International success for race walkers

Race walkers at Leeds Metropolitan are celebrating after some major breakthroughs at international level.

Sports Performance student and Carnegie Scholar Jo Jackson broke her own British 20km Record competing in the IAAF Race Walking Challenge Meeting in La Coruna, Spain.  In a truly world class field, she finished a fine seventh in 1:30:41 improving on her previous best of 1:31:16 set in Lugano in 2009. 

This was a fine performance and sets Jo up for the European Championships in Barcelona next month. Just behind Jo was Australian Jess Rothwell who has been based at the UKA National Race Walking Centre at Leeds Met for the past month and was 9th in 1.30.53.

In the EAA Permit Meeting held in conjunction with the England Athletics Under 23 and 20 Championships on the roads of Priory Park opposite the stadium, First Year Sports Performance student Alex Wright removed 5 minutes from his previous best in clocking 85.46 the fastest time by a British Athlete over 20km since 2002 and well inside the English qualifying time for the Commonwealth games of 89.00.

In only his 3rd attempt at the distance Alex overcame unusual conditions and pressure to move to top of the UK Rankings and to 14th on the UK All Time list and the 3rd fastest ever time by an Under 23. Wright finished 3rd in the race behind German Carsten Schmidt (84.15) and Hungarian Mate Helbrand (84.48) to become Britain's fastest ever teenager and hopefully earn selection for the Commonwealth Games.

Behind him fellow Sports Performance Student Brendan Boyce reduced his personal best to 86.35 in taking the Irish Senior 20km title which was held in conjunction with the event. The third Leeds Met student Tom Bosworth put in a magnificent performance in the closing laps to record 88.24 well inside the qualifying time for Delhi. Having won the trail this should secure his place in the England Team alongside the already selected Jo Jackson in the Women's 20km. In the Women's race triple Commonwealth Medallist and Leeds Met graduate Lisa Kehler finished 5th in 100.46 inside the England  Commonwealth Qualifying standard of 102.00.

On the track in the Under 20 Championships, Mark O'Kane who trains at the UKA Race Walking Centre and is coached by Andi Drake took the 10km title in a new personal best of 47.04. In the Women's race Lauren Whelan who is also based at the Centre took 4 minutes of her personal best to clock 52.54 and finish first English athlete. The Carnegie Race Walkers will next tackle 5km on Sundayin the Aviva UKA European Trials in Birmingham.