A University of Birmingham athlete has been hailed as a champion of the future after her performance at the European Championships this week.
Louise Hazel achieved several personal bests in Gothenburg as she competed with world-class athletes to finish an impressive 17th.
Louise, 20, has just finished her second year at the University where she is studying French. The heptathlete’s position at 17th on the table comes thanks to a pb of 5894. Her steady improvement is reflected in the several pbs she has set. Her long jump result of 6.05 propelled her to 5th place out of 15 in her group.
USB Scholar and GB U23, Louise’s previous pb of 5887 points came in Berne in July; a result which placed her 11th in the UK Senior Women’s all-time rankings, fifth on the all-time Under 23 list and most importantly, led to her selection for the GB Senior team going to the European Championships.
Louise’s success comes after an impressive couple of weeks for the University of Birmingham Athletics Club. This includes securing a bronze medal behind an Olympic champion and selection for the GB team in Gothenburg.
During a weekend of competitions some of the best athletes battled it out for European Championship selection at the Norwich Union European Trials at SportsCity in Manchester.
University Sport Birmingham (USB) Sports Scholar Somto Eruchie gave the best performance of the weekend running an outstanding three personal bests in one afternoon. He ran his heat of the 200m in 21.01, his semi in 21.00 and then clocked 20.79 in the final to earn third position and a bronze medal, only 0.10 behind Rikki Fifton and Olympic champion Marlon Devonish.
Somto is currently leading the 200m category of UK Challenge, a new competitive structure launched by UK Athletics to provide a focus for the season for Britain’s top club athletes and aspiring internationals.
Other USB results that weekend included Luke Gunn, who recently competed in the Commonwealth Games, achieving 4th in the 3000m steeplechase. Hannah England, who is part of the ‘On Camp with Kelly’ programme, ran the 800m in 2:05.25. Her time was not only a pb and inside the World junior qualifying mark but it also took her to the top of the UK junior rankings this year.
Hannah gave a similarly impressive performance later at the U20/U23 AAA Championships on the 22nd and 23rd July where she earned selection for the World Junior Championships in Beiijing winning the 1500 in another pb of 4:17.3.
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Louise Hazel’s individual results were:
100m Hurdles - 13.44 (pb) 6th/8 in her heat
High Jump 1.71 (equal pb) 8th/16 in her group
Shot put 11.62 13th/16 in her group
200m 24.12 (pb) 6th/8 in her heat
Long Jump 6.05 5th/15 in her group
Javelin 38.60 7th/13 in her group
800m 2:17.45 (pb) 4th/8 in her heat
Louise won sportswoman of the year at the University of Birmingham Annual Athletic Union Awards Dinner 2006 and will still be an under 23 athlete next year.
Further Information:
Lucy Hood - PR, Media and Promotions Officer
University Sport Birmingham
0121 414 2262