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Weekend Round-Up (30 August - 1 September)
02/09/2024 00:00, In Blog /
WORLD ATHLETICS U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS - LIMA, PERU, AUGUST 27 - 28
Eden Robinson (Cardiff Archers) had a remarkable performance at the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima. The 17 year old came 5th in the women's heptathlon scoring 5477 points in total.
PARALYMPIC GAMES - PARIS, AUGUST 28 - SEPTEMBER 8
Olivia Breen agonisingly missed out on a place in the T38 100m at the Paris Paralympics by just 0.02 of a second on Saturday morning.
The first of six Welsh athletes who will compete for Great Britain at the Stade De France during the games, Breen finished fourth in her semi-final – a fraction behind fellow Brit Maddie Down.
Breen clocked 12.95, but Down just pipped her to the third place automatic qualifying spot by registering 12.93 in what was a highly competitive race won by Lida Maria Manthopolou, of Greece, in 12.53.
A fast second semi-final saw the top five finishers all dip under Breen’s time, meaning the 2022 Commonwealth Games 100m gold medallist was narrowly edged out from the final.
Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AAC) left nothing to chance in the Paris Paralympics F20 shot put final at the Stade De France on Sunday night.
With her very first throw of the night, Fortune effectively ended the event as a competition by smashing her own world record and all but securing the gold medal in the opening round.
The reigning world champion left the huge crowd gasping as she launched the put out to a mammoth 15.12m – obliterating the world record of 14.83m she set in Birmingham earlier this summer.
During the morning session, Fortune’s fellow Welsh athlete Funmi Oduwaiye (DSW Para Athletics) finished eighth in the F64 women’s discus.
The former basketball international experienced a mixed series of throws during the morning session final at a packed Stade De France.
After a foul with her first attempt, Oduwaiye produced a consistent series of distances with her next four throws before registering another no throw in the final round.
The 21-year-old’s fifth round distance of 33.32m was her longest, which brough her eighth place in a competition which was dominated by Chinese duo Yue Yang, who claimed gold with a season’s best 42.39m and Juan Yao, who was second with 41.98m.
WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE/GOLDEN GALA PIETRO MENNEA – ROME, AUGUST 30
Paris Olympics 4x100m bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) made his fifth Wanda Diamond League appearance of the season on Friday night.
Now based in Italy, where he is part of Marco Airale’s successful training group, Azu finished eighth at Rome’s Stadio Olimpico in 10.17. The race was won by Olympic 200m gold medallist Leslie Tebogo in 9.87.
GOLDENES OVAL – DRESDEN, AUGUST 30
Cari Hughes (Cardiff Athletics) ran her second 5,000m personal best of the season in Germany.
Hughes ran 15:21.47 in Karlsruhe back in May and improved that time in Dresden on Friday night when she finished fifth in 15:19.81.
NATIONAL SCHOOL GAMES FINALS – LOUGHBOROUGH, AUGUST 30, 31
The School Games National Finals provides a unique opportunity which brings the top young athletes from around the UK together to compete as part of a series of All-Stars Teams.
The event has a rich history in athletics, having seen a number of world class athletes pass through its competitions, including Paralympic superstars Jonnie Peacock and Hannah Cockcroft, as well as Olympians Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Dina Asher-Smith.
Over 300 para and non para athletes from around the UK, including an inclusive cohort of Welsh athletes, were split into eight evenly balanced All-Star teams, showcasing their talent over two days of competition.
The All-Star Teams, named after eight Olympic Games host cities, went head to head at the Paula Ratcliffe Athletics Track in Loughborough.
Among the stand out Welsh performers was Great Britain international and National Development Programme athlete Owen Garrett (Yate) who comfortably won the boys discus for Athens with a best of 54.05m, ahead of Moyo Stumpenhusen with 49.61m.
There was also a win for F40 athlete Josh Grist (DSW Para Athletics) who threw a new PB of 18.35m for Athens in the para discus to register 701 Razza points, ahead of Finaly Davidson (F41), who threw 19.90 for 122 Razza points.
NDP athlete Olivia Scrimshaw (Deeside AAC) topped the podium claiming full points for Beijing in the girls long jump as she leapt out to 5.83m to win ahead of Thalia-Jade Mason with 5.61m.
Another Welsh athlete to claim full points was Ellie Bowen (F56) (DSW Para Athletics), who threw 6.50m for 841 Razza points to give Atlanta the win in the girls para shot over Amy Thompson (F41) with 7.40m and 668 Razza points.
And there was further Welsh success in the para boys shot put where F34 NDP athlete Jac Sheehan (Carmarthen Harriers) amassed 686 Razza points with a 8.34m effort to claim the win for Sydney ahead of Nehemiah Dick, who threw 8.89 for 221 Razza points. Joe Symons (F37) (DSW Para Athletics) was third for Rio with 7.20m and 133 Razza points.
Luca Phillips (Cardiff Archers), finished second for Paris in the boys long jump with a best of 6.93m behind Daniel Emegbor, who won with 7.08m.
Commonwealth Youth Games representative for Wales Tomi Roberts-Jones (T37) (Newport Harriers) claimed a second place for Rio in the boys ambulant 100m in 14.22 for 982 Razza points behind Euan Murray (T64) with 12.75 and 982 points.
The girls hammer saw Amelia Mitchell (Neath Harriers) finish third for Athens with 53.04m, ahead of clubmate Evie Cooper, who recorded 49.59 in fourth place for Beijing.
Wheelchair athlete Owain Terrell (T54) (Newport Harriers) claimed a third place for Paris in the boys 100m, where he clocked 18.41 for 548 Razza points.
Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AC), who has enjoyed an outstanding season, finished third for Sydney in the girls 300m, where she clocked 39.83.
There was also a third place in the boys 200m for Finnley Roynon (Cwmbran Harriers), who crossed the line in 21.95 representing Sydney.
Likewise, Millie Gold (Swansea Harriers) was third in the 1500m steeplechase for London as she clocked 5:02.21.
Fletcher Roberts (T37) (Brighton Phoenix) was fourth in the boys para 1500m for London in a new PB of 6:47.63 with 0 Razza points.
There was also Welsh success in the relays which rounded off the two days of competition.
Darcy Coslett was part of the Sydney team which won the 4x100m, while Luca Phillips helped Paris win the boys 4x100m. Tom Roberts-Jones helped Rio win the universal relay A final.
The Combined team match was won by London with 250 points ahead of Paris in second with 249 and Sydney in third with 238.
MID CHESHIRE 5K – KINGSLEY, AUGUST 30
Josh Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) travelled North chasing a fast 5km and was rewarded with a 14:21 clocking in sixth place.
Meirionnydd RC turned out in strength, led by Rhodri Owen in a P.B. of 14:27 and followed by Owen Roberts in 14:39 and Tom Roberts in 14:41.
WELSH JUNIOR DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE NORTH 3 – WREXHAM, AUGUST 31
Among the outstanding individual performances at the Queensway International Stadium on Saturday was a big new long jump personal best for promising multi-eventer Aiden Angilletta (Deeside AAC).
Angilletta’s leap of 6.13m put him into the under-15 long jump top 10 rankings in the UK this year. In second place with 5.71m was club-mate and fellow multi-eventer Lucca Tardivel, who himself has been amongst the UK top 10 this season with a best of 6:04m. Tomos Rigby (Menai Track and Field) was third with a best of 5.30m.
All three athletes enjoyed a productive day on Saturday. Tardivel won the 200m in 23.50 ahead of Rigby in a PB of 23.82, while Angilletta also claimed a new PB of 24.57 in third.
Tardivel also won the 100m in 11.67, once again edging Rigby into second place with a PB of 11.73. Oliver Nesbitt (Menai Track and Field) was third in 12.11.
In the field, Angilletta claimed another win by taking the under-15 boys and girls shot put with a best of 11.37m. Maddison Jones (Deeside AAC) was second with 8.73m, while Isabella Bennett (Wrexham) was third with 7.88m.
Jones also enjoyed a successful day going on to win the under-15 girls’ 100m in a new personal best of 13.42, just ahead of Ela Edwards (Menai Track and Field) who claimed a PB of 13.66 and Isa McManus (Deeside AAC), who also celebrated a PB of 13.85.
However, it was Edwards who gained the upper hand in the 200m, which she won in a new PB of 27.82, just ahead of Jones, who also clocked a PB of 27.93. Mia Jones was third in 28.59.
BRECON CARREG CDF 10K 2024 – CARDIFF, SEPTEMBER 1
A strong field of elite athletes battled it out on the streets of Cardiff in the Brecon Carreg CDF 10K.
More than 7,000 runners signed up to take part in the day’s events – the fourth and final fixture of the Run 4 Wales 10K Series.
In the men’s race it was a close contest between Dewi Griffiths (Swansea Harriers), Omar Ahmed and Kadar Omar who have been running against each other throughout the R4W 10K Series.
However, it was Run 4 Wales 10K serial winner, Omar Ahmed, who narrowly took first place and secured a PB at the event with a time of 28:27.
Welsh Commonwealth Games athlete Griffiths (28:28) came in a close second followed by Kadar Omar (28:52).
Ahmed said: “I was feeling good today. My first 5K was very fast – I tried to pick up the pace in my first mile and create a gap, but then Dewi caught me, and I stayed with him until the last 200m.
“The course was amazing as it was so flat. I’ll definitely be back.”
In the women’s race it was Aldershot Farnham & District’s Kate EstLea-Morris who claimed victory in 34:34.Deborah Bruce (34:56) took second place.
The first Welsh athlete to finish was last year’s winner, and winner of July’s Ogi Porthcawl 10K, Alaw Evans (Les Croupiers) who finished third in 35:25.
EstLea-Morris said: “I didn’t expect to win as there were some really strong girls in the race but the crowds carry you away. I loved the course, it was nice and scenic, and nice and flat too.”
In the wheelchair race there was a phenomenally close sprint finish between young Welsh athlete Owain Terrell (Newport Harriers and countryman and para legend Richie Powell, who both clocked a time of 30:12.
But it was 17-year-old Terrell who just pipped his coach Powell to claim the top spot. Ron Price (33:52) claimed third.
Terrell, who was also taking part in his first 10K race, said: “It was tiring but I managed to beat my coach and former Paralympian, Richie Powell, but it was so close.
“A couple of times out on the course he managed to get ahead of me and then at other points I got ahead.
“I live up a hill so training on that prepared me well – it was flat, I found it easy, although some of the curves were quite tight. Overall it was a great event.”
THE BIG HALF – LONDON, SEPTEMBER 1
Beth Kidger (Brighton Phoenix) followed up her third place for Wales at last weekend’s Adidas Podium Home nationals 5K in Cardiff, with an excellent run on the streets of London on Sunday.
In the elite women’s race, Kidger finished fourth in 1:15.02, behind Eilish McColgan who won the race in 1:109.14. Calli Hauger-Thackery was second in 1:09.35 with fellow Brit Lucy Reid third in 1:13.31.
Pontypridd Roadents athlete Jake Smith was second in the men’s race clocking 1:04.07. As a result, Smith will now represent Great Britain at the European Running Championships in Belgium next April.
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