Guernsey Press

Chadwick adds Welsh title with U20 record

A GOLD MEDAL over 200m and a new island U20 record over 60m made it a glittering weekend for Joe Chadwick at the Welsh Indoor Junior Championships in Cardiff.

Published
Making rapid progress: Joe Chadwick at last year's Scottish indoors. (Picture Bobby Gavin, 23802459)

Last year’s Scottish National U17 champion managed to repeat that excellence from the bottom of the U20 age group, the Old Elizabethan and now Millfield-based athlete showing additional promise of a bright future.

Over the shorter distance, Chadwick ran 7.06sec. for bronze in the final following a 7.07 heat – both considerable improvements on last month’s personal best and faster than any Guernsey junior before him.

‘It was a great feeling to get out from the blocks well in the 60, as that’s normally the weakest part of my race,’ he said.

‘I’m extremely happy with 7.06 but it’s left me wanting that sub-7 even more.’

Chadwick returned the next day to produce the fastest qualifier in the 200m heats, already turning a few heads with 22.68 on a track not known for its speed.

He surpassed this just hours later by blasting along the home straight towards a superb 22.34 in the final – matching his PB and island U17 record from outdoors last year.

‘My legs just seemed to have more speed than the semi – I was ecstatic when I crossed the line first to see 22.35 on the clock, which later got rounded down to 22.34 to match my PB last season,’ added Chadwick.

‘Again, this has left me excited to see what happens this season and how fast I can go.’