TALENTED Solihull heptathlete Katie Stainton represented Great Britain at the International Combined Events competition and came away from France with a Silver medal.
Teams from Spain, Great Britain and hosts, France competed in an indoor competition which for the women consisted of five events – 60m hurdles, high jump, shot, long jump and 800m.
Stainton had secured her selection after becoming England’s national under-23 Pentathlon champion in Sheffield earlier this year and she started well by coming just seconds away from a new personal best in the hurdles.
She followed this up with a personal best in the high jump and went on to score a season best so far in the long jump which set up an exciting finish in the 800m race.
Although a couple of the French competitors tried a blocking technique at the start, Stainton’s experience pulled through and in the second half of the race she was able to pull clear to finish first which earned her the runner-up spot overall in the competition.
Stainton said: “It’s an honour representing my country doing what I love and it was made even better by winning a medal and being overall team winners.”
Great Britain’s under-23 team managed to win the team competition.
Stainton, who started competing when she was just aged nine for Solihull and Small Heath Athletics Club, now competes for Birchfield Harriers and Loughborough University.
She is next in action at the British Indoor Championships and the BUCS Championships, which are both being held in Sheffield, before the start of the outdoor season in April where she hopes to continue her success in the heptathlon.
