GSF Athlete Highlights - Athletics

UK Athletics Championship Manchester 2023

During a sensational weekend showcasing the UK’s athletics talent, 132 past and present GLL Sport Foundation athletes competed at the Manchester Regional Arena on the 8th and 9th of July 2023. Between them, they came home with 24 medals – 8 Gold, 7 Silver and 9 Bronze!

On the Saturday, we started with field events. GSF athletes Montana Jackson and Mary Elcock (both Islington) opened up their competition in the Women’s Triple Jump. Montana secured 5th place, and Mary came just behind in 6th place recording a season best jump in the process. In the Men’s shot put event, GSF athlete Scott Lincoln secured his champion status winning the Gold medal and Youcef Zatat (Waltham Forest) came in second place with a season best throw! GSF alumni Patrick Swan also contributed to the medal count with the Bronze medal.

GSF athlete Sophie Ashurst (Manchester) and alumni athletes Jade Ive, Tilly Hooper and Megan Bailey competed in the Women’s Pole Vault competition, with Jade and Tilly finishing in 4th and 5th place, with Megan taking 7th and Sophie just behind in 8th place. In the Women’s high jump, Emily Madden Forman (Manchester), Halle Ferguson (Preston), Lauren Evans (Cardiff) and alumni Jordanna Morrish dazzled with their impressive leaps! Emily secured the Silver medal with a season best height, with Halle just missing out on a medal in 4th place. The final event on the field for Saturday was the Men’s discus, alumni athlete Greg Thompson adding a Bronze medal to the count, with GSF athlete Dillon Claydon (Greenwich) and alumni Chris Scott finishing in 7th and 8th place.
Moving on to Saturday’s track events and starting with the Women’s 100m hurdles, GSF athlete Angelita Broadbelt-Blake (Hammersmith and Fulham) finished strong in 5th place with a season best time of 13.42. In the Men’s 100m, 17 past and present GSF athletes were looking to make their mark in this event. Following the heats, GSF athlete (pictured) Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Waltham Forest) and Alumni athletes Recce Prescod, Jeremiah Azu, Chijindu Ujah and Oliver Bromby secured their place in the final. GSF Alumni Reece Prescod came home in second place, with Eugene coming home with the Bronze medal.

Over to the Women’s 100m event, 13 GSF past and present athletes took to the track ready to impress. Into the final, GSF athletes Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Croydon), Bianca Williams (Lee Valley Regional Authority) and GSF alumni athletes Dina Asher-Smith, Kristal Awuah and Annie Tagoe made up a very strong starting line up. Alumni Athlete Dina took home the Gold medal, with Imani-Lara securing the Silver medal and Bianca taking home Bronze.

On the second day of competition, GSF athlete Hannah Hopper (Lewisham) competed in the Women’s 5000m race walk and finished in 4th place with a season best time! In the Men’s 5000m race walk, GSF athletes Luc Legon and Matthew Crane (both Greenwich) competed with Luc coming away with the Bronze medal, and Matthew finishing just behind in 4th place.

Completing the field events, in the Men’s triple jump Seun Okome (Manchester) hit a personal best as well as securing the Bronze medal. Over in the Women’s shot put competition, GSF athlete Cleo Oye-Agyepong (Lewisham) and alumni Shaunna Thompson and Divine Oladipo were in action, with Divine coming home with the Bronze medal, and Shaunna throwing a season best. GSF athlete (pictured) Craig Murch (Rugby) was also getting in on the action, securing the Bronze medal in the Men’s Hammer throw event. Also adding to the medal count was Lazarus Benjamin (Manchester) with a Silver medal in the Men’s Pole Vault. 

In the Men’s High jump, Dominic Ogbechie (Croydon) just missed out on a medal finishing in 4th place, and Akin Coward (Barnet) also finishing in the top 10. From the last of the field events, in the Women’s long jump GSF athletes Lucy Hadaway (York) secured the Bronze medal, Lorraine Ugen (Better Gym Bexleyheath) just behind in 4th and Abigail Irozuru (Manchester) jumping a season best and finishing in 5th place. In the Women’s discus competition, GSF alumni Jade Lally took home the Gold medal. GSF athlete Shadine Duquemin threw a season best to finish in 5th place, with Amy Holder (Islington) behind in 6th place.

