SDS Track and Field Para Champs

Friday 26th September 2014

Scottish Disability Sport and scottishathletics were delighted to take the National Senior Athletics Championships to the George Duncan Athletics Arena in Perth earlier this month and the red carpet was well and truly rolled out for the event.

Jim Hunter from the Strathtay Harriers Athletics Club co-ordinated a fantastic turnout from the local area , engaging with local schools, businesses, clubs, Live Active and Perth and Kinross Council to ensure everything was in place at a local level for the event. The effort and enthusiasm from all involved from Perth and Kinross to embrace the event was appreciated.

All the results from Perth are online on this website.

An eventful year of disability athletics with many Scottish athletes holding their own in International and domestic competition continued in earnest at this event which in previous years has seen many strong performances by Scotland’s finest athletes who have achieved on the world stage this year.

It proved to be a remarkable event for the team from Fife – the largest ever assembled for the national championships.

Boasting athletes of the class of Derek Rae and Owen Miller helped ensure they put team points on the board early in the day with outstanding performances in their respective classes over the 1500m.

The thrilling relay section provided the large crowd the opportunity to cheer on their selected athletes. West of Scotland almost completed the clean sweep in the relay races with four wins under their belts in the 4 x 100m.

This, however, was not accounting for an extraordinary comeback from INAS European Championship runner Owen Miller who ran down his opponent in the final leg to seal the win for Fife in the 4 x 00m.

There is a raft of development work happening within the field events, and seated throwing in particular, and the event was delighted to enjoy a European Gold Medal winner and record holder competing in the Club and the Discus events. Jo Butterfield (Glasgow/ Red Star) electrified the event with a distance in the Club throw that was a world best so far this year.

So the winners of the AR Mitchell Trophy were Fife with 78 points with West of Scotland runners-up on 67 and Tayside in third on 49.

All the athletes who competed embraced the occasion to the full and it was encouraging to see such a talented group of youngsters progressing through the ranks.

It is always pleasing to see a high standard of entry from our athletes with a physical disability and these athletes continue to impress at the national championships in the wheelchair, race-running and throwing sections.

A final thanks go to Janice Eaglesham and Shona Malcolm for their tireless contributions to the athletics national events and SDS are extremely grateful for their considerable input. Attention now turns to the fast approaching Cross-country season.

Anyone who requires more information on athletics opportunities for athletes with a disability please contact Shona Malcolm OBE (scottishathletics)

Email shonamalcolm@scottishathletics.org.uk

Tags: Derek Rae, Jo Butterfield, Owen Miller, Para athletes, SDS