WORLD RECORD FOR JENKINS AND RELAYS IMPRESS IN COVENTRY

The second and final day of the Coventry Spring Meeting saw the universal relay athletes in action as well as some standout results in the field, most notably, Michael Jenkins’ (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Pembrokeshire) world record – subject to ratification – in the F38 discus, and on the track.

In the men’s ambulant discus, Jenkins – who won world silver in the F38 shot put last year – was in superb early season form as he launched the discus out to a lifetime best of 57.14m to set a new world record in the classification, improving Javad Hardani’s (IRN) which previously stood at 52.91m.

European and Commonwealth medallist Harrison Walsh (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Swansea) began his 2024 campaign with a solid 53.76m in his discus series.

Kicking off with their first universal 4x100m relay of the season, two Great Britain and Northern Ireland quartets starred on Sunday morning.

In a very tight contest, it came down to a sprint finish between Hannah Cockroft (Paul Moseley, Leeds) [T34] and Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star) [T54] with the latter just snatching it in the final few pushes.

Kinghorn’s team started with James Ledger (Matt Elias, DSW Para Academy) [T11] starting strongly against Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste, Cleethorpes), but both were level pegging as they handed over to Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff, Charnwood) [T64] and Kevin Santos (Mike Utting, City of Norwich) [T47] respectively. The duo stretched down the backstraight handing over to Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste, Charnwood) and Ali Smith (Benke Blomkvist, Guildford and Godalming) who were locked in battle around the bend as they handed over to Kinghorn and Cockroft with very little separating the teams.

Multiple global medallists Kinghorn and Cockroft went head-to-head with the Scottish athlete coming through strongly to take the win for GB & NI B in 48.25 to GB & NI A’s 48.38.

Faye Olszowka (Coral Nourrice, Bexley) [T20] was first across the line in the women’s 400m ambulant final, with Paralympic relay and European medallist Ali Smith [T38] opening her outdoor season over the one lap event in 1:04.72.

Paralympic bronze medallist Columba Blango (Chris Zah, Shaftesbury Barnet) looked in good early season form as he opened his account with a time of 50.47. He improved upon his 50.52 clocking at the WPA Grand Prix in Dubai back in February as he Road to Paris 2024 begins.

Brandon Ballard (Denise Korkmaz, Huntingdonshire) [T20] was just outside his recently set PB in a fiercely contested men’s ambulant 1500m race, getting ahead of Daniel Wolff (Dave Mitchell, Epsom & Ewell) [T20] on the final lap to take the win in a time of 4:06.75, with Wolff next home in 4:07.51. Arthur Milles (Trevor Cummings, St Mary’s Richmond) [T13] – who was third overall – was another athlete to lower his PB with 4:10.55, slicing over three seconds off his previous best.

In the following race, U15 athlete Ella Richards (Hayley Ratcliff, Torbay) [T20] won the women’s 1500m in a season best of 4:56.56.

Rafi Solaiman (Philip Fleetwood, Charnwood) [T72] nearly got the better of Wojciech Kukiezka (POL) in the men’s 100m FrameRunning final, but just 0.12s was between them in a closer battle than Saturday’s heats. Solaiman, world silver medallist, came back strongly against the Pole after a strong start; his time coming in at 17.30 (0.7). Charlie Denman (Robert Purcell, Gloucester) [T72] was first across the line in the women’s race in 20.74 (0.4).

Later in the programme, Chris Callow (Eugene Hechavarria, Yate) and Paige Murray (Philip Fleetwood, Charnwood) were the men’s and women’s races in the 800m FrameRunning; their times 2:53.59 and 4:19.15.

After her scintillating form on Saturday, Shona Bocquet (IRL) [T54] was first across the line in the women’s 100m wheelchair final, recording 17.00 with a favourable wind of +2.2. Kare Adenegan (Job King, Coventry) [T34] was second in 18.37.

Bocquet would repeat the result in the 800m with a time of 1:55.61, with Adenegan next home in 2:02.65.

The men’s 100m wheelchair final saw Hilmy Shawwal (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) [T54] take it from Belgium’s Johannes Balbaert in 16.61 (0.2).

Michael McCabe (Christine Parsloe, Sutton & District) took the honours in the men’s 800m wheelchair final, winning by 10 seconds from Samuel Kolek (Kirkby) in a time of 1:48.78 to Kolek’s 1:58.64.

The final track event of the day saw the wheelchair 5000m take place with Belgium’s Johannes Balbaert crossing the line first in 13:31.42 with Claudia Burrough (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy) the first woman home in 14:01.58.

Ireland’s Lana Sutton [T38] was pushed all the way by Commonwealth Youth Games gold medallist Madeline Down (Mike Bennett, Halesowen) in the women’s 100m ambulant final, just 0.03s between then with Sutton clocking 13.15 (1.4) to Down’s 13.18.

In the men’s equivalent short sprint, Bradford & Keighley’s Guillaume Junior Atangana (Janet-Alison Arkwright) [T11] narrowly too victory ahead of Dan Gladman (Warrington), 11.68 to 11.70.

In a highly competitive T20 long jump in cold and wet weather to start the day, Joel Mattacks (Joe McDonnell, Team Bath) 5.95m jump in round two was enough to seal the victory ahead of Samuel Jose (Cornwall) who’s best measured in at 5.91m on his penultimate effort.

In the second and final long jump of the day, Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller, Bournemouth) [T63] leapt a best of 6.29m for a solid season opener.

There was a personal best for Jersey’s Rachel Leck (Catarina Hallden) in the ambulant discus who improved to 25.70m on her final throw for the career best.

The mixed seated discus competition a close battle between William Sheehan (Josh Clark, DSW Para Academy) [F34] and Benjamin Stringer (Warrington) [F57] with just 6cm separating them at the close of the six throws; Sheehan’s best 20.67m and Stringer’s 20.61m.

Later in the programme, Adam Donnachie (Janelle McGurk, Stirling University) was on-form in the men’s seated javelin with a best of 20.76m coming on his fifth attempt after a very consistent series.

Results