News

18/07/2022 00:00, In Blog / Road / Fell & Mountain / School News / Commonwealth Games /

England Athletics Senior and Disability Championships

In Bedford, at the England Athletics Senior and Disability Championships, Aled Davies achieved a result he said had been waiting for, for over 5 years. Throwing a distance of 56.21m in the F42 Discus throw, it was far enough to set a new World Record in his last competition before the Birmingham 22 Commonwealth Games. Julie Rogers (DSW) was also in action, throwing a distance of 21.25m in the senior women F63 discus throw as she prepares for the Commonwealth Games.

World Championships, Oregon

The World Championships started on Friday night with Joe Brier (Cardiff) kicking things off for the Welsh contingent. Running the first leg as part of the 4x400 mixed relay, Joe recorded a time of 45.48s to give the British Team a great start. His time of 45.48s was faster than his outright personal best, showing he is rounding in to fantastic form ahead of the Commonwealth Games.

Picture by Graham Glenndenning

Also in action on Friday night was Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Poole) who participated in heat 3 of the women’s 1,500m. In a race which was won in a very quick time of 4:02.68, Melissa finished in 11th in a time of 4:09.07, which was unfortunately not quick enough to process to the Semi Final.

On Sunday morning Josh Griffiths (Swansea) took to the roads to compete in the men’s marathon. In a race won by Ethiopian Tamirat Tola in a championship record of 2:05.36, Josh finished 49th in 2:17:37.

It’s obviously an honour to be in the British vest again, it’s my second world championships after London 2017 so I knew what to expect going in and it’s my third major championships but everyone’s a little bit different as well and I think the standard has really raised over the last few years. So I’m just honoured to be here.
 
It’s been a tough last few weeks, I had an issue with my ankle to start and a bit of an ongoing problem with my quad. I was always going to race but I wasn’t feeling very good particularly at the start of this week. So I just want to say a massive thank you to Laura (Street) and Sarah (Connors) the team physios for really helping me get to the start line because without them the performance wouldn’t have gone as it did today.
 
I still don’t think it was my best race but given the issues that I had, I’m fairly happy with how it went but I need a bit more time to digest and look at the result in a bit more depth. Happy to make it to the end and feeling a bit tired at the moment, but once I get back I’ll have a better look at things.
 
This is my 11th marathon so experience helped me a lot today, now if this was one of my first marathons I think my head might have gone a little bit when I wasn’t feeling so good, especially when my legs started to fatigue in the second half so you know, very happy to make it to the end given the issues. But again just a massive honour to represent Great Britain and hopefully I can make it back here one day again.

Josh Griffiths

Picture by Gary Mitchell

Full results can be found here

SIAB Schools International, Belfast

A strong team of young athletes travelled over to Belfast as part of the Welsh Schools Athletics Association team to compete in the annual SIAB event. There were some fantastic performances and the team brought home 13 medals with them, along with three new Welsh U17 Records. A full report can be found here.

England Athletics U20 and U23 Championships, Bedford

With places on the World Junior Team up for grabs, athletes travelled over to Bedford to compete in the U20 and U23 Championships. Highlights include :

• Emmanuella Kone (Cardiff) finished in 7th place in the U20 women’s 100m final running 12.07s.
• Welsh 1,500m champion Remi Adebiyi (Newport) finished 3rd in the U23 men’s 1,500m final running 3:52.24.
• Ben Thomas (Carmarthen) placed 7th in the senior men’s 3000m steeplechase, with a time of 9:32.20.
• Commonwealth Games bound Lauren Evans (Cardiff) finished 2nd in the U23 women’s high jump with a height of 1.69m.
• Emily Thomas (Cardiff Archers) leaped out to 5.67m in the U23 women’s long jump to finish in 5th place.
• James Tomlinson (Pembrokeshire) finished 2nd in the U23 men’s discus throw, recording a best attempt of 52.86m.
• Mark Mellor (Cardiff) placed 3rd in the U23 men’s pole vault with a best clearance of 4.35m.
• Ffion Mair Roberts (Cardiff) finished 4th in the U23 women’s 400m in a time of 55.80s.
• Larry Ryan (Cardiff) ran a time of 15:06.43 to place 8th in the U23 men’s 5000m.
• Lauren Evans (Cardiff) was also in action over the 100m hurdles, where she finished 4th in a time of 13.89s.
• Lili Church (Carmarthen) cleared a height of 1.75m in the U20 women's high jump to place 2nd.

