Updated
Melissa won a thrilling bronze in the women’s 1500m at the Commonwealth Games in a PB time of 4:03.44. We look forward to seeing how she does this coming Saturday in the 5000m.
Original post
All connected with Poole Athletic Club are thrilled to receive confirmation that Melissa Courtney has been selected by Welsh Athletics to represent Wales at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Melissa, who was bestowed the award of Welsh Athletics Senior Women’s Athlete of 2017, has been a constant member of Poole Athletics Club for over 12 years, since joining the club as an Under 13 Girl in 2005.
The former pupil of Talbot Heath and Parkstone Grammar School has previously competed over 1500M for Great Britain at the European Athletics Championships in 2016 as well as Great Britain in Tallin in 2015 in the European Under 23 Championships, this will however, the first occasion she has competed at the Commonwealth Games. This selection affords well deserved recognition of Melissa’s progression over many seasons and partly makes up for just missing out on selection for the World Athletics Championships for Great Britain following an injury ahead of the trials in 2017.
Melissa just missed out on qualification for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 by just 0.41 of a second over 1500M, but this time, with 1500M Personal Bests of 4:05.82 and 5000M of 15:28.95, will double up in April when the Games take place on The Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia.
Melissa’s 1500M Heats will take place on 9th April AM and we are optimistic she will then contest the Final on 10th April PM. The 5000M will be a straight final and will take place on 14th April PM (all Australia time).
Melissa has proven a great inspiration to our developing runners within our club and also across Team Dorset, for whom she contested events in her formative years and has been happy to provide guidance to several of our squad despite now living in Loughborough and training at the High-Performance Centre in the Leicestershire town.
The Club is very proud that Melissa will become our first representative at The Commonwealth Games and will be collectively willing her on to success in Australia in April.
