Welsh Masters Shine for Great Britain at European Indoor Championships in Toruń

Welsh Masters athletes delivered a fantastic set of performances while representing Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the European Masters Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland.

It was a truly international event, with almost 3,500 athletes aged 35 to 90+, competing across five-year age groups, including 391 athletes from Great Britain & Northern Ireland. Welsh athletes once again made their mark on the European stage.

The championships extended beyond the indoor arena, featuring outdoor throws, race walks, 5k races and cross country events. The atmosphere throughout the week was exceptional, with strong support from athletes and spectators alike, and a number of European and World records set across the competition.

Triple Gold and European Records for Iris Holder

Iris Holder delivered one of the most outstanding performances of the championships in the W85 category, securing an incredible three gold medals. She was crowned European Champion in the 60m, long jump and triple jump, achieving season’s best performances across all three events.

In an exceptional display of athletic excellence, Iris also set new European Records in both the long jump and triple jump, underlining her dominance and longevity in the sport. A truly inspiring achievement and a highlight of the championships for Welsh Masters athletics.

Strong Performances Across the Events

In the M40 category, Oliver Williams produced an outstanding series of runs:

• 3000m: 6th place in 9:09.17 – setting a new Welsh V40 record

• 800m: 7th place in 2:02.22

• 1500m: Bronze medal in 4:07.78 (SB)

Oliver also added a lighter highlight to his week, taking 1st place at Toruń parkrun, which he joked was “obviously the most important”!

Mark Kingston competed in the M55 Pentathlon, finishing 26th out of 31 and achieving a personal best in what was his first international championships. He described the event as “an amazing experience”.

Sprint Success and Relay Gold

In the W55 sprints, Juliet Sidney delivered strong performances:

• 60m: 8.82 seconds – 9th place, just missing out on the final

• 200m: 29.53 seconds (Season’s Best), ranking 11th overall and reaching the semi-finals

Juliet's highlight of the championships came in the W55 4x200m relay, where the Great Britain team stormed to gold medal success in a new European record.

The team of:

• Anita Saunders

• Juliet Sidney

• Poosie Wootten

• Christine Bloomfield Harrison

produced an outstanding performance, showcasing both speed and teamwork to secure a memorable victory.

Middle Distance and Sprint Success

Cath Wheeler delivered an excellent championships in the W65 category, securing two podium finishes:

• 400m: Bronze medal in 74.75 seconds – an age group personal best

• 800m: Bronze medal in 2:26.99

Angela Bryant also impressed in the W65 category with a series of strong performances:

• 400m Final: 78.81 – Season’s Best and her fastest time in nine years

• 60m: 9.56 – Season’s Best, qualifying for the final

• 200m: 32.80 – Season’s Best, reaching the final

• 4x200m Relay: Silver medal

A fantastic championships for Angela, showing both consistency and longevity at the highest level.

Endurance Success and Team Medals

Ewelina Ciesielska delivered a fantastic set of performances across endurance and cross country events in the V40 category:

• 3000m (Indoor): 6th place

• 5K Road: 8th place – Team Bronze (V40)

• Cross Country 8K: 5th place – Team Silver (V40)

Competing across multiple disciplines, Ewelina played a key role in contributing to Great Britain’s team medal success, demonstrating impressive strength and consistency throughout the championships.

Strong Throws Performances

Sharon Hutchings delivered a solid series of performances in the W55 throws events, representing Great Britain with consistency across all disciplines:

• Shot Put: 9.23m – 15th place (her best distance at an international competition)

• Weight Throw: 8.18m – 18th place (Season’s Best)

• Hammer: 24.18m – 18th place (W55 Personal Best and Season’s Best)

A particularly strong highlight came in the hammer, where Sharon achieved both a personal best and season’s best, underlining her continued progress on the international stage.

Gold Medal Glory in the Field

Glyn Price delivered one of the standout performances of the championships in the pole vault, overcoming injury setbacks to claim gold in dramatic fashion.

Having struggled with a calf injury in January and a hamstring issue in early March, Glyn entered the competition unsure if his body would hold up. This was reflected in some uncharacteristically difficult early attempts.

However, he battled through to clear 3.40m, putting him into bronze medal position, before successfully clearing 3.55m on his third attempt to move into silver.

With the bar set at 3.70m, Glyn faced a defining moment. After aborting his second attempt due to loss of control on the runway, he had just 20 seconds to compose himself. Relying on years of experience and instinct, he produced his best vault of the year to clear the height and secure the gold medal.

He then proudly celebrated on the podium, flying the Welsh flag, and credited the support and guidance from fellow athletes and coaches, particularly those at NIAC, for helping him achieve this success.

Medal Success for Nicky Buckwell

Nicky Buckwell enjoyed an exceptional championships in the W70 category, returning home with three medals:

• 60m Hurdles: Bronze medal

• Pentathlon: Silver medal (including SB total points and 800m SB)

• 4x200m Relay: Gold medal

A fantastic achievement and a true highlight for Welsh Masters representation.

Field Events and Additional Highlights

Lesley Richardson competed in the W55 throws, achieving:

• Hammer: 16th (24.78m)

• Shot: 19th (8.45m)

• Weight Throw: 16th (8.93m PB)

Clare St John-Coleman delivered solid performances in the W65 category:

• Long Jump: 9th (3.31m, SB)

• 60m: 14th (10.04, SB)

  
  

Additional Performances from Welsh Masters Athletes

Several other Welsh athletes also delivered strong performances across a range of events:

Neil Davies competed in the M55 category, finishing 13th in the 400m, narrowly missing out on a semi-final place, and 18th in the pentathlon, gaining valuable experience at international level.

Amanda Broadhurst performed well in the W55 category, finishing 4th in the triple jump and 7th in the pentathlon, showing great versatility across disciplines.

Ian Broadhurst enjoyed an excellent championships in the M70 category:

200m: 5th place (28.33)

400m: 4th place (63.93, Season’s Best)

4x200m Relay: Silver medal

Mixed 4x200m Relay: Gold medal in a European Record time of 2:07.71

A standout performance from Ian, contributing to both individual and relay success on the international stage.

A Championships to Remember

From record-breaking performances to personal milestones, the championships highlighted the depth, determination and camaraderie within Welsh Masters athletics.

Competing under the Great Britain banner, Welsh athletes once again demonstrated their strength on the international stage while continuing to support and inspire one another.

We’d Love to Include More Results

Apologies if we’ve missed anyone – we know there were many fantastic performances.

If you’re reading this and thinking “where’s my result?” please just email julietsidney@sky.com with your results and we’ll be very happy to include you.