A team of six athletes from Yorkshire Biathle Club, travelled to Dubai in the United Arab Emirates recently to represent Great Britain at the 14th World Biathle Championships. They had a very successful trip and returned home with several team medals and one individual medal.
Competing in her third world championships, fourteen year-old Jess Chapman of Beverley won an individual bronze medal in a very close final in the girls’ 13 – 14 age group. She was second in her heat and had a great start in the final when she led the opening 500m run. Although she was first into the sea for the 100m swim she was overtaken in the water by Jayme-sue Vermaas from South Africa. In the final 500m run she battled with GB team mate Georgia Hannam for second place behind Vermaas but was beaten to the finishing line by a second. As well as their individual medals the British girls won a team silver. Jess commented “It’s been a great year for me, winning the GB Biathle series and then individual bronze in Dubai, the Olympics must have rubbed off on me!”
Gregan Clarkson of Kirkella has been world champion in his age category twice but faced stiff competition in the senior men’s event in Dubai as rivals included Olympians and world champions in various disciplines. The event consisted of a 1500m run and a 200m swim followed by another 1500m run and was won by Britain’s Richard Stannard in 11:30. Clarkson followed in a commendable seventh place in 12:10 and with team GB’s Nick Tipper in tenth place the Brits won the team gold comfortably, nine points ahead of second placed Argentina.
There were no medals for Jordan Mounsey and Luke Chapman who were both competing in their second World Championships but they gained valuable experience competing against top international biathletes. Chapman won a team gold at last year’s event in Bulgaria but in Dubai he had moved up to a new age group and found the competition much tougher. He finished in 13th place in his heat and was disappointed not to reach the final. He said “I hope I can get to the finals next year and come back with a medal.” Mounsey finished his event in tenth place in an impressive 12:18, an improvement of almost 1½ minutes on his time in Bulgaria last year.
Competing in her first World Championships was an amazing experience for Daisy Evans from Hornsea who was the youngest of the Yorkshire contingent in Dubai. She took part in the under 10s event and finished in a commendable ninth place in her heat in 5:12.
Also making her debut at the World Championships was Lesley Zimmerman of Swanland. She finished in fourth place in the Masters Ladies 50+ category in 14:08 after a 1000m run,
100m swim and another 1000m run. She enjoyed the location and weather conditions in Dubai which were in total contrast to the National Biathle Finals which were held in and around the dock at Salford Quays in July. The World Championships were held at Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, Dubai, with the running course on the promenade around the marina and the swim in the sea just off the hotel’s private beach. It was a hot day with an air temperature of 32oC and the water temperature was a pleasant 28oC.
Competing against more than 300 biathletes from 24 different countries, Great Britain topped the medal table with 21 individual medals and 18 team medals and well ahead of second placed South Africa.
The next World Championships will be held in Alexandria in Egypt in November 2013.
Anyone interested in trying the sport or in sponsoring the biathletes should contact the club at Yorkshirebiathle@hotmail.co.uk.
Yorkshire Biathle Club results
Girls 10 years old and under: 500m run, 50m swim, 500m run
Daisy Evans from Hornsea: 9th place in her heat in 5:12
Girls 13 – 14: 500m run, 100m swim, 500m run
Jess Chapman: 3rd place in 5:23
Boys 13 – 14: 500m run, 100m swim, 500m run
Luke Chapman: 13th place in his heat in 6:54
Youths 17 – 18: 1500m run, 200m swim, 1500m run
Jordan Mounsey: 10th place in 12:18
Senior men: 1500m run, 200m swim, 1500m run
Gregan Clarkson: 7th place in 12:10, team gold medal
Masters ladies 50+: 1000m run, 100m swim, 1000m run
Lesley Zimmerman: 4th place in 14:08
Results for other competitors from East Yorkshire:
Girls 11 – 12 years old: 500m run, 50m swim, 500m run
Hannah Stanton from Pocklington: 8th place in 5:11, team silver medal
Girls 15 – 16 years old: 1000m run, 200m swim, 100m run
Megan Lazenby from Beverley: 5th place in 11:55, team gold medal
Youths 17 – 18 years old: 1500m run, 200m swim, 1500m run
Natasha Bellamy from Beverley: 5th place in 14:10, team gold medal
Junior men: 1500m run, 200m swim, 1500m run
Matthew Nelson: 6th place in 12:23, team silver medal
Reported by Kay Farrow
