-assisted times of 11.93s and 24.09s (personal best).

Poole AC hurdlers Adam Booth (110mH, 15.68s) and Sarah Kearsey (400mH, 63.57s) were unable to progress beyond the heats.