ATHLETICS: Akinwumi safely over the first hurdle

Joshua Akinwumi's hopes of winning a medal at the big Engish Schools Championships in Gateshead remain on track.

In this morning’s (July 8) heats of the intermediate boys 100m hurdles, the Nene Valley Harrier finished fourth in 13.40 to secure a place in tomorrow’s final.

Akinwumi, a King’s School pupil running for Cambridgeshire, went into the championships ranked third in the UK with a time of 13.1.

Stanground Academy’s Jamelia Henson, also representing Cambs, finished fifth in her intermediate girls 80m hurdles heat in 11.89 and missed out on a place in the final.

Lincolnshire’s Hannah Molyneaux, the Geoff Capes-trained shot-putter seeking a third consecutive English Schools title, safely came through qualifying to reach the final of the intermediate girls event.

The Lincoln-based Nene Valley Harrier threw 13.61m to win Pool B and was only topped by Pool A winner Gaia Osborne of Hampshire, who threw 14.06.

Cambs’ three representatives in the event - Tierney Augustine of Sawtry College, Priscilla Dadzia of Stanground Academy and Lydia Church of Sawtry College - all failed to make the 12-strong final. Their respective best throws were 11.79m, 11.88m and 11.09m.