BASINGSTOKE and Mid Hants Athletic Club made headlines over the weekend as their star athletes delivered stunning performances at the prestigious Diamond League programme held at London Stadium.
Among the standout talents were Ben Pattison and Reece Sharman-Newell, who left the crowd of 50,000 spectators in awe with their incredible feats on the track.
In the highly anticipated 800m race, Pattison achieved a personal best time of 1.44.02, surpassing his previous record by over half a second.
His electrifying sprint down the home straight had the entire stadium cheering him on, but it was Max Burgin who narrowly edged past Pattison to claim victory, clocking an impressive 1.43.85.
The performance of both athletes secured their qualification for the upcoming World Championships in Budapest, which is set to take place in August.
Sharman-Newell, another member of the Basingstoke club, may have finished eighth in a competitive field of 10 athletes, but he also crossed the finish line with a personal best time of 1.45.54.
The London Stadium witnessed history during this event, as it hosted the largest single-attended athletics event in the world for the year so far.
In a post-race interview, Pattison shared his excitement about his performance, and said: "I've been running 1.45s all year, so 1.44 sounds so good."
Coach Dave Ragan, taking to Instagram, said: "From running in the Wessex League to running in the Diamond League, these boys have come a long way.
"I truly believe that these two have way more to come. So happy with the outcome for very different reasons. For one, a great season ended and for the other, we're only just getting started. Buzzing to be able to watch this trackside."
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