15 March 2016

There were a number of encouraging results from the opening day of action at the 6th Sharjah International Open Athletics meeting.

2015 IPC Athletics World javelin bronze medallist Kyron Duke (coach: Anthony Hughes) made an impressive start to the season in the F41 shot put, throwing a personal best of 12.46m. This was an improvement of 39cm by the Welshman who won world bronze in the event in 2013.

Double world F46 javelin champion Hollie Arnold (Hughes) began her 2016 campaign in style, winning the mixed F37-47 competition with a best of 38.43m. Also out in the field, world bronze medallist Abbie Hunnisett (Hughes/Mark Hunnisett) threw 17.45m for third place in the F32 club throw competition in the UAE.

2013 world bronze medallist Hollie Neil (Andrew Roda) was agonisingly close to her career best in the F41 discus with a throw of 22.83m, with a further four throws over the 20m mark. Joshua Bain (Paul Welch) also saw a return to form with an effort of 45.15m in the F37 discus whilst three-time Paralympic champion Stephen Miller (Rosalynd Miller) finished third in the F32 club throw with a final round throw of 26.46m.

Rhys Jones (Christian Malcolm) kicked off his 2016 season with 12.61 to come third in the T37 100m. Birchfield Harrier Katrina Hart (Rob Ellchuk), competing in the women’s equivalent was narrowly edged into second with 14.60.

Erin McBride (Robert Roberts) endured a mixed 2015 after injury but was back to business in the T12 200m clocking a time of 13.49. In the T52 400m, Nicholas Smith recorded a time of 1:19.39 for fourth position, 19.88 in the 100m before clocking 5:10.73 over 1500m to complete his trio of events. Nathaniel Williams was fifth overall in the T34 100m, recording a time of 18.54 in the second of two heats before finishing second in 1:00.83 in the 400m.

Meggan Dawson-Farrell (Ian Mirfin) was in good form in the T54 1500m taking over eight second off her previous best with a time of 3:34.54. The young Scottish athlete returned to the track later in the day in the 400m posting a time of 1:01.78 in a tight contest and 18.55 in the 100m.

Carly Tait (Rick Hoskins) took over two and half seconds off her T34 400m PB with 1:10.41 to claim a fourth place finish behind Australia’s Rosemary Little (1:00.97). She returned to the track in the 100m where she was fifth in 19.97. Fellow Stockport Harrier Andrew Small (Hoskins) was particularly busy on day one of the meeting competing in the T33 100m and 400m. Small set a lifetime best in the shorter sprint with 18.21 for second place in the race. In the 400m, he took almost seven second off his previous best, stopping the clock on 1:11.93.

Full results can be found on the Team Thomas website here: http://www.team-thomas.org/