Forth Valley Orienteers' Graham Gristwood secures superb British Champs second
Forth Valley Orienteers’ Graham Gristwood set the GB selectors an intriguing question as he was just 42 seconds off victory in the British Championships in the Lake District, a race that served as a trial for the World Cup in Sweden next month.
Gristwood retired from international competition in 2019 after 14 World Championships and 76 World Cup races, but showed he's lost none of the form that brought him nine British Championship wins over his career with the silver medal in a time of 99.58.
This was one of 12 championship medals for local athletes on a fine day at Grisdale, on one of the toughest areas in the country for orienteering. Whisper it quietly, but James Edward might just be the best M14 in Britain, as with the JK title already in his trophy case, he made it a major-event double for the year, as he worked hard to earn the victory by more than five minutes (54.16).
For all her success in other races, Scarlett Kelly had never won a daytime British championship medal, but claimed her first championship victory, as she outfoxed the W18 field to take victory in 82.06.
There's another first-time champion, as Dave Godfree headed all competitors in M50 with a 77.11 win, as Marcus Pinker secured his first British championship medal, with bronze in 81.32.
Will Hensman now has four British Long titles under his belt, as he came home in 78.20 to secure the M45 title, while James Hammond did what James Hammond does, extending his unbeaten record across the classes to five years at the championship, with a strong M20 win in 77.03.
Sophie Edward's dream year continued, as she remained in the medals for a seventh straight major race, with W12 bronze (51.28), Dave Coustick was back on the podium again, ten years after his last (and only) British Champs medal, as he picked up the M80 bronze in 95.59, and Andy Llewellyn took the M35 bronze this year (92.05).
Once again, FVO's W60 cohort proved to be a formidable object to the opposition, with four of them in the top seven places, and Vicky Thornton came out best, as she was third in the race (70.50).
The 12th medal was only confirmed just before the presentation, as it became apparent that the W16 winner was ineligible, having only just arrived in the UK from overseas and not served the required two years as a member, and Esme Kelly was promoted into bronze medal position.