Burghclere pupil crowned European junior long jump champion

Flying the British flag

A BURGHCLERE secondary school pupil was flying the British flag after she was crowned European junior long jump champion.

Sixteen-year-old Clere School pupil Holly Mills leapt to victory at the inaugural European Athletics Youth Championships held in Tbilisi, Georgia.

Holly’s proud parents, Steve and Helen Mills, who live in Hurstbourne Tarrant, said Team GB had sent a strong team to Tbilisi, with many of the athletes ranked in the top five in Europe.

“To even make the team was a huge achievement for Holly,” said Mr Mills.

“With several girls ranked above her in Europe, Holly knew that competition was going to be strong so her first target was to make it through the qualifying round and into the final.”

Battling strong head winds, Holly opened with a jump of 6.07m to take the lead in her group, and she improved that with a leap of 6.12m to make it into the final.

She said: “I’m happy – I wanted to jump further and get the automatic qualifying (6.20m), but it was a case of getting used to the runway because it’s so fast.”

The final, on the following day, was held in sweltering temperatures reaching 38 degrees and Holly produced an impressive series of jumps, which included four in excess of six metres, to take the title.

Despite nervy moments when Maja Bedrac matched Mills’ jump of 6.19m in the final round, Holly’s second best jump of 6.09m proved two centimetres better than her Slovenian counterpart’s.

Afterwards Holly said: “I’m so happy, I can’t even explain it.

“I came in ranked third and I can’t believe I ended up coming away with the gold medal.

“I feel like a changed athlete. It’s my first time abroad and I feel like a proper athlete now.

“Having now won that medal I feel a really big part of the British team.”

Holly, who has just taken her GCSEs and who will attend the Peter Symonds College in Winchester, from September, was joined on her trip by her parents, 13-year-old sister Abbie and coach, James Coney.

And they thanked Newbury-based company BDZ Holdings Ltd, which sponsors her.

“Massive thanks to the company and managing director Bob Rae for their continued support and encouragement,” said Mr Mills.

The European championships are a biennial athletics competition for athletes under the age of 18.

The British team ended the inaugural European Youth Championships with four medals, including two golds on the final day, which saw them top the medal table in Tbilisi.