Gold Stars

‘Let’s see what I can do,’ was 18-year old Conor Kelly’s parting shot before leaving for the European Under 20 Championships in Tampere, Finland over 8-11 August. What he really meant was only the gold in the 400m would do. After the hurt of settling for bronze at the European Under18 Championships in Slovakia last year, when he had hoped for so much more, winning in Tampere was the single thing on his mind, his whole year of training, physio and working with a dietician, geared to crossing the finishing line first. ‘I couldn’t stop smiling; it was special’ he told the Irish media clamouring for interviews and photos after he was crowned European U20 Champion.

Going into the Championships Conor was the clear favourite, the only athlete to have run under 46 seconds, after he clocked a blistering 45.85 at the Morton Games in Dublin last month, nailing his target of going under 46 minutes before his 18th birthday with a whole six days to spare! Conor, who trains with Paul Miller’s sprint group but also represents his Irish club, Finn Valley AC in County Donegal, took the senior Irish Indoor title earlier this year, and has been banking the experience of negotiating championship rounds safely while keeping something in reserve for the final. In Tampere he delivered a masterclass on how to do it, easing his way through the heats and semi final in 46.96 and 46.58 respectively before flying out of the blocks on 9 August in the final, holding his form around the final bend, and blazing down the home straight to win by over half a second in 45.83, another PB and Irish U20 record. Only GB international Dwayne Cowan sits ahead of him on the Club’s All Time ranking list. How long will it be before Conor, who now heads to university in Austin, Texas, has Dwayne’s time of 45.34 in his sights?

Meanwhile in Birmingham…

There was a gold medal, too, for Tommaso Crosara, who took the U15 Boys 300m title at the England U15 & U17 Championships in Birmingham, in 36.66, having set his fastest time of 36.06 in the heats. It has been a stellar year for Tommaso, who only began competing in April 2024. In February he won the silver medal at the England Age Group Championships in Sheffield and in June took the gold at the English Schools Championships in Birmingham. Following his PB of 35.76 in the final of the Schools Championships Tommaso currently tops the UK ranking list for his age group over 300m.

Also competing in Birmingham in the 3000m was U17 Isabella Harrison. Having posted the fastest women’s time of the night (4:49.87) in the Dave Clarke Mile on 23 July, Isabella bravely took on the lead in the mixed U17/U15 3000m and looked to have stretched out enough of a gap to take the win, but was run down in the final straight, to come away with the U17 bronze medal.

And the curtain comes down on the Summer Open Series

While Conor, Tommaso and Isabella were winning medals in Tampere and Birmingham,, back at Wimbledon Park the Club staged the final distance event of the summer series, the 5000m Festival, with BBQ, beer and music. Fastest HW man was Jonny Cornish in the Elite race which was dominated by UK Athletics Championships silver medallist Jack Kavanagh, who set a new meeting record of 13:44.95.

Returning to the track after some time due to a foot problem Jonny clocked 14:48.51 in that final race of the night, while earlier there was an impressive 5000m debut for U20 Rafferty Haigh who finished in 15:18.00. Ruby Carter’s time of 16:46.24 was the fastest of the HW women runners, despite being outside her PB of 16:36.29 (her first time over the distance) at the Comeback 5000m in Battersea Park in May. As always at these meetings there were Club PBs across the board, probably none bigger than that of U20 steeplechaser Tom Davies who took 50 seconds off his previous 5000m best to break 17 minutes for the first time in 16:56.72.