Newyddion
Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships 2025 - Day 1 Round-Up
24/02/2025 00:00, I Mewn Blog /
An eventful first day of the Microplus UK Athletics Indoor Championships saw the start delayed by a fire and Welsh athletes helped themselves to four medals and a UK under-17 record.
The action was put on hold for an hour-and-a-half due to a fire in a catering outlet at Birmingham’s Utilita Arena.
When the event got underway, the Welsh contingent came to the fore with Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) retaining his men’s 60m title and Abigail Pawlett (Trafford) also claiming gold in the women’s 60m hurdles.
Azu was in imperious form throughout the day, winning his heat and semi-final in style before matching his personal best of 6.56 to retain his title.
The Olympic relay medallist, whose name had been removed from the entry lists in midweek only to reappear by Friday, revealed he hadn’t been certain whether he would run on Saturday.
It was an emotional one after a crazy time coming into the champs, I have had a little niggle so I haven’t run for nearly four weeks – all my training has been on the bike but it shows how much it means to me to be here and get the win.
I am chuffed to have equalled my PB because that has taken a while.
Having had such a challenging preparation to the championships, Azu took the disruption caused by the fire in his stride.
The delay didn’t matter – I have had a four hour rain delay before so this was nothing.
All day I have been having fun and been running on pure instinct. I am chuffed to have equalled my PB because that has taken a while. I have moved back home (to Cardiff from Italy) and everything is going well.
The win means Azu earned automatic selection for next month’s European Championships in Apeldoorn, however, the 23-year-old has another big occasion on the horizon.
I am hoping to do the Europeans although I am expecting a baby so it all depends when he arrives! I hope he comes before so I can go out there for two days!
Jeremiah Azu smiling with his gold medal in the men's 60m's.
Also in the final was Sam Gordon (Cardiff Athletics), who qualified by virtue of finishing second in his heat in 6.74 before matching that time to place fourth in his semi-final. The final saw the Great Britain international finish seventh, once again in 6.74.
Lewis Stephens (Cardiff Athletics), Azu and Gordon’s teenage training partner under coach Helen James in Cardiff, also made the semi-finals where he finished sixth in 6.80 having placed fourth in his heat in 6.81.
Jus six minutes after Azu had struck the first Welsh gold of the day, Pawlett added a second with a brilliant run in the women’s 60m hurdles final.
The Welsh Athletics Performance Programme multi-eventer has enjoyed an outstanding start to the year over the barriers.
Having set a new PB on the way to winning the BUCS title in Sheffield, Pawlett lowered it again as she won a close final in 8.09, two-hundredths of a second ahead of Emma Nwofor (Thames Valley Harriers).
Afterwards, Pawlett, whose time is just outside the qualifying standard for Apeldoorn, said:
I ran my PB at BUCS on my own so it is great to continue that form against these girls here and complete a really solid season.
It feels like I am ready for a big outdoor season now and my target is for the U23s in the heptathlon and see how far I can get this summer.
I would love to push into the worlds standards but a medal at the U23s is definitely realistic. To medal in front of a big crowd here today means a lot.”
Abi Pawlett shows off her gold medal she won in the women’s 60m hurdles final.
Fellow multi-eventer Grace Morgan (Cardiff Archer) finished fourth in her heat in 8.57, just behind double heptathlon World Champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.
Another young Welsh athlete produced a memorable run in the men’s 60m hurdles final.
Iolo Grant (Cardiff Archers), competing at his first UK Indoor Champs, came within a whisker of marking the occasion with gold.
The number-one ranked Under-20 athlete in the UK was leading going into the final hurdle as he clocked 7.83, but he was pipped in the final stages by Daniel Goriola (Blackheath and Bromley).
Grant said:
It hasn’t really sunken in yet; it is crazy in front of all these fans. My first time at the stadium, it has been incredible.
I’ll be driving back to Cardiff later so no time to celebrate. Coming here it all feels real and it really motivates me to improve and do best. My big goal this year is the Euros U20 and qualifying for that.
Iolo Grant lunges for the line as he takes silver in the men’s 60m hurdles final.
Another Welsh medallist at his first UK indoors was Mark Mellor (Cardiff Athletics) who claimed a silver medal in an eventful pole vault final.
The Welsh Indoor Champion jumped a new personal best of 5.26m at his first attempt at the height.
That effort put him in medal contention, but Owen Heard (Harrow AC) edged into gold medal position before injuring himself going for a new height of 5.41.
There was a long delay while Heard received treatment, which meant Mellor had to wait in order to take his final jump.
Success would have been a massive new best and brought gold, but he had to settle for a hugely well-deserved shared silver medal with Adam Hague (City of Sheffield and Dearn).
Mellor said afterwards:
This was my first ever British Champs so it was really cool to come along today with such a great atmosphere inside the stadium. It was a lot of fun.
Mellor also praised the camaraderie of the pole vaulters following the lengthy delay earlier in the day.
Pole Vault is always a long day and we were all altogether outside waiting during the delay. We are a great crowd.
Mellor said he will now concentrate on preparing for the outdoor season.
That is it for my indoor season but I will take a lot away from competing with these athletes.
Mark Mellor goes clear on his way to a silver medal in the pole vault final.
Fellow Welsh vaulter Tom Walley (Wrexham AC), who claimed bronze last year, was fourth this around having jumped a best of 5.11m.
Young sprinter Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AC) continues to go from strength to strength having already notched a plethora of age group titles and Welsh national records.
The 15-year-old added the UK Under-17 record to her growing haul of accolades when she ran 54.50 in her heat to finish second to double Olympic medallist Amber Anning (Brighton and Hove AC) in her heat.
The performance progressed Coslett to the semi-finals along with Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers) who finished second in her heat in a new PB of 53.28 and Sian Harry (Belgrave Harriers) who went through after finishing third in her heat in 54.36.
The semi-finals saw the Welsh trio bow out with Harry finishing just outside the qualifying places in fourth in her semi-final, while Brier and Coslett finished fourth and fifth respectively in their semi.
Other Welsh performances on the first day saw Jessica Mantle (Cardiff Athletics) progress to the semi-finals of the women’s 60m as she finished fourth in her heat clocking 7.57. In the semis, the under-20 athlete, who has lowered her PB to 7.52 this season, finished sixth in 7.58.
Justin Davies (Team Bath) cruised into Sunday’s men’s 800m final winning his heat in 1:49.68, while under-20 athlete Jack Organ (Brecon AC) finished fifth in his heat clocking 1:52.28.
Toks Akanbi-Mortimer (Cardiff Athletics) had the misfortune of being disqualified in his men’s 60m hurdles heat, while 19-year-old Evan Cole (Swansea Harriers) was sixth in his heat in 8.64.
Carys Jones (Swansea Harriers) finished sixth in the women’s pole vault final with a best height of 3.81m, while Emily Lowery (Belgrave Harriers) finished seventh in her 1500m heat in a new indoor PB of 4:26.25.