English throwers making their mark in Germany
The outdoor track and field season is well and truly underway with a jam-packed calendar of competitions for athletes of all levels. Last weekend, the English shot putters were in action on the European circuit in Hallesche Werfertage, Germany.
British number one, Scott Lincoln (City of York, Paul Wilson) certainly put on a show - finishing in first place with a distance of 20.92m. As the only British athlete ever to achieve this accolade, Scott has certainly laid excellent foundations for the season, gaining the European Championships qualification distance, a season’s best, and ranking 4th in the Commonwealth. Speaking on the busy season ahead, Scott said:
“It was great to be out in Germany competing in Halle again, to win it was a dream for me! To throw another Commonwealth qualifying mark was again, nice to achieve. This sets me up nicely for the rest of the season now to push on and see how far I can go”
In the women’s competition, Amelia Strickler (Thames Valley Harriers, Zane Duquemin) produced her second-best throw of 2022 with 17.73m, keeping the Commonwealth Games well within her sights.
“Thanks to England Athletics for supporting this trip. It was a great competition with a good atmosphere at a high standard. It was good to have that kind of competition to prepare for the big ones- especially Commonwealth Games this summer. I feel like I’m closer to finding some bigger throws and excited to keep working hard to find those for the Commonwealth Games.”
For Sophie McKinna (Great Yarmouth, Paul Wilson), this competition was a great opportunity to practice a brand-new technique, competing her rotational throw for only the third time, throwing 16.81m on the day.
“Today was another learning experience on my rotational journey. It gave me a good opportunity to test myself under pressure and I’ve learnt a lot from the experience. I know there is plenty more in the tank and this gives me a base line to continue onwards from.”