Pontypridd athletics star Joe Thomas lived up to his billing on the weekend (Saturday 26 January 2008) by triumphing over the 800m at the Welsh Open Senior Indoor Championships.
The promising middle distancer - who turns 20 tomorrow – had struggled with illness in the week leading up to the meet but managed to deliver a strong performance over fellow UWIC student Paul Bradshaw:
"I've been really nervous as I was feeling ill all week but I managed to push it to the back of my mind. Paul Bradshaw was the biggest rival out there today. We're on the same uni course so there's a good bit of friendly rivalry and it pushes me.”
Thomas is supported by the Welsh Athletics Talent Development Academy (WTDA) and he is now preparing to continue his good form at the Inter City Challenge next Saturday (2 February 2008) but his main target is the National Championships:
I'm in the Inter City next weekend and will be going in the 800m. My new coach Arwyn has helped me to sort out what I was missing and he's been hammering the 45 minute runs into me over the winter. The National Championships are coming up and I really want to get into the final. There are some big names there such as Rich Hill but if I make it into the final, anything can happen.”
Jeremy Moody – UK Athletics’ Performance Manager for Wales – explains:
"Joe is an excellent talent. The most important thing for the rest of the indoor season and the outdoors, with the World Junior Championships, is to be sensible, select the right races to run against quality opposition and stay healthy. I look forward to watching more of Joe throughout the season."
Meanwhile, Brett Morse demonstrated versatility in the field events. The Penarth discus thrower – who benefits from National Lottery funding – decided to enter the shot event in order to obtain some winter competition. He grabbed a personal best with a throw of 15.56 to take the gold:
"I'm quite surprised as I've been ill all week. I don't train for the shot as my focus is still on the discus but it's nice to be able to come and compete indoors. I managed quite a big pb - over a metre - I'm competing at the Celtic Cup next weekend as a junior but I'm hoping to go to the National Championships - maybe even as a senior?"
In one of her first outings as a senior, WTDA combined eventer Caryl Granville took two silver medals. She finished behind Team Bath athlete Laura Maddox in the 400m and it was a Carmarthen double in the 60m hurdles when she was pipped for top honours by clubmate Heather Jones.
But Granville was clearly upbeat as she took a personal best in the hurdles:
"I got a pb which I was really pleased about as I was in Sheffield a couple of weeks ago and didn't manage it - I was gutted! I'm in the under 20s Celtic Cup 400m and the relay. I'm also going in the 200m at the Inter City Challenge next weekend. I'd like to win and get a pb."
Liverpool based high jumper Rob Mitchell captured his fifth consecutive title with a leap of 2.20m. But the 27-year old, who hails from Swansea, was disappointed with the performance:
"I didn't do what I was looking to do. It wasn't a bad height but I should be jumping 2.25 plus. My run-up is not quite linked together at the moment and I need to find a better rhythm. Last year, the run up was too narrow, too tight. I need to find my feet. All clearances were first time clearances though so I can take some consolation in that."
UWIC’s Gary White and European under 23 triple jump champion delivered one of two meeting best performances with 16.01m. But the 22-year-old has now set his sights on erasing the All-Comers record set by Scottish jumper Stephan Hayward of Scotland in 2000:
“I'll be looking to jump further to take the All Comers record at the Celtic Cup next week. I'm off to Slovakia on Wednesday and they always have good jumpers out there. Hopefully that will push me further. I certainly felt a lot faster today and that's something I've been working on with my coach Sean Power.”
Speedster Anoma Sooriyaarachchi also produced a meeting’s best in the 60m by powering to a 7.58 finish. This now puts her inside the UK’s top ten rankings.
And Debo Ademuyewo will be in the good books of coach Malcolm Arnold after he eased to gold in the 400m:
“I didn't realise how far ahead I was. I'm going to Vienna this weekend and I'll be fighting all the way around. It was great to win gold at the Welsh Indoors - last year, I took bronze so I couldn't have asked for more."
Queensferry’s Beverley Jones hopes to make her third Paralympic Games appearance in Beijing this summer. She took an indoors personal best in the shot, cementing that her Chinese campaign is all on course.
The 34-year-old sprinter and shot-putter finished agonisingly just outside the medals in both Athens and Sydney and will be aiming to make amends in September.
WTDA pole vaulter Christina Hughes of Deeside tied for fourth with Chelmsford’s Charlotte Howarth after both cleared 3.30m. Henrietta Paxton won gold after scaling 3.80m while Jessica Abraham of Cardiff took silver with 3.60m.
Wrexham’s Hannah Thomas should go into the Celtic Schools’ International next weekend with an injection of confidence. The St Joseph’s School high jumper, who is Welsh team captain at the school’s event, seized silver with a height of 1.60m. She was overtaken, however, by Vale of Aylesbury jumper Lucy Hodgins who reached 1.65m.
Cardiff’s James Williams was unable to hold his grasp on the 1500m title for the fifth consecutive year. After leading the race for the most part, he retired injured with Cardiff’s Chris Moss taking the top spot.
For more information, please contact Jane Williams at
Welsh Athletics on 029 2033 8274
