Impressive performances from England team at Växjö indoor throws

A team of 15 athletes travelled to compete at Växjö Inomhuskast last weekend. This indoor throws event in Sweden provided the rare opportunity for long throws to be contested indoors - an experience that many athletes on the team had never encountered before.

The team’s performance was nothing short of impressive, with two indoor British records, four winners, and eight personal bests including new indoor PBs.

Standout performances

Alani Dumbuya (Leigh, Simon Forster) had a standout performance, adding over a metre to her PB with 16.64m, taking her to 10th in the European rankings for U18 shot. Harriet Court’s (Paddock Wood, Mike McNeill) PB of 48.24m set a new British indoor record for the U20 javelin, while Jacob Foord (Taunton, Brett Morse) broke the British U20 indoor discus record with a throw of 53.53m. Godwin Mutandwa (Dacorum, Garry Power) claimed victory in the U18 discus, being just 7cm short of his PB with a throw of 54.41m. Gabi Tcheukam (Croydon, Paul Weston) also topped the podium in the women’s U18 discus with a SB of 42.47m.

Debare Alade (Dartford, John Hillier) competed for the first time in an England vest:

"I was anxious about my performing in an unfamiliar environment under different conditions, but it offered me the chance to explore a country I had never visited, throw indoors for the first time and meet new athletes." 

Reflecting on their success, team captain Issy Stamp (South London, Anthony Soalla-Bell) expressed immense pride:

"Every athlete showed why they were chosen through their competitiveness, maturity and resilience through the competition."

Podium places

The team celebrated multiple podium finishes, including Yasmin Baker (Wigan & District, Karl Hopper) securing 3rd place in the U18 shot, with a PB since transferring to the rotational technique. Dillon Claydon (Blackheath & Bromley, Gary Herrington) and Teddy Gannon (WSEH, Garry Power) took 2nd and 3rd respectively in the U23 men’s discus, both with solid early season marks.

Captain Issy Stamp demonstrated her leadership, stepping up an age group to place 2nd in the U20 shot, with a season's best of 12.69m. Lawson Capes (Peterborough and Nene Valley, Lewis Capes) fought well in a tough competition to place 2nd with 17.51m. Finally, Moyo Stumpenhuson (Rugby & Northampton, Garry Herrington) claimed 3rd in the U18 discus, showing great potential wearing his first England vest - one of seven international debutants.

Issy spoke about her role as team captain:

"It gave me a leadership role and responsibility in an environment that is new to me. I looked up to my team captains when I had my first international competition, and this was a great opportunity to do the same for the younger athletes on the team."

Athlete development

The trip provided team members an opportunity to develop into better athletes, along with a chance to get to know other athletes of the same level, and learn from those who were older and more experienced. Nine of the athletes are currently on, or have completed the Youth Talent Programme, meaning they had an opportunity to put what they have learned through the programme into practice at an international level.

Debare Alade shared his reflections on how the trip will benefit him in the future,

"Although I didn't feel that my performance reflected what I felt I was capable of, I’m confident that this competition provided me with a valuable platform to build upon as the season progresses."

The Växjö Inomhuskast competition was not only a success in terms of performance but also a fantastic learning opportunity for all athletes involved, leaving them better equipped for the challenges ahead in their athletic journeys.

Team lead Katie Lambert praised the trip, saying:

"It was a great experience for all athletes. We had an positive team atmosphere; everyone supported each other. The PBs and placings were excellent, but more importantly, every athlete will leave with valuable learnings to take away. This will play a big role in their longer-term development."

Results:

Shot put

• Alani Dumbuya (Leigh, Simon Forster) – 1st U18 shot – 16.64m
• Yasmin Baker (Wigan & District, Karl Hopper) – 3rd U18 shot – 13.83m
• Lawson Capes (Peterborough and Nene Valley, Lewis Capes) – 2nd U18 shot – 17.51m
• Issy Stamp (South London, Anthony Soalla-Bell) – 2nd U20 shot – 12.69m

Javelin

• Harriet Court (Paddock Wood, Mike McNeill) – 1st U20 Javelin – 48.25m
• Henry Watson (Yate, Mark Bradford) – 3rd U20 javelin – 54.32m

Discus

• Gabi Tcheukam (Croydon, Paul Weston) – 1st U18 discus – 42.47m
• Beth Pendlebury (Trafford AC, Mike Martin) – 7th u18 discus – 32.84m
• Godwin Mutandwa (Dacorum, Garry Power) – 1st U18 discus – 54.41m
• Moyo Stumpenhusen (Rugby & Northampton, Garry Herrington) – 3rd U18 discus – 48.24m
• Debare Alade (Dartford, John Hillier) – 4th U20 discus – 50.37m
• Jacob Foord (Taunton, Brett Morse) – 3rd U20 discus – 53.53m
• Nubia Evans-Shields (Plymouth, Mark Chapman) – 4th U20 discus – 40.77m
• Dillon Claydon (Blackheath & Bromley, Gary Herrington) – 2nd U23 discus – 49.98m
• Teddy Gannon (WSEH, Garry Power) – 3rd U23 discus – 38.66m

Team staff:

• Team lead: Katie Lambert
• Discus: Mike Martin
• Shot: Lewis Capes
• Javelin: Felicity Dawes
• Physio: Lucy Eggleton