27 July 2011

Athletes competing as part of Team GB appear to have been inspired by the One Year To Go celebrations, having had a successful few opening days at the European Olympic Youth Festival in Trabzon.

Tuesdays action at the Sogutlu Track and Field Stadium was headed by Sophie Papps (Neil Dodson)   as she stormed to victory in the 100m girls final in a time of 11.82 seconds

Papps said; “I am absolutely over the moon to have won gold. Words can’t describe how good it feels to have won – I am just so excited.

“Everything has gone perfect since I arrived in Trabzon and I have been feeling really good and I felt it out there and all my hard work paid off.

“I have had an experience of a life time out in Turkey and this gold means it can only get better with World Juniors and the senior Olympics perhaps one day.

“Wearing the Team GB kit is such an honour and just by putting it on I felt that something inside of me lit up and it really spurred me on.”

Also winning medals in the athletics was birthday boy Leon Reid (James Hillier), who claimed 100m silver in a time 10.68. Gordon Benson (Philip Townsend) also added a silver to GB’s medal tally in the boys 3000m final.
 
Elliot Safo (John Shepherd) and Shadine Duquemin (John Hillier)  both made it through to their field finals finishing 4th and 7th respectively and on the track James Taylor (Don Moss)  placed tenth in the 110m hurdles, Abbie Hetherington (Frank Davidson)     qualified fourth fastest for Friday’s 800m final and Robert Needham (Trevor Muxlow) finished 12th overall from 800m heats

In Wednesday’s action there was further success with three more golds as well as a bronze medal for the track and field representatives:

Clovis Asong (Keith Hunter) was first up in the 400m with a superb victory in 46.94 continuing the excellent form he has been demonstrating all season.

“I am really pleased to have ended up with the gold and that is what I came here to do so it is job well done from that point of view,” he said.

“But I am still a bit disappointed with my final time because after running a new personal best in the heat I wanted to do the same in the final.

“But the most important thing is that I ended up with the gold at the end of the day.

“To call myself one of the fastest in Europe over 400m is amazing but I will train even faster and try and get faster.”

He was followed swiftly by Sophie Riches (Jeremy Freeman)  taking gold in her 1500m race, and a bronze for James Lamswood (Andrew Railton)  in his 1500m final.

In the field Eliot Safo (John Shepherd) then jumped a PB 7.38m to take the gold medal in the long jump – continuing GB’s fine tradition in this area.

Athletics Team Leader, UKA’s Jo Jennings said: “It’s been inspirational for the team competing today on the one year to go mark! Also it’s been great to hear the national anthem so many times in the first couple of days.”

More information to follow