Tri-umphant Otsalu jumping for joy
ATHLETICS THE Tri-Counties Championships at Lee Valley, which featured athletes representing Middlesex, Hertfordshire and Kent, brought Maccabi London Harriers its first ever championship medals when Liina Otsalu became Middlesex long jump champion with a personal best of 4.49m.
Otsalu also went on to win bronze in the shot, with the bonus of a PB in the 60m, as well with a time of 8.53.
“I’m delighted with how my events went,” said Otsalu, “especially as I haven’t been back in training very long.” Otsalu, 23, was forced to give up competing in her early teens following a knee injury, but watching last summer’s Diamond League fixtures on television made her realise how much she missed athletics and inspired her to take up the sport again. “I came to these championships for my own development,” she said. “I really enjoyed today, and my aim is to keep working hard to improve my times and distances.”
Another medal winner at Lee Valley was Jonathan Cohen, 16, of Shaftesbury Harriers, who took silver for Middlesex in the pole vault. “I did some promising vaults and it was a respectable result, but I also feel I was unlucky to come away with only 3.50m,” reflected Cohen.
“Having said that, I’m very happy to get the silver. And I know exactly what I need to focus on now to reach my goals.”
Highgate Harrier Idan Gal-Shohet, 18, was Middlesex’s U20 long jump silver medallist with a leap of 6.36.
U20 Brighton and Hove athlete Tomer Tarragano, meanwhile, finished seventh in a field of over 400 runners at the English Schools’ cross country championships in Leeds.