Skipper Ashley battles on despite high jump misery (From Surrey Comet)

Skipper Ashley battles on despite high jump misery

10:00am Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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Hampton’s Ashley Bryant never recovered from failing to clear high jump on the opening day of last week’s men’s decathlon at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Moncton, Canada.

However, he battled on gamely to post a range of personal bests across the two-day contest.

He finished the 10-discipline contest in 15th place with 6,957 points having achieved a lifetime best of 14.38 seconds in the 110m hurdles on the second day of the competition.

His pole vault of 4.20m was also a season’s best, adding to first day PBs in the 100m (7.02), long jump (7.11m) and 400m (49.53).

But the failure to get any points from the high jump ended up costing him dear.

“I have been doing so well and put in such an amazing start to the first day,” said Bryant.

“There were no problems – I just no heighted. I am just gutted.

“I was never going to stop after the high jump – it broke my heart no-heighting but I was in great shape and there was no way I wasn’t going to finish.”

Bryant at least had the consolation of captaining the British team to eight medals, their best set of results at the World Junior Championships since 1994, when the talented all-rounder was three.