The 1981 UK Athletics Championships was the national championship in outdoor track and field for the United Kingdom held at Antrim Stadium, Antrim. It was the first time that a national track and field championship was held in Northern Ireland.
It was the fifth edition of the competition limited to British athletes only, launched as an alternative to the AAA Championships, which was open to foreign competitors. However, because the calibre of national competition remained greater at the AAA event, the UK Championships this year were not considered the principal national championship event by some statisticians, such as the National Union of Track Statisticians (NUTS). Many of the athletes below also competed at the 1981 AAA Championships.UK Championships. GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-02-25.AAA WAAA and National Championships Medalists. NUTS. Retrieved 2018-02-25.
Summary David Ottley won his fourth straight title in the men's javelin throw. Among the athletes to defend their 1980 UK titles were Cameron Sharp (men's 100 metres), Carol Tyson (race walk) and Louise Miller (high jump). Three athletes won UK title doubles, all of them women: Linsey MacDonald won the short sprint double, Gillian Dainty took both middle-distance titles, while Venissa Head was both shot put and discus throw champion.
The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1981 European Cup. Reflecting the secondary status of the UK event at national level, none of the British individual medallists there were present at UK Championships, though all members of the medal-winning women's 4 × 400 metres relay reached the podium in Antrim (Linda Forsyth, Michelle Scutt, Verona Elder and Joslyn Hoyte-Smith).European Cup (Men). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-06.European Cup (Women). GBR Athletics. Retrieved 2018-03-06.
Medals Men 100m Cameron Sharp 10.86Earl Tulloch 10.90Jim Evans 11.07200mEarl Tulloch 20.84 Cameron Sharp 21.21Nigel Richens 21.40400mSteve Scutt 46.52Paul Dunn 47.87Brian Jones 47.99800mRob Harrison 1:48:35John Goodacre 1:48.89Peter Elliott 1:49.191,500mSteve Ovett 3:42.80 Frank Clement 3:44.10Jack Buckner 3:44.225,000mDave Clarke 13:36.13Steve Binns 13:42.28Steve Emson 13:57.9410,000mDave Black 29:09.09Glyn Harvey 29:14.21 Lawrie Spence 29:15.50110m hurdlesKieran Moore 15.02Phil Barthropp 15.08Gary Myles 15.08400m hurdlesBill Hartley 51.58Steve Sole 52.33Howard Moscrop 52.413000m steeplechaseKevin Capper 8:43.99Trevor Fieldsend 8:46.15Paul Bettridge 8:46.7310,000m walkSteve Barry 42:32.43Roger Mills 43:46.16Gordon Vale 43:52.52high jump Brian Burgess 2.15 mOssie Cham 2.10 mFloyd Manderson 2.10 mpole vault Graham Eggleton 4.80 mMike Bull 4.80 mBilly Davey 4.40 mlong jumpColin Rattigan 7.49 m Derrick Williams 7.22 mJohn King 7.18 mtriple jumpGary Gallagher 15.46 mJoe Allison 15.11 mStephen Metcalfe 15.03 mshot putSimon Rodhouse 17.73 mIan Lindley 17.58 mMike Atkinson 15.13 mdiscus throwPeter Gordon 52.06 m Paul Mardle 50.86 m Colin Sutherland 50.32 mhammer throwMartin Girvan 69.50 mRon James 64.58 mIan Chipchase 61.74 mjavelin throwDavid Ottley 82.84 mRoald Bradstock 75.56 mRichard Hooper 69.66 m
Women 100m Linsey MacDonald 12.20Pippa Baker 12.38Debra Warner 12.46200m Linsey MacDonald 23.97Verona Elder 24.21Debra Warner 24.42400mJoslyn Hoyte-Smith 52.33Michelle Scutt 52.34Linda Forsyth 53.47800mGillian Dainty 2:08.12 Karen Ford 2:08.71Lorraine Baker 2:08.861,500mGillian Dainty 4:21.39Karen Hughes 4:22.25Sandra Arthurton 4:23.703,000mRuth Smeeth 9:00.36Jane Furniss 9:03.14 Hilary Hollick 9:05.03100m hurdlesManndy Laing 14.20 Elaine McMaster 14.43Jill Duffield 14.59400m hurdlesWendy Griffiths 58.51Susan Morley 59.74 Margaret Southerden 60.175,000m walkCarol Tyson 24:09.89Lillian Millen 24:32.09Elaine Cox 25:18.98High jumpLouise Miller 1.89 mAnn-Marie Cording 1.86 mSharon McPeake 1.83 mLong jumpSandra Green 6.17 m Karen Glen 6.08 m Beverly Kinch 6.02 mShot put Venissa Head 17.62 mCaroline Dyer 14.03 mHelen Clarke 13.16 mDiscus throw Venissa Head 45.20 m Jackie McKernan 37.18 mLaurian Hanna 33.14 mJavelinFatima Whitbread 56.10 m Jacqueline Zaslona 51.16 mJaneen Williams 50.74 m
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