13 March 2009

As the dust settles from the European Indoors in Turin, a new set of Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland athletes have set out on their European quest, this time in Los Realejos, Tenerife for the Winter Throwing event, the first outdoor international of the year.

GB&NI’s top throws athletes will compete on 14 & 15 March at the annual competition which always attracts high-quality fields packed with Europe’s elite throwers.

2008 England U23 Champion and 2009 Indoor Challenge title holder Kieren Kelly (Newham & Essex) will compete in the shot just three weeks after showing incredible form with a personal best throw of 19.02m, recorded at the Loughborough Indoor Meeting.

Kelly believes there is more to come after a successful indoor season: “As long as I’m throwing 18m’s then I can always look at throwing 19’s. I opened up at the Irish champs with a personal best of 18.84m and then at the AAA’s I came second to Mark Edwards which was a good competition. Then I had the Loughborough meeting and threw 19.02m which was the first time ever over 19m.

“A lot of my technique relies on strength because I use and East German technique. It’s all about getting the left foot onto the board and let that leg act as an anchor so everything works over that left leg. Basically I throw well when I am strong in the gym. Ive got another strength and power phase which hopefully will add half a meter or a meter. “

Other athletes hoping to excel at the meeting are:

Olympic hammer thrower Zoe Derham (Birchfield Harriers) and former World Youth hammer bronze medallist Alex Smith (Sale Harriers Manchester).

Mervyn Luckwell(Marshall Milton Keynes) who recently threw a personal best of 81.05m in the Javelin, seven meters further than his best effort in 2008.

Hammer thrower Carys Parry (Rhondda AAC) consistently threw around the 60m mark throughout 2008 will be looking to gain extra ground in her second competitive outing of the year.

2008 World Junior athlete Brett Morse (Cardiff AAC) moved up into u23 competition in 2009 and will look to establish himself on his senior GB&NI debut.

Javelin thrower James Campbell (Cheltenham & County), hammer athlete Sarah Holt (Sale Harriers Manchester) and double event participant Eden Francis (Birchfield Harriers) make their first competitive outings of the year.

Francis will try her hand in the shot and discus in her first competitive outing of the year. Her personal bests of 16.12m in the shot and 56.57m in the discus were both set in 2008.