Swindon Harriers athletes showed their skill against the nation’s best as they won two medals at the England Athletics U23/20 Championships in Birmingham.

Delleah Belgrave and Harry Ricketts are both celebrating silver medals as they put in excellent performances at the event which took place at Alexander Stadium in Birmingham over the weekend as they competed against the best in the nation at the under-20 and under-23 age categories respectively.

Belgrave produced a fantastic legal personal best of 5.85 metres, plus a windy 5.89 metres, to finish runner-up in the under-20 women’s long jump in her third appearance at the championships.

Belgrave’s previous personal best was 5.82 metres, while she also has a windy 5.96 to her name from last year and managing to extend that has seen her win a national championship medal for the first time.

She said: “I have been preparing for this event all season and my goal was to jump a personal best and make the podium so I’m delighted.

“The competition in my age group has been so strong so I’m just grateful to get onto the podium this year.”

It was the 19-year-old’s third and final appearance in the age group so to finally win a national medal was just reward for all her hard work and determination.

Competing in the under-23 men’s hammer Harry Ricketts secured his championship silver medal with a second-round throw of 58.68 metres meaning that he was on the second step of the podium.

Billy Dickinson also put in a strong display as he was seventh in the under-20s hammer with a throw of 49.37 metres.

These were not the only medals that were won as on top of the two silvers, there was also a bronze medal and personal best of 4 minutes 23.48 seconds for Omer Homer in the 1500 metres of the England Senior Para Championships at the event which was also taking place at Alexander Stadium.

Meanwhile, teenager Finley Byrne opted for the British Milers Club Regional meeting at Loughborough University and smashed his personal best over 1500 metres with a blistering time that sent him rocketing up the rankings.

Byrne delivered his best performance of the season to clock 4 minutes 22.55 seconds to carve almost ten seconds off his previous best set last month and leap up to third in the South West under-15 rankings and number one in Wiltshire.