What an amazing couple of weeks for Blackburn Harrier Sophie Hitchon. Qualifying for the Olympic Hammer Final, Sophie smashed her own British Record to win an Olympic Bronze Medal and in the same final, watched Anita Wlodarczyk win the Gold Medal – and – break her own World Record. On Sunday – August 28th – just thirteen days after the Olympic Final, Sophie was competing in Poland at the Kamila Skolimowska Memorial Meeting where the World Record was broken again by Anita Wlodarczyk. Sophie had another great competition too, finishing 2nd with a throw of 72.42m.
Sophie’s consistency in competition is really impressive as can be seen from the Poland results where she threw twice over 70m, twice over 71m and once over 72m. After the event Sophie spoke to the Club and said that she was “Really pleased to have got the second best result of the season today in Poland with also a good series especially after Rio, also felt I could have gone further but there was nothing in my legs, looking forward to a break now then getting back into training in preparation for London 2017 World Athletics Champs”…….and also stressed that she “was pleased to be in another world record breaking comp”.
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Blackburn Harrier’s Hammer Coach – Mick Hitchon – is having a great year and developing a number of young Hammer throwers who will hopefully be following in Sophie’s footsteps. U17 Jacob Roberts and U15 Charlotte Williams have really been hitting the heights in their Hammer Age Groups. Both of them now sit at number 2 in the National Rankings. Both of them recently won the Northern Championships with Charlotte setting a new Northern Counties Record.
Last weekend, the two of them traveled to Bedford for the National Championships and came away with yet more medals enhancing their status on the national stage. In a final featuring 13 of the best U17 male Hammer Throwers in the country, Jacob threw a best of 62.97m which won him the Silver Medal. (RESULTS). His seasons total number of twenty one competitions has seen him win 17 and come runner up on 4 occasions. Over the season Jacob has won the Lancashire Schools Championships, Lancashire County Championships, Northern Championships and has taken Silver Medals at English Schools, the SIAB Schools International and this weekend at the National U17 Championships. Speaking to the Harriers after the Championships Jacob said “I competed at England Athletics National Championships at Bedford over the weekend. I came away with a Silver Medal in the U17 Men’s Hammer event. The weather was nice and it was a really good comp with 15 Athletes competing. I was very proud to represent Blackburn Harriers and to come away with the Silver Medal even though my eyes where set on the Gold Medal but unfortunately it wasn’t to be. I would like to thank my mum and dad for all the hard work and getting me to my competitions. I would also like to thank my coach Michael Hitchon and Wendy Hitchon for allowing him to come five nights a week to train me . Also I would like to thank my training partners Charlotte and the rest of the Hammer Squad”.
Charlotte contested the U15 Age Group Championships throwing a best of 54.30m to win the Bronze Medal in a field contested by 16 of the best young U15 Girls in the country. (RESULTS) Like Jacob, Charlotte has racked up a very good season with outstanding results over the fifteen competitions she has contested which have included twelve wins, two seconds and a third place. She has won the Lancashire Schools Championships, Lancashire County Championships, came 2nd in the English Schools Championships, won the Northern Championships and added the Bronze Medal last weekend at the National Championships. Reflecting on her performance and her season to-date Charlotte told the Club “Today was our last championship competitions which was nationals. Coming third was a big achievement for me as last year I didn’t get into the top 5. This season has been very successful for me as I have ended up in the top 2 in the uk for hammer after only been doing it a year and a half which I am very proud of. I have a couple of medal meetings to finish the whole season off and see if I can improve one last time“.
Her father Brian commented after the weekend that he was “Proud to see this name on my daughters shirt representing Blackburn Harriers at the National Championships and coming home with a Bronze medal. Thanks George S Davies and Blackburn Harriers for your kind words and support through the season.Thanks Mick and Wendy Hitchon for there support and hard work. Better mention the wife who gives up everything to support Charlotte Cattermole Williams. Also her team mates and well done to Jacob Roberts”.
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