Kids doing athletics

[Feanor]

Junior#1 has been doing athletics since forever, and has lately focussed on Pole Vault!
He holds several golds in younger age groups, but has just moved up an age group.

Last week, he was at the Scottish Schools Athletics championships at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow,
where he was in the 'over 16' schools age category for the first time.
He was only 16 at the end of Jan, so he's the youngest in the age category ( and the youngest in his school year ).
He got a bronze there, with a PB of 3.60m against competition almost 2 years older.

This weekend, it was the Scottish National U18 Championships.
( Directly organised by the national governing body, Scottish Athletics, not related to schools ) back at the same place in Glasgow.
He was well happy to come away with bronze again with an equalled PB of 3.60.
He was in contention for silver, as the other guy went out at the same height, but we had 1 more attempt at 3:40 then he did.

There was a photographer working there, and we've bought a copy of this photie.
This is him clearing an easy 3.20, the height he went in at.:



http://www.thatonemoment.co.uk/agegp-sat-69093#photo

[Pedal Castro]

Well done FeanorJunior!

I was selected at 13 for specialist pole vaulting training based on a whole series of strength and agility tests but when it came down to it I could not run full pelt and put a stick in a hole and trust it would not end in tears. I just didn't have the balls, in the end I don't think my pole vault best was much better than my high jump.

[Tewdric]

Good stuff, but he looks like he would make a good flanker and you have to consider national need...

[mrcharly-YHT]

Well done indeed.

I'm told it takes a lot of focus, pole vaulting.

[Feanor]

Today was the qualifying event for the International event in Cardiff later this year.
It was at Hampden Park, which has been 'converted' from a kickball park to an athletics stadium for the Commonwealth games.

Junior cleared a PB of 3.70, giving him silver in the U17 age group.
This is also a club record for his club AAAC.
This means he and Craig ( Surname Moriarty, his nemesis! ) qualify to represent Scotland at the International event.
So he gets  a Scotland team kit and stuffs, and a jolly to Cardiff.

It was a bit of an Andy Murray event: Started not-too-well, got worse, and then pulled it out of the bag.

[mr magnolia]

Good stuff! He'll be chuffed, as well as you!

Two of my girls go to musselburgh athletic club and we are just starting to see what the athletics competition stuff is like as 1 of them is 9 and 1 is 11; (forth valley mtgs at the minute).
We'll get to see Hampden in its athletics guise at the Sainsburys event 12 July. Last time the girls were there was for the Olympic girlz football comps.

[Feanor]

We're just back from a weekend of high drama in Cardiff.

Junior was the second of 2 entrants for Scotland, his friend Craig was 1st.
We were well down the pecking order according to PBs.
The 2 English competitors had PBs well ahead of the pack.

As it came out, the heights were on the xx3, so he cleared 3.63, but went out on 3.73, which was a good effort, consistent with his PB.
His buddy cleared 3.73 for the bronze.

The English guy tipped for gold who had a monstrous PB of 4.82 m didn't even come in till 4.33 when everyone else had gone out.
But he failed on all 3 attempts at his entry-height of 4.33, and no-heighted.
He was gutted, and everyone in the stadium felt for him.

There's a strategy element to PV that's not apparent.
It's when to go in, and what jumps to skip.
Go in too early, and tire yourself.
Go in too late, and No-Height.

Still, we're home with a Scotland National kit in the bag.
And that's a result.

[Feanor]

And so to the Scottish Schools Indoor Track and Field Championships, at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow today.
3m80 for Gold, and a new PB.

[Butterfly]

Well done Feanor Junior! That's good going