BRISTOL & West AC athlete Jenna Blundell has been selected to represent Great Britain at the European Under 23 Championships in Bergen, Norway, from July 8-11th.
Having won the under 23 trials race the week before at Bedford Blundell needed to get the qualifying standard of 13.25secs and she went to the British Senior Championships last weekend with a best of 13.37secs set last month.
She started brightly by first clocking a PB of 13.34secs in her heat but Blundell saved her best for the final improving to a superb 13.22secs to finish fourth in the final – and just two one-hundredths of a second off the bronze medal.
“I am so happy,” said Blundell.
“The weekend could not have gone more perfectly with two personal bests and also running the qualifying standard for the European Under 23 Championships.
“The weekend has been simply amazing!”
In addition, she beat her main under 23 rival Holly Mills, who had already run the qualifying standard so if the selectors had the slightest doubt about Blundell then that banished it.
“Beforehand the aim was never to finish in the top three so to then get so close to that and only losing third on a dip (the bronze was two-hundredths of a second away) against those quality of girls was something else,” added Blundell.
“But in running the qualifying time and beating Holly I think I have shown the selectors that I can perform and produce results in a big race.
“And I am so pleased to get an international GB vest at last. Obviously, it is not my first as I won a GB vest to compete indoors at Cardiff and then at the Manchester International, but both those were largely domestic fields.
“The Euros will feel like a proper senior championships abroad against top class athletes – and I will also receive my first GB suitcase!”