Bingley Harriers ace smashes 200m record ahead of European Champs in Italy

Coming off a stunning performance at the Welsh Championship trials and having the world-leading run-time in the 200 metres for his age, young sprinter Ethan Heggarty is set to compete in Italy for the European Under-18 Championship. The 17-year-old Bingley Harriers ace has had an outstanding year in sprinting, having competed in the Yorkshire Championships and won both the 100 and 200 metre titles. He then won a silver medal at the Mannheim Gala in Germany last month, again in the 200-metre sprint. Additionally, the Haworth native recently competed in the Welsh Championship trials, where he broke the 200-metre U18 record, recording a time of 20.51 seconds in a legal tailwind, which saw him qualify for those Europeans in Italy. He beamed: “I broke the championship record, which had been standing for 17 years or something like that.” Heggarty has form for this, winning the U17 boys' 100-metre race at the West Yorkshire Athletics Track and Field League Championships last year in 10.97 seconds, breaking an event record that had stood since 1978. When asked about the European Championship in Italy, Heggarty said: “I would like to bring back a gold medal from the U18 European Championships in Italy in the next week or so (the Championships will take place in Rieti between July 16-19). “Then after that, there may be a possibility I go to World U20 Championships in Oregon, USA, which is in August, which I’d like to think I could do well at. “Right now, I'm ranked 10th in the world for U20s, so hopefully, if I pull out a personal best, I might be able to get a medal on the world stage.” As well as his current achievements, he is looking towards the future too. Heggarty said: “After those Under-20s, I’ll be going into the senior category and hopefully bringing back some medals. “Maybe in the Olympics, the World Championships, or the Diamond League, that would obviously be a nice goal in the next couple years.” Asked whether the Brisbane Olympics in 2032 was a more realistic goal for him, the Harriers teenager admitted he still harbours hopes of going to the 2028 edition in Los Angeles. He said: “I was really hoping for 2028 and I think I might just be able to do it. “If I pull out a special period, I might just be able to get to 2028.” Heggarty still trains with the Harriers, often practising within the Keighley area at Carlton Keighley School, and, astonishingly, he has accomplished such accolades in only four years of his training and career. He had previously trained with Keighley and Craven Athletics Club, whom he credited with helping him massively in the early stages of his career.