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Weekend Round-Up (15th & 16th of July)
17/07/2023 00:00, In Blog / Club Notice Board / Track & Field / Trail / School News /
World Para Athletics Championships
There’s been plenty of Welsh success at the 2023 World Para Athletics Championships.
Olivia Breen (City of Portsmouth) got the action underway on Day 3 in the Women’s T38 100m progressing to the final to run a season best before picking up silver in the T38 long jump on day 5. Breen jumped 5.04m to break the 5-metre barrier.
Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AAC) kick started the medal haul on day 4, retaining her world title in the T20 shot put, breaking the 14m barrier to throw 14.01 for the second time in her career.
On day 5 Hollie Arnold (Blackheath and Bromley) laid her claim to be arguably one of Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s best ever athletes, picking up a fifth successive world title in the F46 javelin. Arnold threw 41.06m in the fourth round to secure the medal.
Earning her first Great Britain & Northern Ireland vest, Funmi Oduwaiye (DSWPA) was in action in both the F64 discus and shot put. Oduwaiye finished sixth in the discus event throwing 32.79m and finished just outside of the podium positions in the shot put, finishing fourth with a best throw of 10.69m.
In an experienced field Harrison Walsh (DSWPA) finished fifth in the F64 discus, registering a best throw of 51.18m.
Michael Jenkins (Pembrokeshire Harriers) smashed his Championship debut, entering the competition with a personal best of 15.30m and eventually throwing three consecutive personal bests and one European record to secure the silver medal. With his penultimate throw Jenkins registered 17.14m to improve over a meter and half on his previous pb.
European U23 Championships, 14 July
At the European Under 23 Championships, Great Britain & Northern Ireland co-captain Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) took gold in the men’s 100m to retain the title he won just two years prior.
During the semi-finals Azu extended his Welsh Record to 10.04, also breaking the Championships record.
It’s been a successful few weeks for Azu after breaking Christian Malcolm’s 22 year old record at the UK Athletics Championships.
Silesia Diamond League, 16th July
Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Poole AC) continued her great form breaking the 4-minute mark at the Silesia Diamond League on Sunday to break the Welsh 1500m record.
Courtney-Bryant finished 5th in a time of 3:58.01 to break Hayley Tullet’s 20-year-old record of 3:59.95.
International Ras yr Wyddfa, 16 July
Nine athletes were selected to represent Wales at the International Ras yr Wyddfa on Sunday.
In the team standings, the women's team finished third overall with a combined time of 2:34:44. Whilst the men's team finished fourth with 2:09:27.
Katrina Entwistle (Bristol & West AC) was the first Welsh athlete home in the women's field completing the course in 49:44. Also finishing under the hour mark were Joanne Henderson (N/A) in 11th and Ffion Price (Builth & District Runners) in 14th. Katie Reynolds (Eryri Harriers) finished 20th overall in a time of 1:18:54.
In the men's elite field, all Welsh athletes finished under the 50-minute mark. Tom Wood (Eryri Harriers) was the first Welsh athlete to finish, finishing in 42:17. Next were Rhodri Owen (Meirionnydd Running Club) in 18th with 43:32 and Gavin Roberts (Calder Valley Fell Runners) in 19th with a time of 43:55. The final athletes across the line were Sion Edwards (Eryri Harriers) in a time of 45:32 to finish 22nd overall and Ifan Oldfield (Wrexham AAC) in 25th in a time of 47:20.
SIAB Track & Field International, 15 July
The Welsh Schools team travelled North to Scotland for this year’s edition of the Schools’ International Athletic Board’s U17 Track & Field International.
Awarded on the day were the Charlie & Mona Hughes Awards which go to the most meritorious performances at the event (male and female), which were awarded to Luca Phillips (Cowbridge Comprehensive School) and Olivia Scrimshaw (Ysgol Brynhyfryd).
Phillips’ first round jump of 7.15m * in the long jump was a new U17 & U18 Welsh long jump record, breaking a 36-year-old record.
Welsh Schools produced one of its best overall results to date at this annual international, with 17 medals returning home and a third-place finish in the team standings.
Newham Sprints, 16 July
A number of Welsh sprinters travelled to London for the Newham & Essex Beagles Track Open Meeting, which saw plenty of season and personal bests.
In the men’s 100m both Josh Brown (Cardiff Athletics) and Makoye Kampengele (Cardiff Athletics) registered season best performances. Brown ran 10.44 whilst Kampengele finished in 10.66. Dewi Hammond (Cardiff Athletics) was also in action, he also registered a time of 10.44.
Grace Morgan (Cardiff Archers) picked up a personal best over 100m with a time of 12.31. Welsh 100m Champion Hannah Longden (Cardiff Athletics) was also in action and ran 11.57 and Issie Tustin (Cardiff Athletics) registered 12.16 over the same distance.
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