Inaugural regional winter throws sets the standard

Expecting two good days of weather in February was the height of optimism; Sunday gave us perfect throwing weather for the North and Midlands Winter Long Throws Championships - but the previous day was punctuated with several short spells of heavy, cold rain.

Leigh Sports Stadium, however, is ideally laid out for this competition with a spacious, covered warm-up area, enclosed on three sides giving a full view of the arena. This made rounding up the athletes and getting them out promptly easy as well as providing an excellent vantage point for the spectators. Over 90 athletes (including five para-athletes) entered this pilot competition; there is clearly an appetite for an event at this level at this time of year.

A freshly laid, smooth circle might have made throwing discus in the wet tricky but the hammer throwers thrived on it. Five National Standards were achieved in the hammer, but pride of place went to Tara Simpson-Sullivan (Wigan Harriers) (pictured) who gained the Commonwealth Games qualification mark with her 66.90m effort in the rain. Those spectators who braced the cold were also treated to an exhibition of hammer throwing by Chris Bennett (Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers, Andy Frost)

On the dry second day the younger discus throwers came into their own. Under 18s Sidney Shorrock (West Cheshire AC, Dave McKay) and Ben Roberts (Preston Harriers, Mike Martin) both gained PBs and national standards with 43.59m and 48.68m respectively.

The stand out javelin performance came from Scarlette Slater-Rowley (Retford AC, Marjolein Templeton) whose 45.11m PB in the U18 women's event will see her get an invitation to the national meet at the end of the month.

The hammer throwing youngsters tried to outshine their senior colleagues; an excellent competition in the under 16 age group saw both Alfred Rushton (City of Stoke) and Ben Compton (Blythe RC, David Thomas) gaining entry standards to the National Winter Throws Championships with 54.89m and 53.95m respectively. The top under 18 female in the hammer was Jessica Wilkins (Trafford AC, Lee Doyle) whose 52.52m throw will also see her at Loughborough later in the month.

A huge thank you to Leigh Harriers for hosting the competition and to the organising committee for all of their efforts.

Did you attend the North and Midlands Long Throws Championships? We'd love to hear your feedback!

Coming up this weekend - Southern Long Throws Championships

This coming weekend the regional Winter Throws Championships move down south, courtesy of Lee Valley Athletics Centre and the London Hammer School.

In the discus, reigning UK champion Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman, Blackheath and Bromley Harriers AC) is primed to kick off her season. She’s hoping to add to her U18 and U20 national records and to secure European Throwing Cup selection. Elkie Baker (Neville Thompson, London Heathside) - the UK’s current top ranked U17, fresh from competing for England in Växjö last month – competes as an U18 this weekend. F44 Adam Rutter (Greg Thompson, Worcester AC) will be hoping to climb the Commonwealth rankings to be considered for the England team this summer in Glasgow.

UK ranked top under 20 hammer thrower Alice Howie (Matthew Evans, Worthing & District AC) is hoping to make her mark. And in the U23s, Owen Merrett (Matt Spicer, Yate and District AC) is hoping to secure European Throwing Cup selection.

The two top of the U18 rankings for javelin to watch are Lucy Bull (Tony Jackson, Swindon Harriers AC) and Ned Scott (Bronwin Carter, Winchester and District AC). Both competed for England in Sweden last weekend where both broke their respective English indoor records.

Tickets are available via the link below, £3 per day or £5 for the weekend!