Steps to European Championship success

Leeds Met student and Carnegie Scholar Jo Jackson will take to the streets of Barcelona this Wednesday as she represents Team GB in the European Athletics Championships in the 20km walk.

Originally from Redcar Jo has relocated to Leeds to base herself and train at the UK Athletics National Race Walking Centre at Leeds Met as well as study for a degree in Sports Performance at the University. Jo who was 21st in the Beijing Olympic Games and represented Great Britain in last years IAAF World Athletics Championships in Berlin, has been in excellent form this year.

She became the first British Athlete to make the Podium at an IAAF Race Walking Challenge meeting in Milan, Italy in May and broke her own British Record over 20km clocking 1.30.41 in the IAAF Challenge Meeting in La Coruna, Spain last month. She has also set National records over 10km this season.

Jo is coached by Dr Andi Drake the Carnegie Director of Race Walking and her mother Maureen Jackson. Speaking ahead of her challenge in Barcelona. Jackson has been preparing for the Championships with a 3 week stint at an altitude camp in Font Romeu in the French Pyrenees. Jo said "I am in great shape and am looking for a top 12 finish in Barcelona."

After Barcelona Jo's attention will turn to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi in October. Jo was the first athletes selected for England's team in April and she is currently ranked number 1 in the Commonwealth ahead of Australian rival Jess Rothwell, who recently spent a month at Carnegie training alongside Jackson.

Jo's success is clearly rubbing off on her training partners, coursemates and housemates at the UK National Race Walking Centre as Alex Wright and Tom Bosworth have made huge progress in their first year as Senior athletes. They are currently the top 2 race walkers in Britain and have put themselves in the prime position to join Jo on the Plane to Delhi when the team is finalised in August. Over 20km Alex Wright Clocked 85.46 the fastest time by a British athlete since 2002 and Tom Bosworth won the English trial and has clocked inside the qualifying time.