Youngsters show their strengths on track during Open Championships

The Gibraltar Athletics Open Championships took place this Wednesday after the event had initially been rescheduled.
The Open Championships had been expected to feature the latest recruit to the Gibraltar athletics national team, Ella Rush. The runner, who switched her allegiance from Great Britain to Gibraltar in recent months, has been selected as part of the team heading to Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games later this month. However, she did not compete in the Open Championships, leaving many still waiting to see her in action on home soil. Rush did, however, visit Gibraltar ahead of the Commonwealth Games last week, training at the Lathbury Sports Complex.
The Open Championships, held on Wednesday, saw a total of 32 competitors across both track and field events, with eight different disciplines taking place.
In the 100m, only two runners were registered to compete, with Pau Funes Fa finishing in 11.64 seconds and Elisabeth Zambrana Iglesias recording a time of 13.09.
The Open Championships had seen the minimum age limit reduced to 13 just days before the event, allowing some of the emerging youngsters to compete. This provided several events with promising young talent.
The 800m saw two Under-16 athletes shine among the three competitors. Elliott Pile finished in 2:27.02, while Sophie Roberts Patterson crossed the line in 2:30.77. Veteran Maurice Turnock completed the race in 2:42.99.
The 200m also featured just two competitors, with Pau Funes Fa winning in 23.52 seconds. Under-16 runner Jamie Sheriff finished in 27.31.
The 400m attracted one of the largest sprint fields of the championships, with five runners taking to the track.
The race, held in tribute to former Calpeans coach Charlie Flower, saw Jacek Trojanowski take victory in 56.66 seconds. He was followed by Under-16 Devon Joshua Mumford, representing Atlas, in 57.83. Richard Blagg, running for Calpeans, finished third in 58.87. Youngsters Elliott Pile and Jamie Sheriff completed the race in 1:01.57 and 1:01.77 respectively.
The 1,500m once again highlighted the emerging young talent. Jacek Trojanowski led the field as a pacemaker, allowing Under-16 Olivia Roberts Patterson to take victory in 4:56.37. Benjamin Roberts Patterson (Under-14 Boys) finished second in 5:20.99, with veteran Maurice Turnock close behind in 5:21.16.
Julian Turnock won the shot put with a throw of 12.45m.
In the long jump, Elisabeth Zambrana Iglesias recorded a distance of 5.33m. No teams were entered for the 4x100m relay.
The small number of competitors in each event contrasted sharply with the high participation levels seen in the youth leagues, once again highlighting the challenges athletics faces in retaining athletes into senior competition. The strong presence of youngsters, some as young as 13 and many under the age of 16, does provide encouragement for the future. However, serious questions remain over the continued low participation levels in senior events.
With Gibraltar heading to the Commonwealth Games, selectors have awarded wildcard places to all but one of the athletes selected. Ella Rush is understood to be the only athlete who achieved the qualifying standard outright. Recent controversy surrounding the selectors’ decisions, with several promising young athletes omitted from the squad, continues to simmer behind the scenes. This has been further compounded by the recent crisis within the Gibraltar Amateur Athletics Association executive, which has seen three executive members resign from the council in protest over decisions made during the selection process.
The Open Championships, intended to be the flagship event of the summer athletics calendar, once again failed to impress in terms of participation at a time when youth track and field participation continues to flourish.