Heading over to the track and the hurdle events, alumni athlete Sam Bennett secured another Bronze medal in the Men’s 110m hurdle event. In the Men’s 400m hurdles, GSF athletes Chris McAlister (Merton), Jacob Paul (Croydon) and Joshua Faulds (Rugby) made it through their heats to compete in the final. Chris finished in 4th place, with Jacob running a season best for 6th place, and Joshua finished just behind in 7th. In the Women’s 400m hurdles, GSF athlete (pictured) Jessie Knight (Epsom and Ewell) impressed all and came home with the Gold medal, with alumni athlete Lina Nielsen finishing behind her with the Silver medal.

Sticking with the track events, moving on to the 200m event GSF ambassador Jona Efoloko (Lee Valley) added to the medal tally with his Bronze medal in the Men’s 200m race. For the Women’s 200m event, GSF ambassador Daryll Neita (Greenwich) continued her impressive form, collecting the Gold medal as well as setting a Championship record in this event! Just behind her in second place was ambassador Bianca Williams (Lee Valley). GSF athlete Success Eduan (Manchester) also recorded a personal best in this event, with GSF alumni athletes Georgina Adam and Kristal Awuah achieving season best times for the 200m at this competition.

In the last of the track events, we cover the 400m and 800m distances for both male and female competitions. In the Men’s 400m, GSF alumni athlete Michael Ohioze added to the tally with a Silver medal. In the Women’s 400m, Ambassador Victoria Ohuruogu (Lee Valley) stormed home with the Gold medal, with alumni Ama Pipi taking home the Silver medal. The final results of the weekend came from the 800m races, in the Men’s competition GSF athlete Daniel Rowden (Lee Valley) secured the Gold medal and in the Women’s event, Revee Walcott Nolan (Better Gym Basildon) finished in 6th place with Steph Driscoll (South Lakeland) finishing in 7th with a season best time!

2023 World Para Athletics Championships


The 2023 World Para Athletics Championships is a Paralympic track and field meet organized by the World Para Athletics subcommittee of the International Paralympic Committee. It is the 10th edition of the event and was held in the Charlety Stadium in Paris, France, from 8 to 17 July 2023. 7 past and present GSF athletes were in attendance, and they came home with 5 medals between them (2 Bronze, 1 Silver and 2 Gold!)

Out on the track, GSF athlete (pictured) Kyle Keyworth (Manchester) came in 5th place with a season best time in the Men's 100m T35 event. GSF alumni athletes were also in action, with Ali Smith competing in the Women's 100m T38 race and Zac Shaw securing a Bronze medal in the Men's 100m T12 and a Silver medal in the Universal 4x100m Relay.

In the field events, Daniel Pembroke (Halo Leisure) impressed all in the Men's Javelin Throw F13 winning the Gold medal! Another Gold medal came from GSF alumni Aled Davies in the Men's Shot Put F63 and securing a Bronze medal with a personal best was alumni Zac Skinner in the Men's Long Jump T13 event. Alumni Anna Nicholson just missed out on a medal after throwing a season best, finishing 4th place in the Women's Shot Put F35.

2023 European Athletics U23 Championships

The 2023 European Athletics U23 Championships were the 14th edition of the biennial athletics competition between European athletes under the age of twenty three. The event was organized by European Athletics Association and held from 13–16 July 2023 in Espoo, Finland. 9 past and present GSF athletes were ready to continue their athletics journey at this competition, earning 5 medals between them (2 Bronze, 2 Silver and 2 Gold!)

Representing GSF at the field events was (pictured) Charlotte Payne (Reading), who showcased her talents in the Women's Hammer Throw and was awarded the Silver Medal! Also stepping up to gain international experience were alumni athletes Abigail Pawlett, representing Team GB in the Women's 100m hurdles, and Callum Morgan representing Ireland in the Men's 5000m.

In the Men's 3000m Steeple Chase event, GSF athletes Thomas Bridger (Cambridge) and Luca Minale (Hackney) gained valuable experience with Luca (pictured) making it through the heats after a 5th place finish, to finish 13th overall in the final.

Following his impressive form from the UK athletics championships, GSF alumni Jeremiah Azu added another Gold medal to his collection in the Men’s 100m race. Another Alumni athlete adding to the medal count is Ethan Hussey, who collected a Silver medal in the Men's 800m. Finishing off the competition in strong fashion, GSF athlete Edward Faulds (Rugby) and alumni Ethan Brown secured the Bronze Medal for Team GB in the Men's 4x400m race.




It has been an absolute pleasure to follow the hard work of past and present GSF athletes at these competitions, a huge congratulations to all who took part!