A former Oldbury Wells School student has been selected for the England senior athletics squad for the second time in as many years.
High jumper Bethan Partridge, who lives in Bridgnorth and is a member of Telford Athletic Club, competed in the Cork Grand Prix in Eire on Saturday and finished fifth.
She was also chosen to compete in the ‘Super 8’ international competition at Glasgow – a widely televised competition which saw seven of the UK’s biggest cities compete against each other on Wednesday.
Bethan started her season with a second place finish in the high jump in the Welsh Open Championship, and the young Shropshire athlete showed her versatility by coming second in the triple jump at the same competition.
She later competed in the under-23’s National Championships in Bedford where she picked up a silver medal for the high jump.
by Melvyn Morgan
After reaching the qualifying standard with ease, Bethan was invited to the exclusive Aviva European Trials and UK Championships for the high jump where she secured a medal with a brilliant third place finish.
Last year at the Cork meeting, Bethan competed for England and came fourth against teams such as Ukraine, Hungary, Poland and Ireland, jumping a height of 1.80 metres and coming first out of the English athletes.
It hasn’t all been plain sailing for the young athlete, however. Her training was restricted during the winter due to a foot injury sustained last October, which she has now recovered from.
As well as this selection, Bethan received a letter from the UK Athletics Association informing her she is being monitored for selection for this year’s Commonwealth Games in Delhi, India, and will be kept track of through the rest of the season by the selectors.
Bethan was an outstanding high jumper at school and represented Shropshire on a number of occasions.