Cardiff Athletics Welsh Commonwealth Games athletes

Thursday 16 June 2022

Clive Williams looks at the club’s representation in the upcoming Welsh Commonwealth Games team:

Seven athletes from the club will represent Wales in the forthcoming Birmingham Commonwealth
Games – the highest number from any Welsh club and one of the highest of any club in the UK.
That said, this number is well below the 1986 Edinburgh Games when the club supplied over half of
Wales’ 25 strong team. When the Games were also held in Edinburgh in 1970, 11 club members
were in the team including 1964 Olympic long jump champion Lynn Davies who retained his
Commonwealth title in Scotland.

Welsh record race walker Bethan Davies who took the bronze medal over 20 kms in the last Games
on Australia’s Gold Coast told the Welsh Athletics website that she was honoured to be selected for
her second Games. She said: “The change in distance from 20k on the road to 10k on the track
increases the technical scrutiny, meaning more drama and excitement. But I am truly honoured to
be selected for my second Games.”

Last year’s European under 23 European 100m champion Jeremiah Azu is in the team and will be
looking to better club-mate and UK national coach Christian Malcolm’s Welsh record of 10.11 set
over 20 years ago. Jerimiah’s best is 10.16 set last year, with a best of 10.18 this year. Jeremiah has
developed into one of Britain’s top sprinters this year under coach Helen James.

USA based Olympic 1500 finalist Jake Heyward, who bettered his own Welsh mile record with
3:51.99 a few weeks ago will look to make another major games final and reduce his Welsh record of
3:32.82 set in Tokyo. Can he win and emulate club member Jim Alford who took the mile title in the
1938 games in Sydney? We’ll all watch with bated breath!

Para Olympic star Aled Davies, with nine global gold’s to his name is targeting his first
Commonwealth medal in the discus.

Other club members making the team are

Clara Evans (marathon)

Lauren Evans (Heptathlon)

Jenny Nesbitt (5,000m)

STOP PRESS
10,000m star Charlotte Arter has been added to the team making 8 club members Birmingham bound.