1:40pm Thursday 18th February 2010
By Andy McAllister
PAUL Bradshaw has won a silver medal at the Aviva UK Indoor Championships in Sheffield, while fellow Blackburn Harrier Holly Bleasdale narrowly missed a medal but still achieved the best result ever by a female Harrier in a National Indoor Final.
The 22-year old Bradshaw is keen to build on his form from last summer when he reduced his personal best in the 800m by over three seconds to break into the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team and earn a place at the European U23 Championships in Lithuania.
At the close of the season he was awarded the Les Rogerson Trophy for the best performance by a Lancashire athlete.
Now he has finished University in Cardiff, has begun work at Runshaw College and is training at Wigan with a group including Jenny Meadows and Helen Clitheroe.
Having been forced to retire from the North of England final in his first serious test of the 2010 season, Bradshaw was back in Sheffield and won his heat in 1:51.23.
He went even faster in the final, setting an indoor personal best of 1:50.55.
The competition was also a trial for the World Championships in Qatar next month, but although Paul has bettered the necessary 1:48.50 outdoors, he remains a little short on the boards where the bends are tighter.
However his performance has won him a place at this Saturday’s Aviva Grand Prix Meeting where he will be rubbing shoulders with the likes of Phillips Idowu and Jessica Ennis.
Meanwhile, Bleasdale – who has been called up to represent England U20s in the Celtic Cup in Cardiff – was fourth in the pole vault after first time clearances at 3.65m, 3.80m and 3.95m before coming unstuck at 4.10m.
British record holder Kate Dennison unsuccessfully attempted to add a centimetre to her own British record of 4.57m.
Leigh Lennon from the Ribble Valley club was second in the ‘B’ final of the 800m in 2:10.97 after placing fifth in her heat.
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