By Ian Gordon
Olivia Breen bagged her first medal at the Europeans as she struck bronze to give her build-up to the Tokyo Paralympics a perfect boost.
The 24-year-old add to her career medal haul in the Women’s T38 Long Jump as Britain’s success at the championships in Bydgoszcz, Poland, continued.
Breen, coached by Aston Moore, also set a season’s best of 4.94m (0.4) on her final jump knowing the bronze was already hers.
“I had three no jumps in that competition but on that last one, I knew I had to go for it and I’m really happy I ended up on 4.94m,” said Wales’s 2018 Commonwealth Games champ.
𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐞 for @BreenOlivia 🥉
A SB 4.94m – 0.04m shy of her PB – in the women's long jump T38 final to add another medal to her collection 👏
📺 Watch live: https://t.co/z1VsdfW7YE
📊 Results and timetable: https://t.co/ABOpz6J4Gd
#Bydgoszcz2021 pic.twitter.com/KCuSRp0wtR— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) June 4, 2021
“It is another season best, so we are going in the right direction. It is great to be here and use this as preparation for Tokyo. It is nice to add another medal to my tally.
“I wasn’t going to end my competition on 4.65m. I knew I was better than that and I had so much more in me. My coach was just telling me to execute it and hit the board. I’m so happy I could finish it with a 4.94m.”
The Guildford-born ace opened the competition with a solid jump of 4.61m (0.4) which moved her into bronze medal position in the early stages.
The competition progressed and despite a three no jumps, she improved to 4.65m on her fourth attempt before setting her season’s best with her last effort.
“It has been a strange build-up to this championship with covid and the restrictions but I’m just really grateful to be here and have these championships,” added Breen who just missed out on a medal finishing fourth in the T38 100m final.
“It’s all been a good learning experience on knowing what it is like at the moment and understanding what it will be like in Tokyo. I’m just really grateful to be competing for Great Britain again.”
British medallists (21, Welsh in bold):
Gold (6): Fabienne André [Women’s T34 100m], Columba Blango [Men’s T20 400m], Sophie Hahn [Women’s T38 100m], Maria Lyle [Women’s T35 200m], Zak Skinner [Men’s T13 100m], Thomas Young [Men’s T38 100m]
Silver (7): John Bridge [Men’s T47 400m], Jonathan Broom-Edwards [Men’s T42/44/62/64 High Jump], Shaun Burrows [Men’s T38 400m], Lydia Church [Women’s F12 Shot Put], Kyron Duke [Men’s F41 Shot Put], Danny Sidbury [Men’s T54 1500m], Vanessa Wallace [Women’s F34 Shot Put]
Bronze (8): Ola Abidogun [Men’s T47 100m], Olivia Breen [Women’s T38 Long Jump], Nathan Maguire [Men’s T54 400m], Polly Maton [T47 Long Jump], Luke Nuttall [Men’s T46 1500m], Luke Sinnott [Men’s T63 Long Jump], Emily Stewart [Women’s F38 Discus], Alexander Thomson [Men’s T38 400m]