Annual match on Sunday also sees Katarina Johnson-Thompson in action
Loughborough sport scholar Molly Palmer topped the women’s long jump at Loughborough International Athletics (LIA) in an event that saw Jazmin Sawyers make a long-awaited comeback from injury.
Palmer, 21, jumped superbly to register 6.67m (2.4m) as Sawyers, the 2023 European indoor champion, recorded 6.53m (0.0) in her first competition since rupturing an achilles last year.
Wales international Abigail Pawlett finished third in a personal best 6.17m (1.7m).
“Getting back out competing feels so fun, it’s so great,” Sawyers told Loughborough Sport. “It’s nice to feel like me still. The aim of today was to get back competing but also to hit the 6.50m marker. I felt like I had 6.60m in the tank but it wasn’t to be.
“If I were to ignore the fact I’ve been out for 18 months, that was a solid performance. Hat’s off to Molly… that was unbelievable.”
Elsewhere, on another day of first-class athletics on campus, the capacity crowd were treated to yet more sporting drama that is now synonymous with LIA.
In the women’s 100m hurdles, Dani Hales pipped world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson to win in 13.51 (2.2). Johnson-Thompson clocked 13.57 in her first outdoor competition since winning Olympic heptathlon silver in Paris last summer.
Pawlett went quicker in the match 100m hurdles race, though, breaking 13 seconds with 12.97 (0.5).
Later in the day, former Loughborough student Bekah Walton dominated the women’s javelin to win with a distance of 59.38m.
Jamaican international and three-time world indoor medallist Kimberly Williams also claimed top spot in the women’s triple jump with 13.32m.
Renee Regis won the women’s 100m in a PB of 11.32 (0.3).
Scott Lincoln threw an excellent 21.06m to win the men’s shot put.
Representing Wales, Olivia Breen showed fine form to win the women’s para long jump with 4.84m. The double Paralympic Games medallist surpassed GB Junior Maddie Down’s 4.62m and England’s Molly Kingsbury 3.98m.
New Zealander Imogen Ayris, who won Commonwealth bronze in Birmingham in 2022, topped the women’s pole vault with a height of 4.45m.
Back on the track, Thomas Young – another Loughborough sport scholar – romped home in the men’s para 100m in 11.19 seconds.
Full results here.
