The two most anticipated showdowns of the day were the senior men’s 100m and 200m finals.
Callum Rubery won two gold medals and a silver at the GamesTelford athlete Jim Tipper reached the 200m final of the Masters World Championships this year, and he faced Telford’s 400m bronze medallist Richard Rubenis, who this year set the British Championship 400m record. Both also won two gold medals at the World Championships for the relays.
In the 100m, Rubenis got a blistering start and looked like he was going to win, but Tipper came charging through to win in 11.2 seconds, Rubenis just behind with 11.3.
Telford’s newest 200m runner Mike Dickens took the bronze medal in 11.7, a metre clear of Coventry athlete Michael Thomson in fourth.
The highly-ranked Birchfield athlete Justin Grimes of Birmingham joined the Telford trio in the 200m. Tipper showed his dominance of the event with a win in 22.7, while Rubenis just managed to hold off Grimes for second place in 22.9, Grimes also getting the same time. Mike Dickens of Telford finished with a solid time of 23.5, comfortably ahead of the fifth place finisher.
Photo Finish
One of the most exciting events of the day was the under-20 men’s 800m. Toby Birtwhistle, one of Telford’s best junior athletes, lined up against Will Ganley of Wolverhampton & Bilston AC, a very tough competitor. Ganley took the lead early in the race and pulled ahead, Birtwhistle tagging along behind. As the bell went to signify the last lap, Ganley sprinted off and put even more distance between himself and the Telford athlete, but Toby kept his composure and used his phenomenal speed to catch up to Ganley on the final straight, where he pulled level. Using his last reserves of energy, Toby blazed down the track and passed Ganley with barely ten metres to go, winning in 1 minute 59.5 seconds. Ganley got second place in 1’59.7.
Second Gold
Toby also won the senior men’s 400m. He faced one of Telford’s best 400m runners Pete Arnold, and Ben Riekstins, the under-20’s 400m record holder for the Telford Games.Riekstins got the best start and led for most of the race, but Birtwhistle came past on the crown of the bend for the gold medal in 51.9, ahead of Arnold (52.5) and Riesktins (53.1).
Other Performances
Telford AC’s Bethan Partridge (pictured above), member of the England Senior Women’s High Jump team, effortlessly won the high jump with a 1.75m jump and the triple jump in 11.44m, both clear ahead of the rest of the field. She also won a silver medal in the long jump with a jump of 5.07m.
Georgia Haydon of Telford charged to an overwhelming victory in the under-11 girl’s 600m, winning in 2’02.2, over nine seconds ahead of second place.
Telford’s Nancy Ndure won the under-15 girl’s high jump, clearing a massive 1.65 and equalling the Championship Record. She also came second in the long jump and was looking like she would win the 75m hurdles before she hit a hurdle and fell, unfortunately ending her race.
Sophie Worrall won two golds and a silver, winning the under-17 women 200m final in 27.0 and the long jump in 5.32, and grabbing second place in the 80m hurdles with 12.3.
Hayley Rubery, one of Telford’s best female athletes, won not only the under-17 women’s discus by 8m with a throw of 32.43, she also won the senior women’s pole vault in 2.90m ahead of Hereford’s Sarah Jones with 2.60m.
Becca Fagan won the under-17 women’s shotputt with 9.96, and Jess Bailey won the under-17s 1500m in 5’18.1.
In the under-20 women, England girl’s basketball team captain Amelia Reynolds won the 3000m final in 11’21.0, and got second place in the senior women’s shotputt with 8.77m.
Helen Martin won the senior 100m in 13.3 seconds.
Men’s Performances
Ian Taylor won two medals, getting gold in the discus with 38.85m, and 11.34 in the shotputt for silver.
Dale Wilkinson got gold in the men’s 1500m with 4’25.2, followed by fellow Telford athlete Simon Vines, running 4’33.6 for second.
Ben Simons came back from injury to win the long jump in 7.16m without a full run-up, still way over a metre clear of the rest of the field.
Telford rivals Danny Baeriswyl and Rob Millar once again clashed in the under-20 men javelin, this time Millar just coming out on top with a throw of 47.83, edging Baeriswyl’s throw of 47.15 for the gold medal.
Mitchell Jenderko won the under-17 men’s long jump with a jump of 6.08m, and grabbed a bronze medal in the 100m in a time of 11.6.
The most bizarre combination of medals went to Callum Rubery, who not only effortlessly won the under-15 boy’s discus in 37.59 and got silver in the shotputt with a throw of 10.37, but also won the under-15’s high jump, clearing 1.50m.
Nick Pearce came second in the high jump with 1.45m.
European veteran’s pole vault gold medallist John Bradley, also president of Telford Athletics Club, won the veteran’s pole vault with 2.80m.
For full results of the Games, visit Telford Games page.
Photo's from some of the morning events available on Johnny's Gallery.
Stroke of Luck
Despite the mild weather this summer, a heatwave struck on the weekend of the Games, making it a very enjoyable day for all spectators and athletes. For Telford’s athletes, the next competition is the Shropshire Championships next May and the Shropshire School’s Championships for the younger ones in the same month.
The Telford Games was the conclusion of a year’s competing and training for many athletes, and all the athletes are now looking forward to a good winter’s training to make them better than ever next year.
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