Hurdler Barrett shines on senior debut for British team

Barrett finished sixth in the final of the 100m hurdles at the European Team Championships in Lille. She ran a time of 13.27 seconds, which was quicker than her heat time of 13.32, and helped GB finish fourth in the 11-team event, which was won by Germany.

The teenager’s performance came only days after she had smashed two UK junior records at England Athletics’ U20/23 Championships at Bedford.

Next on Barrett’s agenda are the European Junior Championships, to be held in Grosseto, Italy on July 20 to 23, followed by the World University Games, to be held in Taipei, Taiwan between August 19 and 30.

Meanwhile other athletes from the Chesterfield club were in action at a fixture in the Youth Development League, held in Grimsby. After another terrific win, they are now top of the Northern Division East One, with one match to go.

Chesterfield headed the table at Grimsby with 67 points after some terrific wins, including two for Sam Allen in the U20 men’s 400m hurdles and 800m and two for Alex Ediker in the U20 men’s 1500m and 200m steeplechase. There were also doubles for Louise Cocking in the U17s’ 800m and 1500m and for Rebecca Conway in the U20s’ 100m hurdles and pole vault. Going one better and achieving a treble was Todd Webster, who won the U20 men’s 110m hurdles, pole vault and javelin.

Other winners on the track for Chesterfield were Alex Kirkland in the U17 men’s 3000m, Will Tighe in the U17s’ 800 and Jacob Cousins in the 1500m steeplechase.

In the field events, Lauren Hill took the U17s’ hammer by more than ten metres, while Aaron Jones won the javelin and Joe Houghton the pole vault, also for the U17s. In the same age group, Emma Botham took the shot and discus, while Rebecca Wardle won the pole vault. The U20 men’s triple jump was won by Jacob Buckley.