Newyddion

14/02/2024 00:00, I Mewn Blog / Track & Field /

A strong contingent of 32 Welsh athletes will travel to Birmingham for the 2024 UK Athletics Indoor Championships this weekend.

The weekend will get underway with the 60m heats. In the men’s race, Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) will be hoping to secure his spot in the Great Britain and Northern Ireland World Indoor team. Azu ran a UK lead and world qualifying time of 6.57 earlier this month. The Cardiff athlete will have Colin Jackson’s 60m Welsh Record in his sights.

Joining Azu in the 60m race is 2024 Welsh Indoor Champion Dewi Hammond (Cardiff Athletics), Hammond reached the semi-finals of the UK Indoor Championships last time around. Whilst, in the women’s race, Welsh Indoor Champion, Hannah Longden (Cardiff Athletics) will be competing in her first event of the weekend.

Kickstarting the field action is eight-time Welsh Pole Vault Champion Thomas Walley (Wrexham AAC), the North Wales athlete has cleared a season-best performance of 5.02m at the Loughborough Open, earlier this month.

Thomas Walley (Wrexham AAC) competeing in the senior men's pole vault

at the 2024 Welsh Senior & U14 Indoor Championships. © Rhys Jones

There is strong Welsh representation in the women’s 400m, with five Welsh athletes lining up. Having set a new Championship Best Performance of 54.16 at the Welsh Championships in January, Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers) will have her eyes firmly set on a podium position. Joining Brier in the line-up is Seren Bundy-Davies (Trafford), Ffion Roberts (Menai Track & Field) Sian Harry (Belgrave Harriers), and Tess McHugh (Sale Harriers).

Continuing with the track events, Welsh 60m Hurdles Indoor Champion Lauren Evans (Cardiff Athletics), and two Cardiff Archers athletes will take on the women's 60m hurdles. Evans, Grace Morgan (Cardiff Archers), and Sophie Lisk (Cardiff Archers) will come face-to-face once again. All three athletes set new personal bests in the event at the Welsh Indoor Championships, with Lauren taking the Welsh title, Morgan taking silver and Lisk taking Bronze. Lisk went on to take the U20 Women’s hurdles title the following week, in which she also set a new Championship Best Performance of 8.76. Whilst Thomas Wilcock (Northampton / Loughborough Students) will be competing in the men's event,  Wilcock progressed to the final of last year's edition and finished just outside the medal positions in fifth.

Lauren Evans (Cardiff Athletics) Grace Morgan (Cardiff Archers) & Sophie Lisk (Cardiff Archers) competing in the 60m hurdles

at the 2024 Welsh Senior Indoor Championships. © Rhys Jones

Taking part in the first of the endurance events is Justin Davies (Team Bath), in the men’s 800m. Davies was part of the 2022 silver medal-winning mixed relay team at the World University Cross Country.

In the final field event of day one for the Welsh athletes, Olivia Breen (City of Portsmouth), Rebecca Champman (Cardiff Athletics), and Welsh Champion Jessica Lee (Carmarthen & District Harriers) will feature in the women’s long jump.

Taking to the track in the Para 60m races are Olivia Breen (City of Portsmouth) in the women’s event and James Ledger (DSW Para Academy) in the men’s event. Breen set a new personal best of 8.18 at the Loughborough Indoor Open at the beginning of February, returning to racing in the 60m for the first time since 2018, she currently leads the 2024 T38 60m UK rankings. Whilst Ledger has an indoor best of 7.51.

Day one will conclude with the 1500m heats, new Welsh Indoor Champion Emily Lowery (Belgrave Harriers) will be looking to progress to the latter stages on day two in the women’s event. Joining Lowery in the event is Cari Hughes (Cardiff Athletics). Hughes enjoyed a great run out at the Armagh Road Race in which she finished second for the second year running. Whilst in the men’s race Piers Copeland (Pontypridd Roadents) will be in action.

Returning to the track on day two is Hannah Longden (Cardiff Athletics) in the women’s 200m. The Cardiff Athlete has a season-best of 23.94. She will be joined by Cardiff Athletics teammate Issie Tustin (Cardiff Athletics), the reigning Welsh Indoor 200m Champion.

Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AAC) will get the field action underway on the second day of competition, competing in the para women’s shot put. The two-time shot put World Para Champion has a season-best of 13.88m, taking the Welsh title with that distance. Continuing with the field events on day two will be Hannah Tapley (Cardiff/Cardiff Met Uni) in the women’s high jump, where the athlete has a personal best of 1.81m.

Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AAC) competing at the 2023

UK Athletics Indoor Championships. © Owen Morgan

Back on track, Gracie Griffiths (Pembrokeshire Harriers) will be taking on the 3000m Race Walk. The U20 athlete took bronze at the 2023 edition of the Championships, in an event which has rich success for Welsh athletes.

In the final track event for the Welsh contingent in Birmingham, Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Poole AC) and Jenny Nesbitt (Pontypridd Roadents) will take on the women’s 3000m. Courtney-Bryant recently set a new Welsh record of 8:37.74, to break her own record set back in 2019.  Nesbitt finished second in the BMC Sheffield Grand Prix at the start of the year with a time of 9:04.28. The Welsh duo will come up against a strong lineup of Laura Muir, Hannah Nutall, and Izzy Fry.

Whilst James Heneghan (Pontypridd Roadents) and Ben Reynolds (Cardiff Athletics / Oregon) will line up in the men’s event. Reynolds had a storming run representing Wales at the Armagh International Road Race to finish in a time of 14:05, setting a new personal best. 

Concluding the weekend’s action, five-time World Champion Aled Davies (Cardiff Athletics) will compete in the para men’s shot put and Welsh Champion Patrick Swan (Cornwall AC). At the 2023 edition, Davies smashed his own F42 World Indoor record of 16.14m which he set in 2016 with a throw of 16.39m. Whilst Swan posted 17.39m to earn a bronze medal. Featuring alongside Davies and Swan is Jake Matthews (Halesowen AC).

Patrick Swan (Cornwall AC) & Aled Davies (Cardiff Athletics) celebrating their success at the

2023 UK Athletics Indoor Championships. © Owen Morgan

Timetable

Day 1

Day 2

Download the full timetable here.

You can watch all the action live across BBC One, BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website and app!