Saturday will see the most important competition of the season for most of the competitors at the Sussex Schools' Track and Field Championships at K2 Crawley.
Leanne Buxton, Judy Lasis and the Sussex Schools' officers have tried to return the championships to what they were before the pandemic lockdowns, but it has been a hard struggle. Many schools have not put athletics, the major Olympic sport, back into the curriculum. Athletic districts have had problems filling their teams, particularly in the field events, but entries have increased in the past few days though the senior groups are looking rather thin.
This is important, as it is mainly from these championships that the Sussex team, of about sixty athletes, will be selected to compete in the English Schools Championships in Manchester next month. All the selected athletes should achieve a specific standard before they can make the team. Some may have a second chance to achieve that standard at the South East Schools Inter-Counties match the following week, but they need to get into the first two places to make the Sussex team for that event.
There will be a full day's athletics at Crawley, starting with the Hammer and the Pole Vault competitions at 9.30 and the track events at 10.45.
Admission including a programme will be £3 for a single adult and £5 for two adults.