Jenny wins gold and Jack silver in the Olympic Stadium

Spenborough AC runner Jenny Walsh won gold in the 1,500 metres final, while Jack took silver in the 800 metres final.

Jenny, from Liversedge, recorded a world junior qualifying time on her way to winning gold at the test event for the Olympic Games.

She cruised through her heat and semi-final winning them comfortably in four minutes 37 seconds and 4.31 respecitively.

In Monday’s final, she was up against Liz McColgan’s daughter Eilish and Huddersfield University student Laura Kirk, who both had quicker personal bests than Jenny.

The Spen athlete took the lead after 100m with Kirk close behind and set a reasonable pace but with 500 metres to go McColgan pulled onto her shoulder and kicked at the bell.

Jenny didn’t give in and once on the home straight she came back and fought to the line winning the gold in a personal best time of 4.17.98, dipping below the world junior qualifying time of 4.18. The World Junior Championships are in Barcelona in July.

Jenny and her coach Deborah Rowlands were delighted with the performance and Jenny now heads for the Yorkshire Championships tomorrow (Saturday) where she will defend her 800m title.

Jenny is being mentored by Dame Kelly Holmes as part of the ‘On Camp with Kelly’ scheme and she recieved a pep talk from the double Olympic Gold medal winner on the eve of her final.

Dame Kelly said: “Competing in the Olympic Stadium is a fantastic opportunity for all the athletes and Jenny really rose to the occasion”

Jack Hallas, 21, won his 800m heat and semi-final comfortably to qualify for Monday’s final, when the Leeds Met Student was runner-up to Guy Leamouth of Loughborough.

Jack will compete in the Yorkshire Championships in Cudworth, Barnsley, this weekend but will drop down to run in the 400 metres.

He will be back running 800m at the British Under-23s Championships in Birmingham, which double up as Olympic trials.