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Weekend Round-Up (19th & 20th of August)
21/08/2023 00:00, In Blog / Club Notice Board / Road / Track & Field /
2023 World Athletics Championships
The 2023 World Athletics Championships got underway on Saturday in Budapest, with four Welsh athletes set to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Joe Brier (Swansea Harriers) was the first Welsh athlete in action, in the mixed 4x400m relay.
The mixed quartet of Joe Brier (Swansea Harriers), Laviai Nielsen (Enfield and Haringey), Rio Mitcham (Birchfield), and Yemi Mary John (Woodford Green Essex Ladies) produced a perfect performance to knock more than three seconds off the previous British best, qualifying second fastest for the final in 3:11.19.
Brier shared post-race:
“We are obviously really happy to get the job done and get into the final with a national record. We worked really well as a team, so we are very pleased to have run that time”.
The mixed relay team went on to win silver in the final, but with Brier missing in the line-up due to an injury.
Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Poole AC) was the next Welsh athlete to compete, taking on the women’s 1500m heats. Courtney-Bryant finished fifth in heat 2 with a time of 4:03.14 to qualify for the semi-final.
Courtney-Bryant shared post-heat:
“It was so much better than last year where I went out in the heats so it's nice to say I'm a world semi-finalist this year. I just wanted to do enough today and not overexert myself”.
On Sunday Courtney-Bryant was back on the track for the women’s 1500m semi-final, where she finished fifth with 4:02.79, in the first of the semi-finals to qualify for Tuesday’s final. She’s joined in the final by fellow GB & NI teammates Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill) and Katie Snowden (Herne Hill).
Courtney-Bryant shared post semi-final:
“I'm really proud to say I'm a world championship finalist, that feels really surreal. I was down on the start line and I turn 30 in 10 days exactly and I was like 'this is not my last race as a 29-year-old, I'm going to be in that final”.
Podium 5K, 19 August
A week after the Podium 5K took place in Bute Park, the event was back this time in Barrowford, Lancashire.
Harri Jackson (Menai Track & Field) was in action in the 5k race, in which he completed the 5k in 16:44.
In the Podium 1 lap time trial that, Rhiannon Hawker (Cardiff AC) completed the 1035 meters in 03:08.4.
Caernarfon 10K, 20 August
The Caernarfon 10K took place on Sunday, a scenic road race in the shadow of the medieval Castle.
Scott Nixon (Wrexham AAC) was the first athlete to complete the 10K race with a time of 33:31.
Alison Campbell (Conwy) was the first female athlete across the finish line, finishing in 36:43.
Welsh Junior League 3 (West), 20 August
The final Welsh Junior League for the West took place on Sunday in Swansea.
Libby Hale (Swansea Harriers) took victory in the U15 girls 800m.
After picking up the Welsh U17 girls hammer throw title last weekend at the Welsh U13/U17/U20 Championships, Evie Cooper (Neath Harriers) took victory in the U15 girls hammer throw with a distance of 47.91m.
Welsh Junior League 3 (South & East), 19 August
The final Welsh Junior League for the South and East took place on Saturday in Aberdare.
Grace Hawker (Cardiff Archers) threw a new personal best in the U15 girls shot put, throwing a winning distance of 10.29m.
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