Amber Valley & Erewash AC's Ella Rush is UK pentathlon champion

Amber Valley & Erewash AC’s Ella Rush ended a fantastic indoor season by winning the UK Senior Pentathlon title on Sunday at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham (writes Joe McColgan)
Ella Rush celebrates her victory in Birmingham. Photo: British Athletics.Ella Rush celebrates her victory in Birmingham. Photo: British Athletics.
Ella Rush celebrates her victory in Birmingham. Photo: British Athletics.

The 17-year-old from Duffield competed magnificently across the five disciplines and her final tally of 4,365pts propelled her to the top of the World Athletics rankings at Under 20 level.

The day started tentatively with an 8:89 in the hurdles, gaining her 933 points, 77 behind Jodie Smith of Windsor, Slough, Eaton and Hounslow.

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​Moving on to the high jump, Rush then cleared 1.76m, eight centimetres higher than her previous indoor PB, to remain third behind Smith and Lauren Evans of Cardiff.

Things were to change dramatically over the next two events, the shot and long jump, as a shot PB of 12.88 put Rush ahead of Evans and then a jump of 6.34m in the long jump put her just five points into the lead ahead of the final 800m.

Rush proceeded to lead the race from start to finish, crossing the line in a time of 2:19:60 and the gold medal was secure.

In an interview with British Athletics TV after the race, Ella said: ”I am really pleased, I wasn’t expecting it, I was only expecting to get over my own personal best and getting a score I was happy with.

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"I’m really happy and pleased and looking forward to the year ahead.”

Her final score of 4,365 points, as well as being the World U=20 lead, was also a Championship Best Performance and the best ever score by a 17-year-old in the UK.

It is the third best score of all time at U20 behind Katrina Johnson Thompson and Morgan Lake and eighth all time amongst senior athletes.

Her 6.34m long jump was also a UK record for 17-year-olds and is the second furthest U20 Indoor distance ever, five centimetres behind Katrina Johnson-Thompson’s 6.39m. It currently ranks her third in the World U20 standings.

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Next up for Rush will be a spot of warm weather training over Easter in California where she will compete in a heptathlon event, hoping to secure the UKA qualifying standard of 5,400 points for the World U20 Championships which will be held in Cali, Columbia in early August.

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