TRIATHLON: SOLIHULL athlete Katie Stainton was on Great Britain duty again on Sunday where she recorded a new personal best total to help GB take second place at the annual European indoor Combined Events competition.
This year it was Prague’s turn to host the event which saw teams from the Czech Republic, Spain, France, Poland and Great Britain compete over the weekend.
On Sunday it was the senior women’s turn to compete over five events, starting with 60m hurdles then onto high jump, shot, long jump and finishing a long day with four circuits of the track to complete an 800m race.
After a positive start in the 60m hurdles, the high jump proved to be Stainton’s weakest event before a long delay due to the male pole vault event overrunning.
Stainton recovered well in the shot as she scored a personal best with each of her three throws to finish with 11.88metres.
Long Jump followed quickly as the organisers sought to make up time and Stainton jumped a respectable 5.98metres with her first jump, which was her best from three attempts.
The final event was a gruelling 800metre race which really tested the competitors after a long day.
Stainton started strongly and despite being blocked on the first lap, she was able to lead the athletes round the track.
A last second challenge from team mate Jess Taylor-Jemmet forced Stainton to push for the line and she narrowly beat her team mate to win the race with a new indoor PB of just over two minutes 16 seconds.
Stainton’s score of 4,147 was a new personal best as GB finished runner-up. Her score also places Stainton third in the UK list for Under-23 athletes.
The Solihull athlete she will now turn her attention towards the outdoor season in April where she is aiming to gain selection of the European Under-23 Championships and gain the qualifying mark for the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
