Teenage star Gracie revels in title success
NEW Welsh athletics star Gracie Griffiths is revelling in her status as British champion.
Race walker Griffiths produced one of the most dominant performances of the weekend to claim gold at the UK Athletics Championships.
After a cagey first few laps to the 5,000m, the 17-year-old Pembrokeshire Harrier pulled away from the field and there was no looking back once she hit the front.
Crossing the finish line in 23:53.93, Griffiths was almost 25 seconds ahead of Abigail Jennings in second.
Griffiths said: “I think my time wasn’t the best but I have come away as British champion.
“I am over the moon and I don’t think I could have given any more today, so I am happy with that.
“I started the race off slower than usual which may have helped. Not a bad race, but room for improvement.
“I was feeling a lot stronger as the race went on. I am happy about that because I have struggled in the past so finishing strong is a positive for me.
“Since the end of last season, I wanted to come here and win the gold medal and challenge myself.”
A fine weekend for Welsh athletes was headlined by sprinter Jeremiah Azu, who booked his place for the Olympics by finishing second in the men’s 100 metres.
The other Welsh athlete with the qualifying time for Paris was Melissa Courtney-Bryant, who was hoping for a top-two place in the 1500m.
However, after qualifying for the final by finishing second in her heat, the Welsh record holder wasn’t able to get among the podium positions.
Having made the pace in the early half of the race, the Commonwealth Games bronze medallist agonisingly finished fourth in a time of 4:12.39. Georgia Bell took gold, followed home by Laura Muir.
The men’s 1500m saw Pontypridd Roadents runner Piers Copeland finish ninth in 3:41.22.
There was a big Welsh presence in the women’s shot put final on Sunday, as Great Britain bobsleigh star Adele Nicoll went into the competition looking for a hat-trick of British championship shot put gold medals.
However, Nicoll finished outside the medals in fourth place as she recorded a best throw of 16.97m. USbased Sarah Omoregie (Cardiff Athletics) was sixth with 16.03m.
Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AC), who is heading for the Paris Paralympics later this summer, was ninth with a best of 14.44m.
In a super-fast men’s 3,000m steeplechase final won by Olympic hopeful Phil Norman in a championship record, Thomas Chaston finished a highly creditable sixth.
The US-based athlete recorded a new personal best 8:42.21, taking five seconds off his previous fastest time.
Tom Walley (Wrexham) finished fifth in the men’s pole vault where he recorded a best height of 4.95m.
There was also a battling fifth place finish in the men’s 5,000m for fellow North Wales athlete Osian Perrin, who crossed the line in 13:48.44.