Sam Fernando on the Steeplechase podium after gold and Matthew Power with one of his three bronze medals in Sweden
Scottish duo Sam Fernando and Matthew Power performed with distinction at the 2024 Virtus European Athletics Championship held in Uppsala, Sweden.
Sam Fernando (Glasgow Jaguars/Fife, coach Steven Doig) competed in two events and came away with a gold and a bronze.
His favoured event, the 3000m Steeplechase was his first on Friday and from the start he went straight to the front followed by the main field.
Due to his excellent hurdle technique he was able to maintain his lead with the Ukrainian athlete in second and a Spanish athlete in third.
In the latter stages the Spanish athlete moved into second and seemed to be closing, but Sam’s superior hurdling technique allowed him to pull away to win the race securing a gold medal in a season’s best of 9.53.82.
Sam ran the 5000m in a fast race but maintained good pace, despite fatigue from his steeplechase the previous day and secured a third-place finish and bronze medal in 15.28.40, only a few seconds outside his best.
Matthew Power (Livingston AC, coach Celia Peerless) was lying fourth fastest overall after the 100m heats with a season’s best of 11.55. Less than an hour later he ran a wind assisted 11.22 to take the first of three bronze medals.
In the 200m final, Matthew finished third with a time of 23.51 (second in the heat the previous day with 23.18).
Matthew then ran the third leg of the 4X400m men’s relay not long afterwards, in which the team bagged the bronze with a time of 3:44.23 (behind Spain and Italy).
The Virtus European Athletics Championships was organised by the Swedish Athletics Federation, sanctioned by Virtus (World) and World Para Athletics.
The Championships are part of the Virtus Europe regional programme, with Virtus Europe being affiliated to Virtus (World), the global organisation that promotes elite sport for athletes with an intellectual impairment.
With thanks to Liz Power
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