ATHLETICS

Wales has a new fastest man in the history of the nation.

Step forward, Jeremiah Azu.

The 22-year-old broke Christian Malcolm’s 100 metre record – set in 2001, the year Azu was born – on day one of the UK Athletics Championships on Saturday.

Thunderstorms had been forecast for Manchester, but it was Azu and new British record-holder Zharnel Hughes who provided the lightening on the track in the shadow of the Etihad Stadium.

The pair literally went face to face in the final stages of their semi-final which saw Hughes just edge the win in 10.06, but it was Azu’s time of 10.08 which broke the Welsh record of 10.11.

And Malcolm was there amongst the cheering crowds along the home straight to see his record fall.

In fact, the former Great Britain star and Welsh sprinting legend had predicted Azu would be the man to better his mark when the young Cardiff athlete won the UK title at the same stadium 12 months ago.

Welsh Athletics chief executive James Williams said: “It was an amazing run to break the record and nice to see previous record holder Christian Malcolm going straight to Jez’s family to congratulate them. What a class act.”

Azu later ran 10.28 to finish fourth in the final won by Zharnel Hughes, in monsoon conditions.

Pembrokeshire Harriers’ Heather Warner took gold in Sunday’s 5km walk final.

It was a Welsh one-two in the event, with Azu’s Cardiff Athletics team-mate Bethan Davies taking silver.

In the shot put, another Welsh athlete took gold with Adele Nicoll proving her progress, while there was bronze for Melissa Courtney Bryant in the 1500m.

 

NETBALL

Wales beat Scotland 56-52 in their final warm-up match before they leave for the Netball World Cup in South Africa.

Welsh Feathers led 30-25 at half-time and kept their noses in front, despite Scottish Thistles having the better of a tight second-half at Cardiff’s House of Sport.

The hosts were captained by the experienced Nia Jones and included Christina Shaw, Ella Powell-Davies, Clare Jones, Bethan Dyke, Phillipa Yarranton and Georgia Rowe in the starting line-up.

Wales and Scotland both qualified for the 2023 Netball World Cup in Cape Town after securing the top two places at the European Qualifier in Glasgow.

Welsh Feathers begin their campaign against South Africa on 28 July, before facing Jamaica and Sri Lanka in Group C.

 

GYMNASTICS

Elizabeth Popova marked her first Rhythmic British Championships as a senior gymnast with a five-medal haul in Telford.

The Welsh Commonwealth games star took bronze in the senior all-around competition on Saturday, scoring 103.950 overall across her four pieces of apparatus, which included 27.500 with the hoop, 27.700 with the ball, 26.050 with the clubs and 22.700 with the ribbon.

Then, returning on Sunday, she went even better to add two golds and two silvers in the apparatus finals.

It comes a week after Popova added the Welsh senior rhythmic all-around and all four apparatus titles to her list of honours.