Anyaogu had an excellent Championships campaign, which started with a wind-illegal time of 10.26 (+2.1) in the 100m to win his heat, following up with a PB of 10.30 to come second in his semifinal.
His time of 10.34 in the final was good enough to bring home the bronze medal in Sean’s first international championships. After the race, he commented: “I am proud of what I have achieved. I came into this competition ranked 13th so to come top three is an achievement. I always race to win, so a part of me is upset, but a larger part of me is content and happy.”
Scholar David Race knew he’d have a tough task on his hands with only the top two in the men’s 800m qualifying heats going straight through to the European final.
He finished fifth in his heat with 1:50.89, but quickly turned around his disappointment of not qualifying for the final when called in for the men’s 4 x 400m heats. His split of 46.9 while helping the men win their heat was strong enough to secure his place in the final four for the Final, where the team of Loughborough-based individual 400m silver medallist Charlie Carvell, Jake Minshull and Sam Lunt joined up with Race to take victory in a time of 3:06.89.
Race said: “I came into the Championships not knowing that I would be doing the 4 x 400m relay and I have come out of it with a European gold medal – I can’t really complain at all.”
Fellow Loughborough student Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin) was agonisingly close to winning a medal of her own as she came 4th in the women’s 400m hurdles. She ran a fantastic PB of 57.02 and was less than a thousandth of a second from the bronze medal.
Newnham has had a sensational 2023 that started by setting a BUCS Indoor Championship record of 53.18 over the 400m (a PB she has since lowered to 52.15), followed by winning 400m hurdles gold at both BUCS and the U20 National Championships, and bronze at the Senior National Championships.
Athletics Programme Manager Emma Wiltshire – who was also acting as team manager for GB&NI on the trip – said: “I’m always proud of our Loughborough students when they make national teams, but to see the behaviours and attitudes of our students first hand at this level is especially rewarding.
“Sean, David and Emily displayed professionalism throughout the week, and they have been rewarded with excellent performances. I have no doubt this is just the start of their International athletics careers.”
Emma was joined in Israel by Loughborough’s Head of Endurance Kyle Bennett and Head of Throws, Dave Turner, who were both acting as team coaches for their respective disciplines.