Trio relay at Muller Games

On Sunday 22 July, Rebecca Jeggo and Joy Ogunleye, competing for their higher claim club Shaftesbury Barnett Harriers, took part in the Club Connect Relays as a prequel to the Muller Anniversary Games at the Queen Elizabeth Stadium.

The Club Connect initiative has the objective of recognising and rewarding the significant contributions made by clubs in supporting athletes through all levels of their athletics journey. The initiative has gone from strength to strength since being launched in January 2014 and plans to continue growing! Clubs are the foundation of the athletics pyramid, British Athletics recognises this and will be using the global award winning major events to showcase clubs and age group athletes in different formats… maybe one day Colchester Harriers will be fielding teams!

 

The girls both ran strong, confident legs to place Shaftesbury in a good position, unfortunately the competition was just too strong and they crossed the line in fourth position, however they had created a new club record in the process.

Talking of the experience Rebecca said…. ” It was pretty cool walking out to compete having been a spectator for five years;  looking up at the huge screen seeing our event listed and then seeing Joy’s face was amazing! It was great to have Harrier members in the crowd supporting us.”

 

Day two of the Games and Diamond League  was kicked off by the 4 x 100m relay; featuring eight senior teams including two from Great Britain, as well as France,China, Japan, Switzerland, Ireland and Netherlands and a GB U20 team featuring Harriers’ Charlie Dobson.

 

Dobson had found out earlier in the day that he would be anchor leg and walked out alongside one of  his idols Nathaniel Mitchell Blake as well as first year senior Tommy Rahmdam (GB 2) to take his place in lane seven. After an enthusiastic and lengthy introduction of all teams the athletes settled into their blocks.  It was clear from the start that GB 1 team were going all out for a  world leading time.  The U20 team held on well with the baton successfully reaching Dobson who ran a fierce home leg, over taking the senior Swiss team to take 6th place,  in 39.49s, just outside the national Junior record.

“It was my first time running the anchor leg for GB Juniors which was a huge honour to bring the baton home in the Olymypic Stadium. It was quite a special moment hearing the crowd cheer so loudly when they announced our names. Warming up it was great to have Adam Gemili come over and congratulate me on my success at the Worlds.”