Alisha Rees defies Tbilisi heat to secure silver medal

Capital club sprinter Alisha Rees kept cool in stifling heat to bag a silver medal in the 200 metres at the European Youth Championships in Tbilisi, Georgia.
Alisha Rees performed admirably at the European Youth Championships. Pic: TSPLAlisha Rees performed admirably at the European Youth Championships. Pic: TSPL
Alisha Rees performed admirably at the European Youth Championships. Pic: TSPL

The powerful 17-year-old Edinburgh AC member had high hopes of joining in the British team’s gold rush after clocking a new personal best of 23.57 secs in her semi-final.

Helped by a following wind of plus 1.7 metres per second, just inside the legal limit of 2mps, Rees had consolidated her place at the top of the Scottish senior rankings for this season.

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But, in the final Rees came up against an inspired Marine Mignon, who, though behind the Scot coming off the bend, stormed past in the straight and went on to a new French age best of 23.35 secs to take gold, with Rees timed at 23.70 secs.

Calum Henderson (EAC) was the only Scottish winner in the British Schools International at Ashford, Kent.

The 16-year-old Stewart’s Melville pupil won the long jump with a last round leap of 7.06 metres, a personal best and the first time he has gone over seven metres.

Sam Brown (EAC) was third in the boys 800 metres in 1:59.89 and another club-mate Holly McArthur was second in the 80 metres hurdles in 11.59 secs, a personal best, while Michael Dennis (EAC) had a PB of 14.03 secs finishing sixth in the boys 100m hurdles.