Nine of the 16-strong Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland team came up with their performances of their young lives in the Combined Events International for Under 23s and Under 20s against France and Spain at the Lee Valley Athletics Centre in North London on Saturday and Sunday 24 and 25 February.

Daniel Awde (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies), the English indoor champion, led the way by winning the Under 20 Men’s heptathlon with a record-breaking performance while the Norwich Union GB Under 20 Women produced some inspired 800m racing to come from behind and win their team competition.

Awde’s victorious points total of 5347 is a UK best performance by an Under 20 with junior implements. His weekend began sensationally with a 60m clocking of 7.02 seconds. The reason: he had got ‘a flier’ that was not picked up by officials. The French lodged a protest and, not surprisingly, a re-run was ordered. Awde clocked 7.21 – within three-hundredths of a second of his lifetime best – despite cramping-up at halfway. He went on to long jump 6.71m, put the shot a personal best of 12.68m and high jump 1.78m to finish the first day with 2813 points, his best first day by 122 points. He continued his sparkling form on the second day with two more PBs – 8.12 seconds in the 60m hurdles (with no hint of ‘a flier’) and 4.40m, his highest yet indoor vault, before ending with a 1000m run in 2:41.99.

Of his team mates, English indoor bronze medallist Joe Lancaster (Sale Harriers Manchester) finished eighth with a PB points total of 4883, which elevates him to 11^th in the UK Junior Men’s all-time list. He did the 60m in 7.42 seconds, long jumped 6.43m, put the shot a PB of 12.03m, high jump a PB of 1.93m (8cm better than his previous highest indoor leap), achieved a 60m hurdles PB of 8.58 seconds, added a massive pole vault PB of 3.90m (from 3.75m) and closed with a 1000m in 2:58.06.

English indoor silver medallist Sam Worrall (Derby AC) was ninth with 4869 points, a personal best total that moves him up to 12^th in the UK Junior Men’s all-time list. He opened his international career with three lifetime bests – 7.04 seconds in the 60m, 6.69m in the long jump and 12.89m in the shot before ending the first day with a 1.75m high jump. After opening the second day with a 60m hurdles in 8.88 seconds, he closed with two more PBs, 3.60m in the pole vault and 2:52.62 in the 1000m.

Matthew George (Vale of Aylesbury) experienced all emotions on his way to 10^th place with 4476 points. After a 60m sprint in 7.61 seconds, he endured a nightmare of two fouls in the long jump before having to settle for 5.81m with his third and last chance to stay in the competition. He then recovered his nerve magnificently to add two personal bests: 14.00m in the shot and 1.75m for his best indoor high jump. On day two, he sprinted the 60m hurdles in 9.12 seconds and pole vaulted 3.40m before closing with his fastest yet 1000m, 2:50.32.

Under 20 Men team result: 1 France 15,719; 2 Norwich Union GB 15,099; 3 Spain 10,850.

Norwich Union GB erased a 273-point deficit in the final event of the Under 20 Women’s pentathlon to snatch a dramatic victory. Match result: 1 Norwich Union GB 11,305; 2 France 11,275; 3 Spain 9,702.