DSA Athletes medal success at IWAS Junior World Championships

The Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team had an excellent IWAS World Junior Championships in Olomouc, Czech Republic (20-26 August 2010), winning a total of eight gold medals, four silver medals and two bronze medals on day one of the competition.

In the javelin event DSA athlete Vicky Silk won the mixed F40/F46 classification with a throw of 20.65m, taking the victory ahead of her team mate Hollie Arnold (coach: Shelley Quarin) in second 31.51m, with Holly Neill of the DSA finishing third in 20.16m, also a PB.

On day two Holly Neill, finished third in the F40 discus with a new Personal Best of 20.16m an event won by her team mate Vicky Silk (coach: Anthony Hughes). Holly Niell went on to win the F40 shot putt with a mark of 6.63m, also a new PB, to reverse the previous day’s podium positions. The DSA’s own Vicky Silk finished third with 6.45m, a significant PB of 25cm.

Owain Taylor (coach: Anthony Hughes) delivered a high quality series to take the F57 discus title with a best of 33.22m, while his training partner Kyron Duke (F40), also coached by Hughes, finished fourth in the F40 javelin with a PB of 29.53m.

Vicky Silk made it on to the podium again with a second place finish in the women’s F40 javelin (18.39m), a silver medal to add to her discus gold and shot putt bronze, while Holly Neill finished third with 17.74m.

In the men’s F40 shot putt, Sean Clare (coach: Shelley Quarin/Jane Clare) – won a bronze medallist in the discus and added to his success finishing third with 9.76m. Kyron Duke F40 (coach: Anthony Hughes) finished seventh with a throw of 7.71m.

Overall a fantastic Medal haul for the F40 dwarf athletes. Well done to all of you.

Also significant progress was made by two other F40 athletes Thomas Burton and Michael Pope who were invited to Bath as part of a Paralympic potentials training camp. Both of these up and coming athletes were treated to top level coaching and lectures on nutrition and sports psychology.

The DSA hopes to see all these athletes performing on the international stage again soon. Keep up the good work.