A TEAM of 130 athletes from Great Britain, of which 34 were from Leweston Pentathlon Academy, showed the rest of Europe what a force the Brits are in biathle and triathle.

Weiden in Bavaria hosted the European Championships over two days of competition.

The GBR team grabbed more medals than any other country, with many of the club athletes winning medals at major championships.

Leweston athletes won a total of two individual medals, in the triathle, one silver and a bronze, plus two silvers in the mixed relay.

In the biathle, Leweston won two gold medals and a silver.

The club also saw many of the members being part of GB teams who won medals with nine gold and two silvers, in the triathle and four golds in the biathle.

Day one of competition was the triathle and from Great Britain’s 75 athletes, 28 were from Leweston.

The triathle is an event that is run under the modern pentathlon, and is a continuous shoot/swim/run event each competitor competes in a set distance for the run and swim, and takes part in laser shooting from a set distance

The shoot/swim/run is then performed four times through in a continuous rotation from shoot, to swim, to run.

In the under-11 boys, the club saw Seb Forest finish seventh and he was part of the gold medal team while Zinzan Sargent (8th) and Harley Taylor (10th).

In the under-11 girls, Jessica Spolton was fifth and part of the gold medal team, with Lexie Taylor (7th), and Evanna Bruce (9th).

In the under-13s, Josh Cobb was 10th and part of the GB gold medal team, while James Hulme finished 12t), Jake Fisher (13th) and Ryan Openshaw (16th).

In the girls’ race, Ginny Bruce took fourth, Carina Hand was fifth and were both part of the GB gold medal team, with Skye Fisher (8th) and Holly White (10th).

In the under-15 girls, the athletes had to take part in heats in the morning with the final in the afternoon and all the club athletes progressed to the final with Darcy Dryden taking individual silver and Vivien Taylor (10th) and was part of the GB silver medal team, with Jessica Stevens 18th.

In the under-17s, Sam Cobb was fourth, Liam Openshaw (6th) and part of the gold medal team with Fred Fisher (12th).

In the girls, Amy Northam had a tough race to take the bronze medal with Natalie Hatfield (6th) and part of the GB gold team, and Eda Onay (8th), Mimi Lecompte (9th), Mira Pazic (13th) who raced for Germany, and Sarah Carr (16th).

The club had most of the GB team in this age group with great strength in depth.

In the under-19s, Emma Livingstone was eighth with her dad taking part in the masters’ 50 plus taking 10th.

Day two, was the biathle finals and Leweston had more success, with the club earning two European titles.

There was also one silver gained, with eight athletes taking part.

The event consisted of a run/swim/run competition with distances comprising of 500m, to 1,500m run 50m, to 200m swim followed by the same distance run again, the distances done varied with each age group.

The age groups started at 10 and under up to 60+ plus in the masters, there were 10 different age groups in the male with the same in the female, with up to six British athletes in each age group.

In the first races of the day, the under-11s, Arthur Fisher was sixth and part of the GB gold medal team.

In the under-17s, Liam Openshaw took silver and was part of the gold team with Sam Cobb fifth and Sam Stewart (12th).

In the girls’ race, Natalie Hatfield had a great race to take gold and was part of the gold team with Abbie White (12th).

In the under-9s, the youngest club competitor, Hettie Stevens was seventh.

In the masters’ race, Emma Fisher took gold in the Masters 40+.

The Weymouth Biathle will be the next big event for the club which takes place at Greenhill Gardens on September 16.

For further details about the club, contact Mick Flaherty by email flaherty121@aol.com