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- Welsh Sprinters In Blistering Form In Birchfield Meeting
By Owen Morgan
Nuneaton was the scene of a high speed invasion from across the border on Sunday as Welsh sprinters stole the show at the Birchfield Harriers Invitational meeting.
Leading the way were the capital city’s male sprinters, who won four out of the six 100m races on a blustery day at the Pingles Stadium
One of the performances of the day came from Eli Onyewu, who obliterated his personal best of 11.05 to comfortably win his heat.
Onyewu, who also claimed a win at last weekend’s Welsh Athletics track pilot event in Swansea, stopped the clock in a rapid, but wind-assisted, 10.69.
Next up was club mate Samuel Azu, who also dipped under his personal best of 10.99 in winning his race, but his time of 10.92 was wind assisted
There was a Cardiff one-two in the penultimate heat where Josh Brown won in dominating fashion in 10.56 with Makoye Kampengele finishing second in 10.76.
The victorious Cardiff charge started in the first 100m of the day when under-20 athlete Aaron Jolly who set a new personal best of 11.41 before the tailwind started to pick up.
The final men’s 100m race of the day saw rising Cardiff teenager Jeremiah Azu lining up in a high quality heat featuring England’s Commonwealth Games finalist Andrew Robertson, World Championship relay bronze medallist Harry Aikines-Aryeety and British indoor 400m champion James Williams.
Robertson won the heat in a blistering but wind-assisted 10.03, with Azu finishing fourth in a fast 10.35.
In the women’s races Emanuella Kone led for much of her race but was eventually overhauled over the last 30 metres as clocked a fast, but wind assisted 12.15.
The Pingles stadium is certainly a happy hunting ground for Welsh sprinters with Owain Lloyd-Hughes having twice set his personal best there this month, the latest being a 10.38 last week, although the Neath athlete pulled up during his 200m race on Sunday
However, both Jolly and Onyewu backed up their wins in the 100m with impressive second placed runs in the 200m, both of which would have been big PBs but for the tailwind.
In the 400m, Swansea Harrier Joe Brier continued the excellent form he has shown since athletics has returned.
Last week, Brier set a new personal best of 46.55 when winning at the Loughborough August Invitational meeting.
On Sunday, the Wales and Great Britain international finished a narrow second to Great Britain World Championship athlete Lee Thompson in a new PB of 46.38.
Club mate Steffan Dylan Jones produced a brilliant run from the outside lane to claim a hugely impressive win from the outside lane.
Having led for most of the race, he held his form brilliantly in the home straight to hold on for the win in a new PB of 48.01.
There was also Welsh success in the field where Commonwealth Games athlete Rebecca Chapman continued her winning ways in the long jump with a victorious leap of 6.13m.
