Viner remains upbeat, but Bruck steals show

ATHLETICS Hannah Viner narrowly missed out on a place in the GB team for next month’s European under-23 Cross Country Championships.

Highgate Harrier Viner was the 10th under-23 finisher in the British Athletics Cross Challenge in Liverpool, which served as the European selection race.

Viner, 21, recorded 29:49 for an 8.1km course that earlier races had transformed into a mudbath.

“The conditions were very tough,” said Viner. “It was cold, windy and extremely muddy. The course consisted of one shorter lap and two long laps. It was the highest quality field I have competed against in a race that seemed like one relentless sprint. I made sure I moved close to the front from the start, and I maintained

Roger Bruck a position in the top 10 throughout the race. I gave it everything I had on the final lap but it wasn’t quite enough to make the team this year. Overall, it was a very good experience and bodes well for bigger races in the future.” Roger Bruck will today be presented with the Southern Counties Veterans AC Jumps Trophy, for the best achievement in the Jumps category in their 2017 Championships.

Bruck, 78, won Southern Counties V75 gold in the High Jump, long jump, 100m and 200m events. His greatest success in recent years has been achieved in the high jump — an event he only took up his mid-fifties. Pride of place among his many gold medals is his performance in last year’s British Masters Championships, in which he achieved an extraordinary clearance of 1.27m. This added 4cm to his own M75 Southern Counties record and would have tied for gold in the World Masters Championships.