27th April 2024

SABRINA FORTUNE ON SONG ON FIRST DAY AT COVENTRY SPRING MEETING

Double world champion Sabrina Fortune (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Deeside) [F20] fine-tuned her preparations for her worlds title defence with a 13.78m in the women’s ambulant shot put. She followed it up with a throw of 13.65m in round three to consolidate her series.

F38 shot put world silver medallist Michael Jenkins (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Pembrokeshire) [F38] was narrowly shy of his season best as he opened his outdoor season in the shot put with a winning throw of 16.69m in the men’s ambulant event. Futures athlete Fabio Zamparelli (Greg Beard, Cornwall AC) [F20] was second with his fifth-round effort of 13.93m the furthest of his series.

A strong headwind impacted the times in the women’s mixed classification ambulant 100m with Lana Sutton (IRL) [T38] the fastest overall with a time of 13.57 (-2.3), with Madeline Down (Mike Bennett, Halesowen) [T38] coming through strongly in 13.73 with her fellow Futures athlete Rebecca Scott (Paul Keeble, Stevenage & Herts) [T47] third in 14.02. There was also a welcome return to athletics action for Kadeena Cox (Joe McDonnell, Sale Harrier Manchester) [T38] who was racing for the first time since May 2022, ran a time of 15.37.

With the 200m later in the day, Debbie O’Connell (Emma Burgon-Kisby, Lincoln Wellington) finished strongly to come past Victoria Levitt (Hyndburn) and clock 29.11 (-2.2) to Levitt’s 29.18 in heat one.

Running into another headwind, the men’s ambulant 100m heat one was won by Matthew Power (Celia Peerless, Livingston) [T20] in 12.05 (-2.4) with European medallist John Bridge (Darrell Maynard, Cardiff) [T47] next in 12.26, and James Ledger [Matt Elias, DSW Para Academy) [T11] close behind in 12.37.

Power returned later in the day to cross the line first in the 200m in 24.10 (-1.1).

The wheelchair racers 100m, 400m and 1500m available to contest on day one of the meeting.

In the women’s wheelchair 100m heat, Shauna Bocquet (IRL) [T54] was the quickest in the field with a hand-timed 17.6, ahead of Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry) who clocked 18.8 on her home track. Claudia Burrough (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) was third in heat one in 19.7.

Bocquet would achieve the winning treble as she was first across the 400m by a comfortable margin in 58.25 from Adenegan who was next in 1:03.44 with Burrough earning another third place in 1:04.42. She then went on to secure win number three in the 1500m with a time of 3:58.34.

Dillon Labrooy (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) [T54] was the fastest in the men’s wheelchair 100m races, recording a time of 16.39 (-1.2), ahead of Hilmy Shawwal (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) [T54] in 17.13 in second with World Para Athletics Championships bound Mo Jonmi (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) [T53] posting a time of 17.46.

Labrooy would match his dominant display in the 400m as he finished almost two seconds ahead of the rest of the field in a time of 52.06. Michael McCabe (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) and Mo Jomni both dipped under 54 seconds with times of 53.95 and 53.99 respectively in the same race.

McCabe returned to the track for the 1500m which he won very comfortably in a time of 3:33.49,

World silver medallist Rafi Solaiman (Philip Fleetwood, Charnwood) battled the windy conditions for second place in the T72 FrameRunning 100m behind the Polish athlete, Wojciech Kukiezka who was just ahead in 17.40. However, the Briton was triumphant in the 400m later in the day, narrowly finishing ahead of Chris Callow (Eugene Hechavarria, Yate), 1:18.17 to 1:18.79.

World swimming medallist Tully Kearney (Charnwood) was victorious in the women’s 100m and 400m FrameRunning races, with a hand-timed 21.1 (-2.1) in the shorter sprint, and 1:17.60 over the one-lap distance.

The first event of day saw the mixed seated club throw take place with Kirsty Soutar (Gordon Innes, Red Star) throwing the furthest with a best of 15.78m, while Phillip Douglas (BWAA) saved his best till the final round when he threw 15.47m.

In the mixed seated shot, F34 athlete Max Fiore (Bronwen Carter, City of Portsmouth) produced his biggest attempt of the competition with an 8.74m, with Scotland’s Adam Donnachie (Janelle McGurk, Stirling University) [F57] second with a best of 8.57m.

Also in the field, in cold and wet conditions, Philip Trant (Bronwin Carter, City of Portsmouth) [F44] threw the furthest in the mixed ambulant javelin with a best of 35.26m.

In the final event to finish on Saturday, Madeline Down took a narrow win ahead of Rebecca Scott in the women’s ambulant long jump, jumping 4.59m to 4.56m.

Results