ATHLETES and officials who have been around a few years and enjoy discussing the “good old days” have been served a pre-Christmas treat by super-statisticians Alan and Brenda Currie.
The couple, who were formerly the official statisticians for Welsh Athletics, have launched a new website www.athleticsstatisticswales.co.uk containing results of Welsh championships and other major meetings on road, country and track and field from the very early days.
Many of the details appeared in the twin volumes on the history of Welsh Athletics to which the Curries were among the contributors, but scanning the columns throws up many topics of conversation.
North Wales athletes and clubs rarely feature among the very early results until some familiar names start appearing in the late-1950s.
The cross-country results alone take one far down memory lane, with Roger Harrison-Jones popping up in second place in the senior men’s race in the Welsh championships in 1961. At that time he was with Liverpool Pembroke, but now runs for Prestatyn – and Wales – in the M75 class.
The 1981 and ’83 champion was the incomparable Steve Jones, but second both times was Tony Blackwell (Wolverhampton, ex-Wrexham).
In the ‘90s top three places were gained by Colin Jones (Eryri), Jamie Lewis (Swansea, ex-Wrexham) and Ian Pierce (Tipton, ex-Wrexham), all of them now lost to the sport.
1994 was the golden year for North Wales in the U20 class, with Jones, Ian Oliver (Colwyn Bay) and Pierce doing a 1-2-3.
Also figuring in the “Where are they now?” quiz are the likes of Neil Emberton (Newtown), Roger Jones (Deeside), Matthew Jones (Stoke), Duncan Hughes (Wrexham) and Carl Prior (Deeside), all medal winners in the U13, U15 and U17 categories in the ‘80s and ‘90s.
Lynn Maddison, who competed for Colwyn Bay, Sale, Prestatyn and Wrexham, was the outstanding woman cross-country runner of the past 30 years, winning the U17 class in 1984 and finishing third senior three times – in 1986 behind the Tooby twins Angela and Susan.
Vanessa Jones (Wrexham), won the U17s’ race in 1989, with the evergreen Isabel Redfern (Colwyn Bay) third. In 1987 Isabel was 2nd U15, with Vanessa Jones, but the Wrexham athlete took the title the following year.
Others who shone over the period included Ruth Evans (Colwyn Bay), who was 2nd U17 in 1994 and 1995, Laura Jones (Wrexham), who won the U13 class in both those years, and Lisa Lanini (Wrexham), the 2000 U13 champion.
Log on - it'll keep you occupied for hours!
Link to Athletics statistics Wales website.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.athleticsstatswales.webeden.co.uk/#
Hello, Jamie Lewis here a friend just tipped me off to this blog.I never thought of myself as lost to the sport. I only stopped competing when i was about 38 when my legs gave it up. I still run every day, most days twice.I have lived in Ireland for over 20 years but did ok out of running, winning Senior Irish and Welsh road and track Champs, silver XC again in both countries, 2 world XC appearances(one as senior Captain) a world Ekiden appearance and a 5th place in the Euro clubs, happy with my p.b's too.
ReplyDeleteI was probably lost to North Wales though, i won bugger all there.