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Javelin Carnival goes from strength to strength

The late May Bank Holiday weekend saw the UK Javelin Carnival return to Loughborough University for the 4th time.

Now in its 7th edition, the event continues to go from strength to strength with some outstanding results across all age groups and just under 50% of competitors taking home either a personal or season’s best.

Standout performer on day one was Team Kennet’s Benjamin East (Coach: Cheryl Angell) who took the gold medal with a new British U15 record of 66.17m with the 600g implement. He was pushed hard throughout the competition by silver medallist Bradley James (Club: Havering, Coach: Sam Harrison) who also broke 60m for the first time.

The Senior Women's event saw Loughborough Student Emma Hamplett (Coach: Mike McNeill) extended her lead at the top of the UK rankings with 51.52m, whilst Harriette Mortlock (Club: Basilidon AC, Coach: John Mundy) took the U15 Girls' title and Loughborough Student Benji Pearson the Senior Men’s. Top ambulant disability performer of the day was Spain’s European Record Holder Hector Cabrera with 59.16m in the F12 category for visually impaired athletes.

Day two began with wins for Thomas Holmes (Club: Marlborough AC) in the Men’s U17 Competition, followed by another throw over 50m for the country's top U17 woman this year, Bethany Moule (Club: Neath Harriers, Coach: John Davies).

Both the men’s and women's U20 competitions were sponsored by the British Athletics Supporters' Club for the second year in a row, with medallists in both events receiving a cash prize. This seemed to bring out the best in both groups of athletes, with Daniel Bainbridge (Club: Loughborough Students, Coach: Mike McNeill) moving to the top of the U20 rankings with a personal best of 66.84m. The women's U20 was a real showstopper with Bethan Rees (Club: Cannock and Stafford, Coach: Mark Pinner) pipping Blackheath and Bromley’s Bekah Walton (Coach: David Turner) with a 51.18m personal best in the final round as she responded to Bekah’s 48.50m personal best, which took both ladies to the top of the U20 national rankings.

The event also raised £300 for the Ron Pickering Memorial Fund, with Ron Pickering’s son and 1998 Commonwealth medallist Shaun Pickering on hand to collect a cheque for that sum, raised through the kind donation of a signed javelin by Hollie Arnold, recently crowned Commonwealth Champion and World Record holder in the F46 category.

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