A European silver medal on Monday, GCSE results on Thursday – this is a week that will live long in the memory of Preston runner Luke Nuttall.
The athlete is aged just 16 but already has World Para Athletics European Championship honours to his name after a stunning performance in Berlin, finishing second in the T46 1500m in a race run to perfection.
Bulgaria’s Hristiyan Stoyanov was the runaway winner but Nuttall held his own and then some to cling on to the silver medal in the Friedrich-Ludwig-Jahn-Sportpark, stopping the clock in 4:22.28.
But with a nervous wait of a different kind set to come, the teenager’s perfect week may just be beginning – also taking the honour of Britain’s first medallist of the week in Germany.
“I just enjoyed it. There were people in the crowd in a big stadium, so it is a bit more fun than your average competition,” said Nuttall, who has an upper limb impairment.
“But I’m not here long, I am going home on Tuesday to get my GCSE results two days later before another junior competition on Saturday.
“I think I executed my plan to perfection. I think it is great for the team to get the medals rolling and hopefully the other guys will get some more over the week.
“I went in looking to win a medal, not to win the race, because I thought if I go and try and win the race it could end up costing me so I’m really happy.”
British Athletics works alongside UK Sport and the National Lottery to support the delivery of success at the world’s most significant sporting events, principally the Olympic and Paralympic Games. We do this via the funded initiative, the World Class Programme, one part of the British Athletics pathway.
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