Winch gets huge lift from selection for home Games
BANKER and bowler Jamie-lea Winch wants to cash in on a hometown Commonwealth Games after finally putting her Gold Coast selection heartbreak behind her.
The Rugby star, 31, will help spearhead a 16-strong English team in Birmingham this summer bidding to build on her Delhi 2010 bronze and
Glasgow 2014 silver. Winch narrowly missed out on selection for the Gold Coast four years ago and has spent the previous Games cycle putting in the hard yards to haul herself back into contention.
The bowls event will take place at Leamington Spa – the storied home of the sport – this summer and resilient Winch, who works in financial services away from the green, hopes she can hit the jackpot in front of her supporting friends and family. The Midlands ace, speaking ahead of Bowls’ Big Weekend on May 27-29 featuring more than 750 clubs opening their doors to families, said: “It felt amazing to see the announcement that I’d been selected. Especially after the last Commonwealth Games, where I just missed out.
“It was obviously really disappointing for me personally to miss out four years ago.
“I would have loved to have had the opportunity to play in those Games, but it did spur me on to do better and improve my own game.
“I really put my head down, did a lot of training and I’m really pleased that it’s paid off. It’s an honour to be selected anyway, but the fact it’s at Leamington, close to where I grew up in Warwickshire, being the home of bowls will be fantastic to showcase the sport.” n Find your nearest participating club at http://www.bowlsbigweekend.com