WALKERS AND SPRINTERS SET BLISTERING PACE IN WELSH CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE 106th Welsh Senior and Under-15 Track and Field Championships started at a blistering walking pace and finished with spectacular sprint finals.
In between there were championship records and personal bests galore as a record-breaking entry competed on the first day of the event at the Cardiff International Sports Campus in Leckwith.
Yesterday’s action kicked off with guest athlete Cameron Corbishley (Medway and Maidstone AC) registering one of the fastest 5,000m race walk times seen on British soil – 19.40.10 to put the Great Britain international seventh in the all-time British rankings.
In the senior women’s race, multiple British Championship medallist Gracie Griffiths (Pembrokeshire Harriers) dominated proceedings as she claimed gold - just missing out on a new PB as she clocked 23:39.82.
At the other end of the speed scale, the day’s action was rounded off with an outstanding 100m final where Ukrainian sprint champion Stanislav Kovalenko, who now runs for Swansea Harriers, claimed the overall win.
Kovalenko, who came to Wales to train after the Russian invasion of his homeland, claimed gold with what would have been a new PB of 10.37 but for a +2.3m/s tailwind.
The Welsh title went to Alex Azu (Cardiff Athletics) who crossed the line in a rapid 10.40, ahead of Welsh Athletics transition programme athlete Joseph Berry (Newport Harriers), who clocked 10.49 and Dan Beadsley (Swansea) Harriers) in 10.61.
The women’s sprint final saw Nell Desir (Cardiff Archers) win a superfast senior women’s 100m final in devastating style.
Desir, who is the number one ranked under-17 100m sprinter in the UK this year, claimed gold in 11.66, ahead of Issie Tustin (Cardiff Athletics), who clocked 11.90 and Jess Mantle (Cardiff Athletics) in 12.11.
The +2.5m/s wind meant the three medallists were denied official new PBs.
The morning’s field events had got underway with the under-15 boys triple jump where UK number one Aidan Angilletta (Deeside AAC) claimed gold with a best of 12.04m.
It would be the start of a successful day for the north Wales youngster, who went on to add gold in the under-15 boys high jump with a best of 1.70m.
However, he was pipped in the long jump final where Deeside clubmate Lucca Tardivel gained the honours with a massive new PB of 6.15m. Angilletta claimed silver with a PB of his own going out to 6.06m.
In the senior men’s long jump, Iolo Grant (Cardiff Archers) produced a new PB of 7.09m to outjump fellow national development programme athlete and club-mate Luca Phillips to claim the Welsh title.
Non-Welsh competitor Murray Fotheringham (Glasgow Jaguars Track and Field) claimed overall victory with a huge 7.81m.
The ambulant/para long jump was won by non-Welsh athlete Nils Rehm (Cardiff Athletics) with 5.30m. The Welsh title was taken by national development programme T37 prospect Tomi Roberts-Jones (Newport Harriers) with 4.13m.
Back on the track, the men’s 1500m was won in brilliant style by the inform Ben Reynolds (Cardiff Athletics), who took up the running at the start of the final lap.
Last year’s 800m champion showed an impressive turn of speed as he surged away from the rest of the field to claim gold in a time of 3:49.11, ahead of Matthew Brunnock, of Western Tempo in 3:54.10.
The women’s 1500m final was won by non-Welsh athlete Hannah Irwin. The Great Britain 10,000m international won in 4:22.93.
But there was a brilliant performance from rising Welsh under-17 middle distance star Libby Hale (Swansea Harriers) who took second place overall and the Welsh title in 4:26.26 – just outside her personal best.
Beca Haf Bown (Menai Track and Field) claimed silver in 4:34.55.
The senior women’s 400m was won by non-Welsh athlete Charlotte Henrich in 52.64.
However, the Welsh title was claimed by Tess McHugh (Sale Harriers) in a new PB and championship best time of 52.89. Darcy Coslett (Llanelli Athletics) claimed silver with a new PB of 54.29.
The senior women’s shot put was a high-quality event which, featured three of the top throwers in the UK this year with non-Welsh Great Britain internationals Amelia Campbell (Thames Valley Harriers), and Sophia McKinna (Great Yarmouth and District AC) in the line-up.
But it was two-time British champion Adele Nicoll (Birchfield Harriers), who emerged victorious.
The Great Britain bobsleigh international took the title with a new personal best of 17.79m, to retain her Welsh title.
Funmi Oduwaiye (DSW Para Athletics) won the ambulant/para female shot with 11.82m and the ambulant para discus with a best of 35.95m.
The senior women’s discus final was another much-anticipated event with some of the UK’s top young throwers taking part.
And it was Lucy Harris (Swansea Harriers) who took the Welsh title with a best of 44.32m ahead of Storm Evans (Carmarthen Harriers) with 43.23m and her clubmate Dolly Evans with 36.66m.
The men’s javelin was won by Richard Dangerfield (Cardiff Athletics) with 57.25m, while the women’s title went to Phoebe Brown (Swansea Harriers) with 40.31m.
Carys Jones (Swansea Harriers) won the senior women’s pole vault Welsh title with a best of 3.77m.
In the under-15 girls 100m heats Aliyah Afolabi (Cardiff Archers), the fastest under15 sprinter in the UK this year, set a blistering new PB of 11.89 to progress to the final.
Despite a heavy rain shower drenching the track minutes before the starter’s pistol rang out, Afolabi produced another super-fast time of 11.92 to take gold ahead of Ava LexiPlacide (Cardiff Athletics), who claimed a PB of 12.56.
The under-15 boys 1500m time trial saw Lewis Davies (Deeside AAC) take gold with 4:21.08 ahead of Osian
Parry (Menai Track and Field) who clocked a PB of 4:26.49.
The under-15 girls 1500m time trial was won by Bryony Boyce (Cardiff Athletics) 4:41.81 ahead of Nansi Griffiths (Carmarthen Harriers) in 4:42.96.
Mixed male/female para 100m saw national development programme athlete’s Tomi Roberts-Jones and Will Bishop Cardiff Metropolitan University Athletics Club) going head to head.
And it was Roberts Jones (T37) who took the Welsh title with a time of 13.71 ahead of Bishop (T35) in 14.61. Fletcher Roberts (T37) took the under-15 boys title with a PB of 17.36, while the girls title was won by T37 athlete Amirah Peckham (DSW Para Athletics) in 17.73.