Full results can be found here.

NEB Open, Stratford

The Olympic Stadium seemed like the place to be to run a personal best this weekend, as both Hannah Brier (Swansea) and Olivia Breen (Portsmouth) put their fastest ever times over 200m and 100m respectively. For the Welsh 100m Record Holder, Hannah set a new personal best of 23.29 in the 200m in her last race before the Commonwealth Games. Olivia, the 2018 Commonwealth Games T38 100m bronze medalist also showed she was exactly where she needed to be leading into the Games, running a new personal best of 12.76s to win her race as she prepares to compete in 2 weeks time.

Sian Harry (Belgrave) also set a new personal best of 24.68s over 200m, whilst Millie Fakande (Swansea) won her 400m heat in a time of 57.41s.

Full results can be found here.

Snowdon Race, Snowdon

Ross Gollan of Scotland won the men’s race in a time of 1:09:21, reaching the summit in 44:51. Luca Merli for Italy placed second in 1:10:04, reaching the summit in 45:00, whilst Nathan Edmondson of Ilkley Harriers was third in a total time of 1:10:19, although he did reach the summit in first in 44:23.

Running for Wales, it was Tom Wood who came home first, in 7th place overall with a total time of 1:13:37. Gavin Roberts was next across the line in 13th overall and a total time of 1:15:25. Rhodri Williams was not far behind, in 18th place and a time of 1:18:54. Completing the Welsh team was Matthew Roberts who finished in 28th overall in a time of 1:23:48.

In the women’s race, Hannah Russell ran a fantastic race to finish in 1:18:48, although being in only 4th place at the summit, which she reached in 52:13. Sara Willhoit was next across the line in 1:19:12. She reached the summit in first place in 51:17, whilst Holy Page, who was just behind at the summit, hitting it in 51:22, finished in 3rd, in a time of 1:19:27.

Making up the Welsh team Joanne Henderson, finished in 9th overall in a time of 1:31:33. Rhian Probert was 13th crossing the line in 1:34:05, as Elliw Haf was just behind in 14th and a time of 1:34:16.

Full results can be found here.

BMC Gold Standard, Stratford

Rhi Linington Panye (Cardiff) showed she was taking to the 800m distance like a duck to water, running a massive personal best of 2:05.87 to finish 2nd in the women’s 800m A race.

Joseff Morgan (Menai) ran a personal best of 1:54.42 in the men’s 800m C race.

Full results can be found here

Cardiff Open Meeting & Welsh Endurance Championships

Lloyd Sheppard Brown (Cardiff) won the men’s 5,000m championships in a time of 15:05.38. In what was a very close finish, Guy Smith (Swansea) was just behind in 15:05.67. Janos Vranek (Aberystwyth) was third in 15:14.66.

Continuing her preparations for the Commonwealth Games, Adele Nicoll (Birchfield) threw a distance of 26.95m in the women’s shot put.

Harrison Walsh (Swansea) also showed he was coming into fine form ahead of the Games, throwing another personal best in the F44 Discus, taking it out to 56.11m. Aled Davies (Cardiff) was not to be out done, as he to throw a new personal best, and very close to the world record in the F42 Discus, recording a distance of 54.56m.

Also bound of the Commonwealth Games, Osian Jones (Liverpool) and Jac Palmer (Cardiff) threw 70.19m and 65.86m in the men’s hammer. Amber Simpson (Deeside) was also in action, throwing 64.75m in the women’s hammer.

Full results can be found here.

BMC Gold Standard, Watford

David Locke (Cardiff) ran a massive personal best over the 800m to win the men’s 800m A race in 1:46.5. In the women’s 1500m A race, Kate Seary (Cardiff) finished 3rd in 4:26.53.

Full results can be found here.