Sunderland Harrier Etherington has medal success at World Championships

Sunderland Harrier Jacqueline Etherington’s epic six days of competition in the World Masters’ Indoor and Outdoor Championships in Poland, resulted in many fine performances.
By Kevin Carr
Published 31st Mar 2019, 19:41 BST
Jaqueline Etherington.Jaqueline Etherington.
Jaqueline Etherington.

After winning an individual and team bronze in the 8k cross country and setting a personal best of 10.50.31 for fifth in the 3000m earlier in the week, she added to her medal collection.

She completed her stay in Torun by competing in the 800m heat on Wednesday and the 1500m on Saturday.

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She said: “I finished fifth in the 800m after avoiding a tumble with a season’s best of 2.25.25.

“Next up was the 1500m on Saturday and I set a PB of 4.52.38 for another fifth place.

“I finished the championships with team silver in the 4x200m relay and altogether I won one individual bronze, one team bronze and a team silver as well as setting two PBs. I was delighted with my performances.”

The Temple Park 5k yesterday saw Sunderland Harrier Paul MacLachlan continue his improvement by taking a massive chunk off his previous best.

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Just two weeks after chopping 10 minutes off his half marathon PB, he sliced nearly half a minute off his fastest 5k.

He clocked 17.46 in finishing 12th to beat his 18.14 timing from 2018. Other Sunderland times were: 16th Alan Hodgson (18.21), 22nd Rowan James (19.03) and 30th Paul O’Brian (19.36). Sunderland Stroller Wendy Chapman finished 26th (19.19).

The race winner was Tyne Bridge Harrier Michael Hedley (16.10) winning from the Jarrow pair of Jack Brown (16.17) and James Barnshaw (16.28).

Oliver James, brother of Rowan, has been busy setting personal bests in the States.

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He clocked 31.19 in the Rodes City Run in finishing 11th and recorded 51.11 in the Papa John’s 10 miler in finishing seventh. Both races were in Louisville,

In the Newcastle University Cow Bell 5k, Sunderland Strollers had Andrew Forbes in sixth (17.14), Over-50 Chris Duke 12th (PB 17.46), and Ritchie Gerry 28th (19.30). Sunderland Harrier Hayley Dobinson was 61st (22.07).

North East athletes competed up to form in the World Cross Country Championships in Aarhus, Denmark on Saturday.

Kate Avery in 30th led the women’s team to their best performance in years to finish fourth behind the might of the Africans – Ethiopia, Kenya and Uganda.

Morpeth’s Rory Leonard and Middlesbrough’s Joshua Cowperthwaite finished 37th and 62nd respectively, for second and fourth counters in the GB Under-20 team that took eighth position.

Related topics:SunderlandPoland