5 August 2014

In the first day of action at the IWAS Junior Championships, GB & NI picked up eight medals including three gold’s at Stoke Mandeville.

Hollie Arnold (coach: Anthony Hughes) claimed gold with a new personal best of 30.68m in the F46 discus. It is an encouraging sign for Arnold ahead of the IPC European championships in Swansea later this month where she will compete in the F36 javelin. Polly Maton (Colin Baross), an under 15 athlete, added to the gold medal haul in the T47 long jump with a leap of 4.51m which was just seven centimetres short of her personal best. Maxine Moore (Alison O’Riordan) claimed the victory and a season’s best in the F32 club with a throw of 16.89m.

There was a silver lining for three of the junior athletes in Buckinghamshire. Millie Forrest (Robert Halliwell) claimed the silver medal in the F37 discus throwing 19.48m. Similarly, Josh Clark (Hughes) grabbed the silver in the men’s F37 discus throwing 37.12m. Matt Hamilton (Keith Bottjer) matched their achievements in the T46 400m, recording a new lifetime best of 54.77, taking over a second off his previous best.

Will Smith (Jenny Archer) returned from a fifth place finish at the Commonwealth Games behind David Weir in the 1500m to claim the bronze in the T54 5000m in Stoke Mandeville. Another promising youngster, Kare Adenegan (Job King) claimed a bronze in the T34 400m at just 13 years old. She was recently touted by Hannah Cockcroft as a future star of the sport and a rival to her in years to come. She recorded a time of 67.80 in the final at Stoke Mandeville.

Other results on day one included a close fourth place finish for Megan Dawson-Farrell (Ian Mirfin) in the T54 400m. In the heats of the men’s T34 400m, there was a personal best for Nathan Blackie (Martin Cook) with a time of 66.12 but Jamie Carter (Archer) finished ahead in 59.03. Toby Gold (Archer) achieved a new lifetime best of 63.10 in his heat in the T33 400m. Nathan Maguire (Steven Hoskins) finished in 55.15 in his heat of the T54 400m.