After last weekend’s successful meeting at West Park, Worthing the Sussex County A.A are hoping for similar success tomorrow at K2 with the Festival of Athletics which is mainly directed at Sussex athletes though the weather forecast is not kind to either athletes and less so to officials.
The date, the 8th would in normal circumstances be the first day of a two day County Championships but non Sussex athletes have been allowed in to fill spaces as competitions are generally scarce at the moment.
Generally the young athletes have responded well and there is only space for a few non Sussex athletes but there is many more non Sussex athletes in the jumps and the throws and these athletes are the ones that have found the “Lockdown” very difficult, over the last six months, to find anywhere where they can train.
The first event is timed for 9.00am and under Covid rules athletes must leave the venue as soon as they have completed their event. Young athletes can be accompanied by one parent or a coach.
Tomorrow’s event will be a good opportunity for many Schools athletes to get good competition and achieve English Schools standards that they will all need if they are going to be selected for the Sussex Schools for Manchester in early July.
One such a standard was to achieved at Bromley last weekend when reigning English Schools javelin champion Liz Korczak (Brighton & Hovel) threw 44.47m for a senior standard.
Pretty good conditions allowed several PBs to be bettered at West Park including a couple by Brighton Phoenix athletes Archie Davis and Beth Kidger. Archie clocked 1:47.26s in the 800m, to place eighth on the Sussex All-Time list, just two places behind coach Joel Kidger, while Beth improved her previous clocking 9:14.72s for the 3,000m which lifts her to ninth place on the Sussex All-time list.
A good battle in the 1500m saw Ruby Whyte Wilding (Lewes) hold off a strong challenge from club mate Harriet Bloor who were both rewarded with PBs with 4:39.80s and 4:40.00s respectively.
Another fine battle came in the women’s long jump when Mary Adeniji from Eastbourne but competes for Bromley leapt 5.62m for a good start to the season just 2cm ahead of Livvy Connor (Lewes).