The Chronicle 682

49 ST EDWARD’S CHRONICLE

Jump and Discus. They were well supported by teammates Bella Link, Tiggy Jones, Lucy Draper, Tabitha Emmott, Zoe Forbes and Amelie Johnstone, each placing in one of their events. Jemima Paganuzzi was our sole Inter Girls competitor achieving second place in the Shot, then running the 100m and 200m as well. The boys are always lucky to have a couple more fixtures, competing at Harrow and Radley. Our first athletics fixture for two years was at Harrow, with Teddies competing against Coopers’ Coburn, St Albans, Hampton and Radley. Noteworthy performances came from Felix Abel (Senior A 100m 3rd place and 200m 2nd place), Sam Gorton (Senior A 800m 3rd), Joshua Wilmot (Senior B 400m 3rd), Freddie Walton (Inter A 100m 2nd), and Hamza Ali (Inter B 200m 1st place) each running an excellent race, against incredible opposition and achieving personal bests. In the throwing events Charlie Bell did the same (Senior A Discus 2nd and Javelin 3rd). Both the Senior and Inter teams finished a very respectable fourth place overall. The Radley Multi-Events is always a fun event, where the boys run, jump and throw in their bid to collect as many points as possible for their respective team and an individual total. A brilliant effort from all athletes meant the Lower Sixth, Fourth Form and Shell and Rupert Shipperley had the immense honour of being selected as a forward in the GB hockey squad for the Tokyo Olympics – at the time of going to press GB had beaten both South Africa and Canada 3-1. Shipperley gave up his job as a Geography teacher at King’s College School to pursue his dream of professional hockey. He made his senior debut for Wales in 2014, competing in the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and was named as a full-time member of the GB squad in March 2020 after an impressive goal against the Australian Kookaburras caught the eye of coach, Danny Kerry. His sister, Zoe Shipperley, also a former St Edward’s pupil, competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, winning a silver medal. Rupert Shipperley OSE

A Teams each finished in fourth position out of the 10 competing teams, First, second and third places being taken by the Eton and Coopers’ Coburn A or B Athletics Teams; a huge well done to the boys who competed so well in such a strong field. In the individual event at Radley Will Barlow finished in sixth place overall in the Lower Sixth event with Tom Niblett, Logan Norris-Lambe, George Knee, Robin Wheeler, Julian Ford and Aka Nweze also proving themselves to be top performing multi-eventers. In the Fourth Form Toby Barlow had a superb afternoon: eighth place overall. Matt Sell, Asa Greenwood and Elliot Sarooshi also finished in the top 15. In the Shells Walt Moore made his athletics debut and did incredibly well to finish in sixth place. Will Deslandes and Charlie Fletcher also finished in the top 12 with Andres Akande, Kit Heffer and Will Mowat forming the rest of the team. Although the competitive 2021 season was late starting, athletes and coaches alike were grateful to be able to train, compete and coach, well protected by our Teddies bubble of camaraderie and personal achievement. Congratulations to all who are part of Team Athletics, thank you for all your hard work, effort, support and coaching.

Zoe Forbes