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Welsh Senior, U17 and Para Indoor Championships Day 1 - Round Up

Darcy Coslett - Senior Champs Hero.jpg

19/01/2025 00:00, In Blog /

The current and future stars of Welsh Athletics put on a spectacular display in front of some of the greats of yesteryear at the 48th Welsh Senior, Under-17 and Para Indoor Athletics Championships in Cardiff.

Almost wherever you looked in the stands or at trackside on a well-attended first day at the National Indoor Athletics Centre, you saw legends of Welsh sprinting.

They included the likes of World Champion and world record-breaking hurdler Colin Jackson along with fellow Olympians, Commonwealth Games and European Championship stars like Christian Malcolm, Nigel Walker, Matt Elias and Rhys Williams, who now oversees the current crop of speedsters for Welsh Athletics.

Luca Phillips, Colin Jackson, Aiden Angilletta and Isaias Balde

Luca Phillips, Colin Jackson, Aiden Angilletta and Isaias Balde on the podium

There was also an Olympic gold medallist in the shape of Darren Campbell, who spent much of his career based in Wales.

But it was the stars of today and tomorrow who emphatically stole the show down on the track and in the field.

They were led by Wales’ fastest ever man over 100m and Paris Olympics bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics, along with World Para Champion, Paralympics gold medallist and world record holder Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AAC).

Azu, who has relocated back to Wales from Italy under former coach Helen James, earned his first ever Welsh Indoor 60m title in spectacular style in a new championship best performance of 6.64.

The silver medal was claimed by Welsh Athletics National Development Programme (NDP) athlete Lewis Stephens (Cardiff Athletics) in a new personal best of 6.81. Bronze went to Azu’s brother Alex, who also claimed a new PB of 6.88 to make it a clean sweep for Cardiff Athletics and coach James’ training group.

A delighted Azu said afterwards: “It was amazing. It's great to be back in Cardiff, where it all began. It just makes me smile. Moments like this is why I started. So, it's great to experience it at this point in my career.

“I've moved back home and we’ve practiced a lot of stuff in training, so it was an opportunity to try and test it out.

“I haven't raced this championship since 2020 so it's been five years. I've never actually won this title so it’s my first time winning it.

“Today’s competition has allowed me to look back and see how far I've come. Sometimes we're so focused on the next thing, but reflection is quite important.

“It's just been a day of reflection. It's been a day of sharing these moments with the people that are closest to me and the Welsh nation.”

Jeremiah Azu, Lewis Stephens and Alex Azu with coach Helen James.

Jeremiah Azu, Lewis Stephens and Alex Azu with coach Helen James.

It was a spectacular day for Welsh sprinting as records and PBs were smashed left right and centre.

The women’s 60m title was won by another Cardiff Athletics sprinter Jessica Mantle, who has made a spectacular start to the indoor season.

Having already lowered her PB from 7.82 to 7.55 this month, the NDP athlete improved it again in the final to claim gold in a blistering 7.53.

Louise Stoney (Kingston and Poly) claimed silver in a PB of 7.64, while Issie Tustin (Cardiff Athletics) claimed the Welsh championships bronze in 7.71.

Not only did the meeting feature Wales’ fastest man over 100m, but also the nation’s fastest woman in the shape of Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers) who was involved in one of the most hard-fought races of the day

A ding-dong battle in the 400m semi-finals saw the double Commonwealth Games athlete just edged out by Tess McHugh (Sale Harriers), who went through to Sunday’s mouthwatering final as the fastest qualifier with 54.14 along with Brier who clocked 54.38.

The under-17 sprints also saw records and PBs galore. In the women’s 300m heats, Welsh age group record holder and NDP athlete Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AAC) set a new championship best of 40.09.

The mark wouldn’t last the afternoon as Coslett obliterated it in the final as she cruised to 39.55 to take gold ahead of Sophie Steel (Newport Harriers) in a PB of 44.00 and Evan-Rae Hanniford (Cardiff Archers) in 45.16.

There was another championship best from an NDP athlete in the under-17 women’s 60m final where the outstanding Aliyah Afolabli (Cardiff Archers) flew to gold in a PB of 7.49 – just outside Brier’s Welsh age group best of 7.47 set in 2014.

Aliyah Afolabi

NDP athlete, Aliyah Afolabli takes gold in the under-17 women’s 60m final

There were also PBs for Ava-Lexi Placide (Cardiff Athletics), who was second in 7.93, and Kate Higginson (Cardiff Athletics) who was third in 8.16.

The men’s under-17 60m final was won by NDP athlete Finnley Roynon (Cwmbran) who claimed a new PB of 7.01 to claim gold ahead of Jeremy Young (Swansea Harriers) in 7.18 and fellow Harrier Ruairi Harris, who earned a PB of 7.23.

Promising young multi-eventer Aiden Angilletta (Deeside Athletics) enjoyed a memorable day winning the Under-17 men’s triple jump with a best of 12.57m.

The NDP athlete went on to run a PB of 8.76 in the Under-17 60m hurdles final to claim gold which was presented by former world record holder Jackson.

Recent MBE recipient Fortune was one of the stars of the field competitions on Saturday.

The F20 athlete claimed gold in the senior women’s shot put with a best of 14.51m, which she achieved in the third round. The Welsh championship silver went to rising multi-eventer Matilda Quick (Swansea Harriers) with a PB 10.45m and Carmarthen Harrier Ffion Mabey with 9.24m.

This time last year, Fortune set out her ambitions to win gold at the World Para Athletics Championships and Paris Paralympics, as well as improving her own world record.

Having achieved all three, she outlined her hopes for the coming year: “Hopefully a fourth world title and maybe another world record. I'd love to be able to do the British Championships and finish quite high there.”

Fortune is also looking forward to receiving her MBE. “We’re getting it on February 12th at Windsor Castle and I can’t wait for it!”

Sabrina Fortune

Sabrina Fortune competing in the senior women’s shot put

Fellow Paris Paralympian Funmi Oduwaiye (DSW Para Athletics) was also competing in Cardiff on Saturday, claiming gold in the Ambulant Para women’s shot with a best of 10.86m ahead of F63 athlete Julie Rogers (Bedford and County AC) with 7.66m.

Despite the win, F44 athlete Oduwaiye wasn’t entirely happy with her performance: “Not the best today. It's my second comp of the season indoors. We’re trying a few different techniques, and my leg is kind of giving out on me at the moment. But we're hoping to improve throughout the season.”

The men’s Ambulant Para shot put was won by F37 thrower Adam Haracombe (Rhondda AAC) in a new PB of 8.10m.

The men’s senior shot put title was won by Patrick Swan (Cornwall AC) with a best of 17.34m ahead of Alfie Williams (City of Sheffield) 14.83m and Dafydd Pawlett (Cardiff Athletics) with 14.40m.

Elsewhere in the field, Commonwealth Games athlete Rebecca Chapman (Cardiff Athletics) produced a consistent series of jumps to take another Welsh title with a best of 6.06m.

Multi-eventer and NDP athlete Olivia Scrimshaw (Deeside AAC) was second with a best of 5.96m, while Matilda Quick (Swansea Harriers) was third in the Welsh Championship with a PB of 5.58m.

There were a number of other impressive performances throughout a high quality day of competition including Carmarthen Harrier Jac Sheehan’s PB of 8.08m to win the ambulant seated shot, Oliver Williams’ (Cardiff Athletics) win in the senior men’s 1500m final and Cardiff Athletics’ Mark Mellor’s gold in the senior men’s pole vault.

FULL DAY ONE RESULTS