News

Round up Tuesday 4 February 2014

It has been a busy week in athletics with athletes off to Austria as well as the final indoor Grand Prix in Cardiff and the schools' cross country championships in Brecon.

Austria was a happy hunting ground with Cardiff athletes returning with several personal best performances. At the Vienna Indoor Classic on 28th January, Tom Marshall continued his good form with an indoor PB of 3:43.11 for 1500m while sprinter Dewi Hammond set his all-time best of 6.85 for 60m and Carl Hill ran an indoor PB of 1:51.67 for 800m. Not to be left out, Ffion Price set a season's best for 1500m.

Cross Country Champs Monday 3 February 2014

Entries to this year's Welsh Cross Country Championships close on Sunday next, 9th February so make sure you get your entries in on time.

There will be individual and team championship medals and Cardiff AAC has the talented athletes to win plenty of these as we have strong teams if everyone competes. We can even win medals with our A, B and C teams.

The championships will be held in Dinefwr Park, Llandeilo (satnav SA19 1RT) and the first event will be at 10.30am.

Alice off to Glasgow Saturday 1 February 2014

Cardiff's Alice Nottingham received a very important email last week - confirmation that she had been selected as a volunteer (they will be called "Clyde-siders") at this year's Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Hurdler Alice (17), who is a student at Stanwell School in Penarth, was one of 50,000 (yes, 50,000) who applied a year ago for places as volunteers. And, naturally, she said that her preferred sport would be athletics.

By last September, the applications had been reduced by a half and 25,000 applicants travelled to Glasgow (at their own expense) to be interviewed. Alice obviously gave a good interview and is one of the 5,000 finally selected - and she will be helping at the athletics stadium; her dream come true.

Four PBs for Curtis Tuesday 28 January 2014

Cardiff's Curtis Mathews, representing Great Britain in the under 23 Combined Events international held in Sheffield on 25/26 January, set three individual event personal bests to produced a personal best total score of 5,205 points in the indoor heptathlon.

He had set his previous best score only a few weeks ago at the same venue.

His event personal bests were in the long jump (7.01m), high jump (1.94m) and 1,000m (2:47.02).

His individual event performances were:

60m: 7.30
Long jump: 7.01m
Shot put: 12.35m
High jump: 1.94m
60m hurdles: 8.74
Pole vault: 3.80m
1,000m: 2:47.02

More medals on day 2 Monday 27 January 2014

After the clean sweep of medals by the under 17 men in the 800m on Saturday, Cardiff's under 20 men capped this yesterday in the 1500m by taking the first five places in the six man final. Matthew Edwards was first to finish, followed by Sam Longville, Jacob Preece, Ieuan Handley and Ciaran Lewis.

Several Cardiff athletes completed individual doubles with Issie Tustin adding the under 13 girls' 200m title to her 60m gold, Sofia Vella the under 13 girls 1500m to her 800m, Harry Hillman winning the under 17 men's pole vault and long jump, Naomi Reid the under 15 girls' 800m and 1500m, James Vincent the under 15 boys' 800m and 1500m, Ryan James the under 17 men's 200m and 400m and Gwenno Waddington the under 17 women's 800m and 1500m.

Medal count - day 1 Sunday 26 January 2014

In an action packed day at the NIAC yesterday, 25th January, Cardiff athletes accumulated an impressive medal count at the Welsh Athletics indoor championships.

The under 17 men's 800m saw a Cardiff clean sweep with Hassan Abdi taking the gold medal ahead of Joseph Adler (silver) and Alex Love (bronze).

An exciting senior women's 60m final saw Mica Moore (silver medal) edge out Commonwealth Games hopeful Elaine O'Neill in a personal best time of 7.54 seconds. The senior men's final, likewise, produced a personal best 6.97 for silver medallist Gareth Hopkins.

Indoor Championships Friday 24 January 2014

This weekend, the National Indoor Athletic Centre in Cardiff will be the scene of the Welsh Indoor Championships for the under 13, under 17 and Senior age groups. The under 15 and under 20 800m and 1500m championships will be included.

The entries show a strong presence of Cardiff AAC athletes although there could, perhaps, have been more in the under 13 age group (why aren't they there?).

Cardiff athletes off to Austria Friday 24 January 2014

Two Welsh teams will travel to Austria next week to take part in two separate indoor events.

Included in the team for the Vienna Indoor Classic on Tuesday, 28th, are Dewi Hammond, Sam Gordon, Anax da Silva, Carl Hill, Garteth Warburton, Tom Marshall, Mica Moore and Ffion Price and for the Gugl Indoor meeting in Linz on Thursday, 30th, are Dewi Hammond, Sam Gordon, Anax da Silva, David Omoregie and Mica Moore.

Matt Elias is the team leader.

Cardiff Cross Challenge Monday 20 January 2014

December's athlete of the month, Annwen Gammon, got yesterday's cross challenge off to a good start, finishing an excellent fourth in the first event of the day, the under 13 girls' race. Jessica Wadey was seventh and Abi Fisher was tenth. In the same race, Sofia Vella was first in the schools' category.

Other high finishers were Emily Chirighin in the primary schools girls' race and Jake Heyward in the under 15 boy's race (in this race Rhys Jones was third home in the schools' category). In the under 15 girls' race, Naomi Reed was 3rd in the schools' category.

More medals and PBs Tuesday 14 January 2014

The second indoor Grand Prix held at the NIAC on Sunday last, 12th January, included the Welsh Athletics 3000m championships.

Gold medals were won by Rebecca Evans in the under 20 women's age group and Gwynant Jones matched this, taking the under 20 men's title, with Ciaran Lewis third. Silver medals were won by Abi Fisher (under 15 girls), Ieuan Jones (under 15 boys) and Charlotte Gaughan (senior women).

In the open events, pride of place goes to David Omoregie who clocked a personal best 7.92 for the senior men's 60m hurdles (taking him to 4th in the latest UK rankings) and Mica Moore who set a pb in the senior women's 60m which puts her in 3rd place on the latest UK rankings.