Report by Lyn Sole
Despite cold, windy conditions and restrictions due to the pandemic, Thanet athletes have proven that winter training really does pay off.
January has been a busy time for a selection of athletes starting with the South of England Athletics Association championships held at Lee Valley London over the weekend 15/16th January.
Ismae Abomeli competed at her first major event in the U13 girls, running in the 60m where she qualified for the final, finishing a very respectable 7th, before going on to take a bronze medal in the long jump.
Hope Elliot, Ella Cameron, Sam Hancock and Joey Price represented Thanet at the Kent Schools AA Cross Country Championships held at Paddock Wood on Saturday, January 22, all running well despite a long gruelling race.
Lee Valley hosted the London indoor games over the weekends 22/23rd January and the 29/30th January. The first weekend was for the U20 and senior athletes.
Thanet athlete Lewis Parsons ran on the Saturday in the 200m, setting a new personal best of 23.81s before running in two heats of the 60m on the Sunday, setting a personal best in his second heat of 7.16 seconds.
Conor Neal took part in the 400m on the Saturday running a season’s best of 49.59s and placing him at number 7 in the UK rankings in the U23 age group.
Mike Showers ran his first ever race on Sunday in the 60m, clocking a respectable time of 8.47s and giving him a ranking of 15th in the Masters 50 year old age group.
The following weekend was the turn of the U17 and U15, age groups on the Saturday. Harvey Humphries kicked off proceedings in the U17 age group and managed a personal best in the second of his heats with 7.54 seconds.
Eve Seery entered the U17 girls section in the 60m, clocking a personal best of 8.57 seconds before gaining a season’s best in the long jump of 4.85m. Harriet Edwards also managed to out jump her highest distance yet by leaping her way to 4.48m.
In her first ever competition, Crystal Green overcame her nerves and ran her way to a fabulous time of 8.63 seconds.
Sunday 30th January was the turn of the U13s with Ismae Abomeli flying the flag for Thanet Athletics Club. She ran a personal best in the 60m of 8.41s, giving her a UK ranking of 8th, followed by another stunning run in the 200m of 28.00s, ranking her 3rd in the country. Her glory moment came in the long jump with a jump of 4.39m, giving her the ranking of 1st in the country!
Thanet Athletics Club, as always, is proud of the athletes, and with these outstanding results, it bodes well for the year ahead, The club would also like to extend a thank you to all helpers and volunteers who give up their weekends to support the athletes.