12th March 2023

SERENA VINCENT WINS GOLD AT THE EUROPEAN THROWING CUP

Serena Vincent (coach: Mike Winch, club: City of Portsmouth) claimed the first ever British win in the U23 women’s shot put at the European Throwing Cup as she achieved a personal best, while Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York) threw one of the furthest distances of his career at the event in Leiria, Portugal this weekend.

Vincent improved her PB to 16.90m on her final throw, a mark which ensured victory in the age group, and also measured in as a European U23 lead this year. The City of Portsmouth athlete had recently revised her best to 16.76m at the UK Athletics Indoor Championships in February, and she continued her strong form to earn a podium place for Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Lincoln was involved in the senior men’s shot put competition, and the mark of 20.73m was the fourth furthest throw of his career. The third-round effort was one of three legal marks in the series, with his other throws measuring in at 20.31m and 20.33m, and he narrowly missed out on a podium place to Zane Weir of Italy, the recent European Indoor champion.

There was a GB & NI 1-2 in the senior women’s B hammer final. Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading AC) took top honours as she won with 68.89m, while Katie Head (Paul Head, Newham and Essex Beagles) was close behind with a best throw of 68.65m.

In the U23 women’s discus, Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman, Blackheath & Bromley) was edged in to fifth position in the final round, as she recorded a season best of 52.82m. In the men’s equivalent, on his debut for the British team, Chukwuemaka Osammor (James Taylor, Sheffield & Dearne) finished seventh overall with his final throw of 53.75m moving him up the leader board.

In the senior women’s discus competition, Taia Tunstall’s (Harrow) furthest mark of the series was 50.12m and she finished 10th in the B final.

In the senior men’s discus, Nick Percy (Zane Duquemin, Shaftesbury Barnet) and Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon) were ninth and tenth respectively; their best marks coming in at 60.06m and 59.84m.

In the senior men’s hammer B final, Chris Bennett (Andy Frost, Shaftesbury Barnet) was over the 70m barrier once again as he ended his campaign fifth with 70.12m.

In the U23 men’s shot put, Lewis Byng (Mark Edwards, Stratford-upon-Avon) was eighth with 17.57m the longest of his series.

Results