Story By Bjorn Jansen
Last weekend, the country's top throwers gathered in Loughborough for the inaugural UKA/England Athletics Winter Long Throws Championships. Among them was Neva Jansen, who was competing in the women's U18 discus on Sunday.
With blue skies overhead, the competition kicked off early at 9:30 am. Neva faced a challenging start, recording two no-throws in the opening rounds. However, she remained composed, and in the third round, a solid throw of 31.18m placed her in fifth.
Determined to climb the rankings, Neva delivered a massive 34.08m throw in the fourth round, catapulting herself into the bronze medal position.
With two rounds left, Neva held her nerve with a solid throw in the fifth round of 32.18m. Last, in the throwing order, she stepped into the circle for her final round.
The tension was high, but her position was secure; Neva had claimed her first national medal in the U18 discus!
Her impressive early-season performance now ranks her second in the UK U17 discus and comfortably meets the qualification standard for Nationals and English Schools later in the season. With plenty more to come, we can't wait to see what Neva achieves this summer!
Success for SpeedPro Athletes at Surrey Indoor Championships
While Neva made her mark in Loughborough, SpeedPro athletes also shone at the Surrey Indoor Championships. Olly took home gold in the U17 long jump with a leap of 5.69m, showcasing his dominance. Charlotte had a standout weekend, securing her first individual county medal with a personal best of 4.37m in the U20 long jump, earning her a well-deserved silver. She also performed strongly in the U20 high jump and shot put, finishing fifth in both events.
Soraya impressed in the U17 triple jump, delivering a strong 10.07m effort to finish just outside the medals in fourth place. Meanwhile, Amelia had a solid performance in the 60m sprint, crossing the line in 8.51, just shy of her personal best from last month's nationals.
With such a strong start to the year, it's clear there's plenty more to come from SpeedPro's talented athletes in the months ahead!