Photo – Sam Newton
Sam Newton, from Tonbridge Athletic Club, stormed to a Decathlon score at the weekend, which surpassed the World under 20 championships qualifying standard of 7400 points. Newton went into the competition in Fuerteventura, Spain with a personal best score of 7061 points, but surpassed all expectations to eclipse the World standard and break his own Tonbridge AC age group record.
On day one he managed a 100m in 11.31, Long Jump 7.02m, Shot Put 14.33m, High Jump 1.97m and 400m in 51.01, with the first three events being personal bests. Then, on Sunday, he completed the 110m hurdles in 14.33, Discus 43.31m, Pole Vault 4.20m, Javelin 53.34m and 1500m in 4.44.70. The hurdles, Pole Vault and 1500m were all personal best performances.
His total score of 7531 points easily won the competition and is the highest score achieved in the World so far this year, by an under 20 age group athlete, although it is early in the season. The World under 20 championships take place in Eugene, USA, in August with Newton’s selection also dependent on performances generally, as at the time of the selection meeting in July.
Also at the weekend, Lewis Church returned to the Hyopomeeting Decathlon competition, in Götzis, Austria, which features the World’s best multi eventers. Although Church has been battling injury over the last few weeks, he produced a solid performance to score 7666 points and finish 17th of the 23 competitors.
James Kingston and Lucy Reid also faced World class competition, on Sunday, when they were on the elite start lines at the Great Manchester 10k road races. Kingston finished 14th in the men’s event in 28.47 and was the 4th Brit home in a race won by 2021 Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega, of Ethiopia. Reid was having her first top level race for over a year and finished 12th in 33.32 and was 7th Brit, in a race won by European record holder Kiara Lukan of Slovenia.
There were two league fixtures for Tonbridge teams at the weekend. On Friday evening, the women won their match and the men were second in the Southern Counties Veterans League, at Bromley. The highlights included a win and a club over 35s record by the men’s 4x100m relay team of James Farmer, Mark McAllister, Steve Tester and Ben Richardson in 46.8. Richardson also won the over 35 men’s 200m in 24.2. Diane Wright won the over 50 women’s 200m in 30.0, whilst there were Pole Vault victories for Louise Baldock (w35 2.30m) and Selina Hawker (w50 2.10m).
The Tonbridge under 14 and 16 squad finished 3rd in their UK Youth Development League Premier Division fixture, at Bromley, on Sunday, which was a place higher than in their first match. The performances included eleven A-string wins, with perhaps the most impressive being Osarode Oviawe, who threw the under 16 boys’ Hammer 59.82m, Seren Field in the under 16 girls’ Javelin with 39.30m and Tiffany Oyewale with 11.62 in the under 16 girls’ 80m hurdles. All of these are now ranked in the top six in the UK for their age group.
On Saturday evening, at Birmingham, in perfect conditions, there were some excellent performances at the British Milers Club Grand Prix. Lewis Mills ran a personal best in the 3000 metres steeplechase to finish 7th in an international field in 8.49.79, which is the second fastest Tonbridge AC time ever. Jordan Chambers ran a pb in the 1500m with 3.45.99 and Will Beeston was close to his best with 3.50.32. Alasdair Kinloch ran 13.59.89 for 5000 metres. Two days earlier Jack Higgins finished 7th in a World Continental Tour Meeting in Norway in 3.39.34.
Above – the TAC squad at the Southern Counties Veterans League