Monday, 1 September 2008
Highlights – Day 1
Sara Lougher secured Wales’ first ever UK School Games swimming gold medal at Millfield School and set her sights on London 2012 glory.
The Ysgol Gyfun Llanhari school pupil stormed to victory by over half a second in the 200m breaststroke on day one of the four-day multi-sport event that also witnessed its first ever swimming dead heat.
Sara is determined to follow in the footsteps of double Olympic gold medallist Rebecca Adlington and top the podium in London in four years’ time.
“I’m really proud to have won Wales first swimming gold medal here – it’s a real honour. Looking to the future I’d love to go the Olympics in London. Watching Rebecca Adlington was a real inspiration and it would be a dream to be in her position at the next Olympics.”
Elsewhere in the pool, Epsom’s Alfie Howes and Martin Cremin of Dunblane could not be separated in the 1500m freestyle as both 16-year-old swimmers clocked a UK School Games record of 16:29:06 minutes.
Wales judo star Brandon Dodge picked up the first gold of the games as he retained his under 55kg title at Filton College.
The 17-year-old Gowerton Comprehensive pupil blew away the opposition to add gold to his growing medal collection after taking the 2007 UK School Games crown.
Highlights – Day 2
Rising javelin star Izzy Jeffs underlined her London 2012 potential by claiming gold at the UK School Games and chalking up the second longest British under-17 distance ever recorded.
The Taunton School pupil secured one of eleven athletics gold medals handed out on a busy day in Bath and Bristol. Jeffs, who has already been crowned English Schools champion, wrote her name into the record books with a spectacular throw of 47.74 metres. She smashed the UK School Games record as well as her personal best by three metres.
“I’ve finally done it in the last big competition of the season. I’ve been looking for a throw where everything falls into place and finally I’ve achieved that. As soon as I threw it I knew it was going to be big.”
Jonny Hay also took a massive chunk off his personal best in the 3000m, cruising home in 8:33:30 minutes and bettering his lifetime best by 5.6 seconds.
Grace O’Connell, sister of British Olympian Alex O’Connell claimed Northern Ireland's first individual fencing gold. The fencing arena also witnessed Scotland's first two individual fencing gold medals as Matt D'Agostino and Natasha Thompson secured gold in the sabre and foil respectively.
Click here to read highlights from day three at the UK School Games