28th June 2010

Cockroft World Records

28 June 2010

Hannah Cockroft (coach: Peter Eriksson) recorded her fifth World Record in eight days with an outstanding victory in the Swiss Open T34 100m on Saturday (26 June).

The 2010 Virgin Mini London Marathon winner – who raced to four new World Records in two days at the British Wheelchair Athletics Association (BWAA) International at Stoke Mandeville last weekend – clocked her first ever sub-19 mark with 18.68. It was another impressive performance from the Halifax athlete who has gone from strength to strength since linking up with Eriksson in March.

“I didn’t expect that performance today,” said 17-year-old Cockroft. “There were a lot of the girls in the line up I didn’t know, and there were a few of them I’d never raced before, so I didn’t really know what to expect, but it was good to race other T34 athletes rather than compete in a mixed class.”

“Peter was on the sidelines and I know he was really pleased with my start,” she added. “Technically it’s completely different to what I used to do and it’s really working out, I’ve got so much faster!”

Her performance continued a string of outstanding results for British athletes in Switzerland which kicked off with World Records for Mickey Bushell (coach: Fred Periac) and Shelly Woods (coach: Pete Wyman) in the 100m and 1500m respectively, in addition to world class marks for multiple Paralympic medallist David Weir (Jenny Archer).

Weir, who clocked new PB’s in the T54 800m (1:32.66) and 1500m (2:55.25) in Switzerland, was inside the previous World Record in both events but was beaten into second by the brilliant Marcel Hug who rose to the occasion on front of a home crowd.

It was Cockroft who had the last word however, and on the final day of competition, she clocked new PB’s in the T34 200m (33.47) and 800m (2:04.84), erasing her previous World Record marks which were only one week old.