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SIAB International 2024 - Preview
18/07/2024 00:00, I Mewn Blog / Track & Field / School News /
Some of the most exciting young athletes from across Great Britain and Ireland will be competing in Carmarthen on Saturday.
A strong Welsh selection will take on national teams representing England, Scotland and Ireland at the Schools International Athletic Board’s (SIAB) U17 Track and Field International.
Saturday’s event at the home of Carmarthen Harriers is the first time Wales has hosted the SIAB International since 2019 when it took place in Swansea.
The Welsh team is led by captains Matilda Quick (Morriston Comprehensive School) and Fraser Higginson (Ysgol Gyfun Llangynwyd).
Multi-eventer Quick has enjoyed an outstanding year so far, including gold in the under-17 pentathlon at the Indoor Combined Events Championships in Sheffield in March – despite having just two days’ notice that she was competing.
At last year’s SIAB international, Quick won a bronze medal in the high jump, which she will be contesting again this year, along with the shot put.
Meanwhile, race walker Higginson is also an experienced international, having already represented Wales twice at SIAB internationals, including just missing out on a medal in the 3,000m walk at last year’s international in Grangemouth.
At the recent WSAA Championships in Cardiff, Higginson recorded a new championship best performance of 17:01.06 to claim gold in the U17M-MB 3,000m walk. Earlier this summer he set a new 1,000m personal best of 4:41.3 representing his club Bridgend AC.
The majority of athletes selected for the Welsh team are from the middle age grouping (Under 17s) with a small number of outstanding Juniors (Under 15s) given the opportunity to gain experience of this level of competition for the first time.
Some of the Under-17 athletes selected for the weekend gained their places automatically thanks to gold medal winning performance at the WSAA Championships.
They include Olivia Scrimshaw (Ysgol Brynhyfryd) who won both the long jump and triple jump with championship best performances. She will contest both disciplines in Carmarthen.
Another who won two titles, one with a championship best performance, at the WSAA Champs was Darcy Coslett (Bryngwyn Comprehensive), who had set a new Welsh Under-17 400m record at the Welsh Senior Championships earlier in the summer. Coslett has been selected to run the 300m, 4x100m and the 4x300m.
Another championship record breaker, Libby Hale (Bishopston) will run in the 1500m, the same distance which saw her claim a new best mark of 4:26.00 at the WSAA event.
The fact there were 11 championship bests achieved at the WSAA Championships gives some indication of the strength of the Welsh team which will compete on Saturday.
The under-15 athletes featured include the likes of outstanding multi-eventer Aidan Angilletta (Connahs Quay High) and brilliant young sprinter Aliyah Afolabi (St Illtyds Catholic High School).
Angilletta has amassed an impressive medal haul at various championships this year, including four golds and a silver at the Welsh Senior and Under-15 Championships.
The Deeside AC athlete was also in record breaking form at the WSAA champs, breaking the 46-year-old championship best in the U15B-JB 80m hurdles as well as winning gold in the triple jump. On Saturday, he will contest the triple jump.
Meanwhile, Afolabi is the fastest UK athlete in her age group at both 100m and 200m this year. The Cardiff Archer has collected a plethora of medals and records this season both indoors and out.
At the Welsh Indoor Senior and Under-15 Athletics Championships Afolabi won the under-15 60m title in a championship best time and repeated the feat in winning the 200m.
And at the outdoor championships she claimed another under-15 sprint double, claiming a new PB of 11.89 on her way to 100m gold. In the 200m she won in a blistering 24.06 which not only broke the 40-year-old championship best, it also shattered the 12-year-old Welsh age group record.
Among those returning to the 61-strong Welsh team after contributing to the 16-medal haul at last year’s SIAB international in Grangemouth, is Luca Phillips (Cowbridge Comprehensive).
In Scotland last summer, Phillips won gold in both the long jump and triple jump with distances of 7.15m and 14.39m respectively and will be looking to defend the long jump this year as well as competing in the 100h and 4x100 relay.
Also selected again is Millie Gold (St Illtyds Catholic High School) who won bronze in the 3,000m last time around and will contest the 1500m steeplechase this time.
The action begins in Carmarthen with the girls hammer at 10.30am, while the first race on the track is the 3K walk for boys and girls.