Sutton & District’s 17-year-old sprinter Harry Aikines Aryeetey has taken gold at the World Junior Championships in China.
Aikines Aryeetey sped down the track in a season’s best of 10.37sec after a summer disrupted by a back injury picked up at Gateshead in June. Wade Bennett Jackson of Belgrave Harriers took sixth place with 10.45sec.
In the women’s 100m came another highly encouraging performance. At the age of just 15 Newham & Essex Beagle Asha Phillip clocked 11.48sec for fourth place – as good as any British Junior has ever placed.
Martyn Rooney came through his 400m semi-final with a controlled win in 46.01sec. Grant Baker went out after finishing third in 46.55sec.
Mark Mitchell of Forres Harriers and James Brewer of Cheltenham Harriers were both eliminated in the 800m. Mitchell did his best to go with a fast pace but after hanging on for as long as he could he faded to finish last in his heat in 1min 53.51sec. Brewer came in fourth in his heat in 1min 49.53sec.
Emma Jackson of the City of Stoke club was just run out of an automatic qualifying spot in the 800m semi-finals. Her third place was not enough to go through as a fastest loser as the athletes in the next two races cut out a sharp pace to ensure they took all these slots. Danielle Christmas found the fast pace hard to handle and despite hanging on as best she could she finished in fifth place in 2min 07.26sec.
In the 400m Hurdles Perri Shakes Drayton of Victoria Park and Tower Hamlets set a new PB of 57.52sec and advanced to the final.
Zara Hohn of Wakefield & District moved to the semi-finals of the 100m hurdles despite a false start and then a poor start second time around. Her 13.90sec was good enough for fourth place.
Rion Pierre moved through the 200m rounds as a fastest loser in 21.51sec. Alex Nelson of City of Stoke won his heat in 21.15sec to move on in encouraging style.
Amy Foster of North Down qualified for the 200m semi-finals in a PB time of 24.37sec.
