National medals for Woodford Green Essex Ladies duo

After the disappointment of missing out on last year’s Olympic Games in Paris, the 35-year-old Woodford Green Essex Ladies athlete was on a verge of not competing at this year’s domestic championships at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

However that all changed after a discussion with his Slovenia-born coach Tomaz Plibersek.

Norman said: “I wasn’t sure if I would be here after last year so it was about nine weeks ago that I decided to do the Championships.

“I have been training as usual through the winter but I wasn’t quite sure what I was going to do in the summer so I reached out to my coach and said ‘I want to do the Champs, will you draw me up the plan to get me there’.

“I had laid down all the work, lots of 5km and 10km stuff, so it was about doing the steeple specific work in the last nine weeks. We knew what we had to do to get into shape to race.”

Norman certainly did himself and his coach proud after overtaking Bracknell’s two-time British champion Zak Seddon in the final 100m to bag his third UK crown in 8mins 40.47secs.

Seddon clocked 8:40.67 while Mark Pearce, of Birmingham Running Athletics & Triathlon, took bronze in 8:41.65.

However, the times produced in Sunday’s final were nowhere near the qualifying mark of 8:15.00 for next month’s World Championships in Tokyo, Japan.

Norman added: “I was prepared for it to be a quick race but I wasn’t expecting a burn-up like that really.

“I was just making sure I was in a good position to make a move. I could tell Mark (Pearce) still had a fair bit in the tank so I had to keep myself ticking and close by.

“I knew I had to attack off the last barrier and nail it so I was just super focused to take it right and drive off it well.”

Clubmate Yemi Mary John is on the verge of securing her GB spot for Tokyo after the 22-year-old claimed bronze in the women’s 400m final.

Brighton & Hove's world indoor champion Amber Anning comfortably retained her domestic mantle with a 50.53secs run, ahead of Newham & Essex Beagles Victoria Ohuruogu (50.79) and John (50.84).

John, who two weeks ago was part of GB's gold medal-winning 4x400m women’s relay squad at the European Under-23 Championships in Bergen, Norway, has already achieved the 50.75 qualifying mark for the world championships.

She said:“The depth in women’s 400m has been getting crazier and crazier so I am happy to be consistently in the 50s now.

“Fingers crossed I can get in that worlds team and show up and show out. I think I am a championship runner, that’s when my best tends to come out. I am excited to push myself.”