Gold for Williams as British Hurdlers Strike Euro u20 Medals

Rhys Williams lived up to his pre 2003 billing as Europe's fastest returning junior to win the European u20 championship in Tampere Finland. The 19 year old Loughborough Student survived almost falling at the last hurdle in his heat to take half a second off his previous personal best with 51.15 with a polished controlled performance. Britain also gained the bronze medal in the men's 400H with AAA Junior Champion Rupert Gardner taking bronze with a new electronic best clocking of 51.83, battling back from clipping the last hurdle to claim the 3rd spot.The two Britons were separated by France's Mohammed Atig [51.48]

There was also a an excellent silver for Symone Belle who took two tenths of a second off her previous best with 13.53, behind Germany's Sophie Krauel, 13.28. The Tower Hamlet athletes time also took her to tenth on the all time British u20 lists. Belle's team mate Gemma Fergusson also performed well with 13.73 for fifth place - a fine performance after a much interupted season.

Sian Scott also looked to be a possible medal contender with a strong 58.43 second place clocking in her heat - just outside her 58.36 best set when winning the AAA u20 title at Bedford earlier in the year. However, the Bounemouth athlete could not reproduce this form in the final and her 59.23 time placed her 5th. As a whole, however, the season has been a great breakthrough for Scott who now working with Todd Bennet has taken over two seconds off her time in 2003. The title was won by Russian Yekaterine Kostetskaya in 57.52, 5/100ths infront of her team mate Irina Obedina.

In the men's sprint hurdles both Will Sharman and David Hughes performed creditably to reach the final, Sharman finishing 5th in 14.37 with Hughes 7th in 14.43 , as Banore Traore France ran below 14 seconds to take gold with 13.95.

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27th July 2003