A TEAM of 130 athletes from Great Britain, of which 37 came from Leweston Pentathlon Academy, showed the rest of Europe what a force the Brits are in the European Biathle & Triathle Championships in Madeira.
The British 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 19 individual medals. In the triathle they bagged three gold, six silver and four bronze, while in the biathle they collected three gold, two silver and one bronze.
In the mixed triathle relays, the academy also claimed five gold medal winners and in the biathle relays won five gold medals. The club also had many of its members being part of GB teams winning medals.
Day one and two was the biathle and biathle relays and Leweston had lots of success with 18 club athletes taking part in the championships for Great Britain.
The club had three European champions – Emily Miller (under-11), Natalie Hatfield (under-17) and Freya Stanger (under-19) and two silver medallists in Libby Ryan (under-13), Liam Openshaw (under-17).
Olivia Maidment (under-15), also took bronze.
The event consisted of a run, swim and run competition with distances comprising of 500m, to 1,500m run 50m, to 200m swim followed by the same distance run again.
The distances were 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.
Results: Under-11 girls: Emily Miller (gold), Lexie Taylor (8th); Under-11 boys: Charlie Olifent (7th), Cameron Wicks (8th); Under-13 girls: Libby Ryan (silver), Raissa Vickery (4th); Under-13 boys: Nicholas Du Toit (5th); Under-15 girls: Olivia Maidment (bronze), Lucy Hatfield (4th); Under-15 boys: Ryan Openshaw (8th); Under-17 girls: Natalie Hatfield (gold); Under-17 boys: Liam Openshaw (silver), Sam Cobb (4th), Sam Stewart (6th); Under-19 girls: Freya Stanger (gold), Phoebe Mills (7th); Masters’ 60 plus: Mick Flaherty (7th), Margaret Smith (4th).
In the biathle mixed relays, which is one boy and one girl from the same age group making up a relay team, Emily Miller (under-11), Libby Ryan (under-13), Natalie Hatfield and Liam Openshaw (under-17) and Freya Stanger (under-19), all won gold medals for GB.
Day three of competition was the triathle and triathle relays and Great Britain had 75 athletes competing, 27 of which were from Leweston.
The triathle is an event that is run under the modern pentathlon and is a continuous shoot, swim and run event.
The club carried on their winning ways with three European champions in Emily Miller (under-11), Libby Ryan and Jamie Guy (under-13).
Raissa Vickery and Seb Forrest (under-13), Lucy Hatfield (under-15), Sam Cobb (under-17), Mira Pazic (under-19) representing Germany, and Claire Carman (Masters 40 plus) all won silver.
Bronze medals went to Charlie Olifent (under-11), Emily Carman (under-13), Ginny Bruce and Ryan Openshaw (under-15).
Results: Under-11 boys: Charlie Olifent (bronze), Cameron Wicks (6th), Rafferty Sargent (8th); Under-11 girls: Emily Miller (gold), Lexie Taylor (4th), Minnie Murphy (5th); Under-13 boys: Jamie Guy (gold), Seb Forrest (silver), Nicholas Du Toit (6th); Under-13 girls: Libby Ryan (gold), Raissa Vickery (silver), Emily Carman (bronze), Millie Wicks (6th), Nikita Miah (7th); Under-15 boys: Ryan Openshaw (bronze), Wilfred Sargent (8th); Under-15 girls: Lucy Hatfield (silver), Ginny Bruce (bronze), Carina Hand (4th), Olivia Maidment (5th); Under-17 boys: Sam Cobb (silver), Adam Graham (7th), James Hulme (8th), Sam Stewart (9th); Under-17 girls: Lucie Guy (10th); Under-19 girls: Mira Pazic (silver); Masters’ 40 plus: Clair Garman (silver).
In the triathle mixed relays, Emily Miller (under-11), Libby Ryan and Jamie Guy (under-13), Ryan Openshaw (under-15) and Sam Cobb (under-17) all took gold medals for GB.
Special mention goes to Emily Miller who was the only athlete to win a maximum of four gold medals in the championship.
Great Britain & Leweston Pentathlon Academy Team coach Michael Flaherty said: “This was an excellent achievement by the team and was a great opportunity for all those involved to take part in a European Championships.”
CONTACT ME:
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e: nigel.dean
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