The Voice of Spalding and South Holland
Nene Valley Harrier Lydia Church was in seventh heaven after being one of 43 athletes selected for the Great Britain team competing at November’s World Para Athletics Championship in Doha.
The 20-year-old shot putter will join 11 reigning world champions from London 2017, including ten-time world gold medallist Hannah Cockroft and sprinting sensation Jonnie Peacock, on the plane to Qatar.
Church competes in the F12 category for visually impaired athletes, and having beaten the world numbers three, five and six when winning her only international competition to date in Paris earlier in the month, she will travel to Qatar knowing that she can compete with the world’s best.
- Nene Valley’s men and ladies both just missed out on the medals in Sunday’s closely fought Eastern Masters Track and Field Finals at Milton Keynes.
It started well for the men, with Sean Reidy winning the over-35s 400m hurdles in a league record time of 55.36secs.
However, it was a topsy turvy day with injuries dictating that sprinters became throwers and throwers became sprinters.
This led to the competition ending in high farce with Reidy again at the heart of things.
Simon Achurch was competing in the discus at the same time as he was due to run a 200m relay leg, and an attentive Reidy spotted that the thrower was not in place for his handover and sprinted 200m to take his place.
This left Achurch changing his shoes while on the move as he frantically and successfully attempted to get in position to take the baton from Reidy.
Due to the injuries to key men, Reidy had his work cut out and competed in no less than six events.
The 37-year-old won the 400m with a 53.29secs clocking and the 100m in which he crossed the line in 12.10secs. The action man finished second in the 200m and the high jump.
Over-50 Andrew Robson performed well on the track, winning the 800m in a time of 2.30.49mins and crossing the line in 13.88secs for the runners-up spot over 200m.
Throwing ace Achurch took maximum points in the over-35s discus and hammer. He also won the shot with a distance of 11.42m as well as finishing second in the javelin.
Injured 50-year-old sprinter Julian Smith became a thrower for the day, scoring points in all four disciplines.
Over-60 John Spriggs was second in the triple jump.
The men finished fifth out of eight teams, but were outside the medals by just seven and a half points, less than the total achieved for winning one event.
The ladies finished in an agonising fourth place, with Betty Gash winning the 3,000m in a time of 14.22.88mins and finishing second in the over-60 200m, 800m and long jump.
Team captain Claire Smith picked up valuable points when finishing as runner-up in the over-35s 100m, 200m, 400m and 400m hurdles.
Smith also clocked 27.46secs in the 200m.
Over-35 Nicky Morgan collected third places in the 1,500m and 3,000m with Philippa Taylor easily winning the over-50s 3,000m with a 11.02.02mins clocking.
Andrea Jenkins picked up a healthy haul of points with wins in the over-35s hammer with a distance of 43.98m and the shot with a put of 9.67m. Jenkins was second in the discus and third in the javelin, too.
Sally Pusey was runner-up in the over-50 discus with Brenda Church third in the over-60 shot and Gemma Skells third in the over-35s pole vault.
- Nene Valley twins Evie and Ellie Odlin both won their races at an open track and field meeting in York.
Competing at under-17 level, Evie clocked 59.73secs in the 400m with Ellie completing the 300m in 43.49secs.
- Aaron Scott warmed up for October’s Frankfurt Marathon by winning Sundays West Pinchbeck 10k after running almost 19 miles prior to the start.
Scott’s winning time of 32.36.7mins gave him a comfortable victory over a field of considerably more fresh-legged runners.
- The Living Sport Autumn 10k was won by Steve WIlkinson of Nene Valley in a time of 37.21mins.
- Nene Valley’s Laura Grimer ran 42.25mins to finish as second lady.
