No less than 5 Doncaster AC athletes were selected to compete for their region at the 4th UK School Games. This prestigious event is designed to prepare athletes from 10 different sports to experience an Olympic style event. The teams travelled together on Thursday and on arrival athletes were installed in the Olympic village aka Cardiff Uni accommodation. Everything was on hand - catering, entertainment, athletes lounge, and a huge team of medical personnel. Team Kit was issued - for most at least - the order was short of larger sizes and Liam Ramsay missed out until a few replacement hoodies arrived the final day. There was a lavish opening ceremony at Cardiff Bay presented by Jill Douglas. The teams were welcomed as they paraded into their places. Entertainment was a break dancer, a Welsh choir and a magnificent laser light and fireworks show, spoilt only a little by the rain.
Friday was training day - a bus trip to the track for the athletes to familiarise themselves, and a chance to train during their alloted time slot. Back at the village later there was a chance to attend 'An evening with....' Jill Douglas hosted five Olympians and Paralympians across several sports who told stories of ther medal successes. Star of the show was Darren Campbell who was unbelievably inspiring.
Saturday and Sunday the athletes got down to the serious business of competition. Chloe Bradley competed for the East Midlands team since she lives over the Nottinghamshire border. Chloe reached the final of a hotly contested 300metres and came a creditable 7th in 40.34 sec. Liam Ramsay ran for Yorkshire and Humberside in the 100m Hurdles. He qualified for the final by recording a time of 14.16 sec, and came 6th in the final in 14.3 sec. Our 100m sprinter Ransford Anthony came 3rd in a very fast heat in 11.39 sec, in the final he managed 7th in 11.54 sec. Disaster befell our boys in the 4x100 relay heat however. A messy changeover caused an inexperienced official to raise a red flag. Despite strong objections from the Y&H team manager, including video evidence kindly provided by a spectator from another team proving the changeover was valid, the Track referee would have none of it and the Y&H team got a dq.
Our disability athletes put in great performances. Jack Ramdeen, a class F35 athlete, overcame some strong opposition in the Ambulant Discus and took the Bronze Medal with a super throw of 19 metres. The next day in the Ambulant Shot he produced a massive PB of 7m21, he just missed out on a medal in 4th place. Newcomer to Doncaster AC Kayden Roe ran both the Ambulant 100m and 200m. Against top class opposition his comparative lack of experience did not show and he came 6th in the 100m in 17.97sec, and completed his first ever 200m in competition in 4th place in an excellent time for aT37 athlete of 37.93sec .
Closing ceremony for the athletes was there at the track on completion of the competition. Teams paraded onto the field to hear the final results. There hadn't been regular updates so no-one knew how they had been progressing. So imagine the celebrations when it was announced that Yorkshire and Humberside were the winning team! The jubilations lasted until everyone fell asleep on the coach on the way home.
