Sprinter Nelson breaks long-standing City club record

THE fast progress for City of Portsmouth sprinter Jacob Nelson was highlighted with a memorable performance at Bedford in the England Championships.
Jacob Nelson broke the City of Portsmouth club record. Picture: Paul SmithJacob Nelson broke the City of Portsmouth club record. Picture: Paul Smith
Jacob Nelson broke the City of Portsmouth club record. Picture: Paul Smith

He ran both the 100m and 200m in the under-15 age group.

These races are always packed with talent and double Hampshire champion Nelson showed his quality.

He progressed through two heats and his semi-final to reach the 100m final. In this race he placed eighth and he also had a new personal best set of 11.25sec in the heats.

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Then in the 200m he ran even better, clocking 22.61 to take fifth place in the final.

The time broke the 34-year-old club record held by Chris Jagoe.

Nelson’s time has only been eclipsed by one City of Portsmouth athlete through all the age groups this season, Harrison Pocock in the senior men’s category.

In total City had 11 athletes at the prestigious championships which are for the under-15 and under-17 age groups.

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Heather Cubbage completed a stellar season by adding the under-17 discus title to her national schools’ victory and her wins in the schools’ international and also the southern area championships.

Her throw of 44.94m was a personal best for the season.

Unusually perhaps, the weight of discus thrown by under-17 women is the same as senior women so this throw placed the City star in the top 20 of all female throwers in the UK.

She also competed well to finish in seventh place in the shot and 10th in the hammer.

The City of Portsmouth club have quite a reputation in throwing events.

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At this national event Kameron Duxbury placed sixth in the javelin, while Phoebe March, who two years ago had never picked up a hammer placed seventh in the under-15 girls event with a throw of 42.29m.

Cerys Thomas placed 13th in the under-17 event with 47.29m.

In the under-17 women’s shot national number one Serena Vincent was very unfortunate with a car accident just before arriving at the event.

It happened almost right outside the stadium.

This clearly affected her but she still managed to compete and finished in second place with 12.76m.

Multi-event star Hollie Thurgood finished 11th with 11.75m.

All these throwers are set to be in action when City Portsmouth host their throws festival on Sunday.

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The growing reputation of this event has attracted many of the best throwers from all over the country.

On the track the club also performed really well.

Lachlan Wellington continued his wonderful season with a second place in the 3K under-17 event with an impressive run to finish in 8.37.94 among a really talented group of athletes.

His City club-mate Jacob O’Hara was placed sixth in 8.53.75.

Ellie Farrow completed her excellent season with a sixth position in the 800m under-17 event.

City of Portsmouth’s international wheelchair racer Craig Boardman won the T34 100m and 200m, while he got a hat-trick of medals with silver in the 400m.