Frisby track star Mari Smith earns first senior GB vest for Euros

Mari celebrates confirming her place in the British team for the European Indoor Athletics Championships EMN-190220-132728002

Mari Smith’s sensational winter continued last weekend as she secured a place in Great Britain’s squad for the upcoming European Indoor Athletics Championships.

Having won 800m silver at the British Indoor Championships six days earlier, the Frisby track star returned to Birmingham to try and secure a qualifying time for the championships at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix.

In a high-class international field, Smith scorched to a new personal best of 2min 02.34secs.

The time was more than three seconds faster than her medal-winning run and good enough for automatic qualification for the European Championships, in Glasgow.

Smith on the podium after winning silver at the British Indoor Championships a week earlier EMN-190220-132738002

She told the Melton Times: “It will be my first senior GB vest so I’m very excited.

“I’m also really pleased with how I performed as it was one of the highest-level competitions I’ve ever competed in, with good BBC coverage.

“But I did feel like I belonged in that company.

“It was great to get the chance to compete in my university city with my team-mates in the audience.”

The Birchfield Harrier, who is in the final year of a masters degree, will be on call early in Glasgow, with the women’s 800m heats the third event on the track, from 11.10am on Friday, March 1.