City of Plymouth athletes make their mark in Birmingham and Sheffield

ATHLETES from City of Plymouth AC impressed at indoor meetings in Birmingham and Sheffield over the weekend. 

David King celebrated his Great Britain selection for next month’s European Indoor Championships by running a season’s best time at the Muller Grand Prix in Birmingham on Saturday.

King clocked 7.64 seconds to win his heat and book his place in a high-quality final.

In a tight final, he finished sixth in 7.68 seconds. The race was won by America’s world indoor silver medallist Jarret Eaton in 7.51 seconds. Fellow American Freddie Crittenden took second, with Cypriot Milan Trajkovic third.

Another City of Plymouth hurdler, Sammie Harris, made an impressive start to her season by winning the women’s 60m hurdles at the City of Birmingham Games on Sunday.

Harris, whose 2018 campaign ended early after breaking her arm in the English Schools’ final, clocked a PB time of 8.61 seconds on her debut at under-20/senior level.

Meanwhile, at the BUCS Championships in Sheffield, City of Plymouth cross country international Victoria Weir won a bronze medal in the women’s 3,000m.

This is the first season Weir, who is studying at the Birmingham University, has competed indoors and she showed she is getting back to her best with a 9:49.89 minute run in the final to make the podium.

Weir was only beaten Imperial College’s Dani Chattenton and Birmingham team-mate Kate Seary.

There was also a medal in Sheffield for University of Plymouth’s Patrick Swan. He won silver in the men’s shot with a throw of 16.22m.

City of Plymouth’s Jade Simson reached the women’s long jump final, where she came 10^th with 5.53m.