Sykes in victorious England Team
27 Aug 2012
Harry Sykes joins England Team
Fourteen year old Harry Sykes put his Croome Pony Club and Pershore Swimming Club on the National Tetrathlon map once again by being invited to represent England's Intermediate Boys in the National Tetrathlon Championships with teams from Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales to compete in a 'Home International competition' at Hartpury College last week. Sykes had the dubious honour of being one of the youngest competitors, aged 14, from amongst the 49 in the Intermediate Boys ostensibly made up of 15-18 year olds.
With his training at Pershore Swimming Club going well Sykes went into the first swimming event showing some confidence on day one of the three day competition. Sykes duly delivered an excellent result achieving the best 3 minute swim of the day and a personal best completing 258m (just over 10 lengths in the 25m pool) defying his young age and coming out leading the field.
In the shooting discipline Sykes dropped to 12th individually scoring 740pts, but nevertheless helped England climb to 1st place against the other home countries comprising teams from Scotland, Wales and the ever strong Northern Ireland squad.
Day two found the competitors battling it out on the equestrian Cross Country course whislt vocal and moral support came in the form of the Croome pony club where members witnessed Sykes go clear and together with no time faults and a maximum points total of 1400 pts found him claw himself in style back up to 8th place individually helping England remain in 1st place in the Home International competition though good results in the remaining discipline were vital.
On the third and final day of the championships competitors had to run their own cross country over 2,000m and with Sykes coming home 8th fastest recording 7min 1 sec improving his position once again achieving a well deserved bronze medal position overall from the four tetrathlon disciplines. In addition to his England team achieving 1st place and being presented with the fastest individual swim goblet Sykes' three days of competition at the highest level marked the most successful result yet for the young Bowbrook House school pupil. Fellow England team mate 17 year old George Schroeder also from the West MIds area went on to take the individual title.
Sykes has
just started competing in the Olympic sport of Modern Pentathlon and for the
last few months has been learning the final fencing discipline with one eye set
firmly on future Olympic success.
Ian P photo