European Indoors 2021: Holly Archer takes silver after winning appeal

Holly Archer clinched 1500m silver for Great Britain at the European Indoor Championships but only after her disqualification was overturned.

The Cambridge & Coleridge athlete, 27, was judged to have illegally manoeuvred into position during the final, but the decision was changed upon appeal.

Jodie Williams set a personal best of 51.73 seconds to win 400m bronze.

Holly Bradshaw also won bronze but underperformed in the pole vault, only managing to clear 4.65m in the final.

The Preston athlete cleared 4.85m in Rouen, France last month and said she was “disappointed” with her display.

“It was my lowest height all season,” she told BBC Sport. “I’m jumping really, really well – it was fine margins today. It’s a bronze and I shouldn’t sniff at that.”

Swiss athlete Angelica Moser set a personal best of 4.75m to take the title.

It was contrasting fortunes for Williams, who claimed her first major individual senior title since 2014 when she won Commonwealth and European 200m silver medals.

The 27-year-old was fourth on the final turn before passing Lieke Klaver to finish behind Pole Justyna Swiety-Ersetic and Dutch winner Femke Bol.

“I’m glad I proved to myself I can get on podiums again,” she told BBC Sport.
“This is huge. There have been a lot of ups and downs. It’s really positive going forward and has taught me how to fight again. I can’t give up my 200m baby, but I’ll do some 400m races for sure.”

Archer’s race was slow and physical. Athletes appeared to bump and barge as they jockeyed for a good position, with the Briton down in sixth with 200m remaining before passing her rivals in the closing stages. Belgian Elise Vanderelst was the clear winner in four minutes 18.44 seconds.

Great Britain have now won five medals in Torun, Poland with one day remaining.

Britain will have three women in Sunday’s 800m final and each has a great chance of picking up a medal.

Keely Hodgkinson, 19, is likely to be in the shake-up for the gold after cruising to victory in her semi-final with the fastest time of all the qualifiers, two minutes 3.11 seconds.

She will be joined by team-mate Isabelle Boffey, 20, and Ellie Baker, 22, who both were rewarded for front-running tactics, finishing second in their respective races.

Wigan’s Hodgkinson, who is also the British outdoor champion, told BBC Sport: “The semis are always harder than the heats. I wasn’t planning on taking the front so soon.

“I’m ready to give it my all [in the final]. I’m feeling strong.”

Jamie Webb, 26, won silver two years ago and is in the sort of form that might see him go one better on Sunday. The Liverpool athlete finished behind ones of his big rivals, Pole Mateusz Borkowski, in his semi-final.

Scot Andy Butchart, 29, could be part of the medal mix in Sunday’s 3,000m final after winning his heat in seven minutes 46.46 seconds. Jack Rowe, who was second in the 5,000m at the British outdoor championships last year, also qualified after finishing third in his race.