CHIPPENHAM hammer thrower Owen Merrett has beaten the athletics lockdown to help raise over £1,000 for the Wiltshire Air Ambulance.

With the backing of Wiltshire Schools’ Athletics and his own Sheldon School the 15-year-old took on county team-mate Anna Merritt – so no relation - in a virtual hammer competition.

Merrett was given a 15 metres handicap to ensure a fair competition in the ‘battle of the sexes’ as the pair went head-to-head by virtue of Zoom last weekend, with Merrett throwing on his school playing fields and Merritt at her Godolphin School, near Salisbury.

“It went really well and we had quite a lot of people, from fellow athletes, coaches, family and friends logging on to watch the throwing competition live,” said Merrett.

“We each had six throws each, like in a normal competition and threw one after another. Anna was throwing a lighter weight so we decided on a handicap of 13 metres based on the average of our best throws from last season.

“Lucy Edwards (vice chair, treasurer and team manager at Wiltshire Schools’ Athletics) came up with the idea and Anna, whom I know from competing in the county team, approached me to take part.”

The pair underlined their status as two of the most exciting young hammer throwers in the country last summer when Merritt, who is a year older, won silver medals at both the British and English Schools’ Championships while Merrett won a bronze at the English Schools’ and was also third in the England Athletics Championships.

On the evidence of their virtual showdown the pair would have enjoyed another big summer – before Covid-10 intervened.

“I threw a training personal best of 67 metres 30cms while Anna managed 52 metres, which was also a training PB,” added Merrett.

“I had my dad (Martin Merrett) and Mr Adam Douglas, my PE teacher at Sheldon, measuring my throws at the school and ensuring social distancing was maintained.

“I was pleased to win and throw so well but it is really frustrating as there were some very big opportunities for me this summer and I was hoping to win the English Schools’ Championships, but that has been cancelled.

“But there will be more opportunities in the future.”

Merrett hasn’t given up hope of competing in a proper competition towards the end of the summer and rightly points out that hammer throwing – along with all the other throws – is the easiest in which to incorporate social distancing as against the problems facing runners on the track.

In the meantime, he can reflect that despite limited training he is not only in great shape but also has helped to raise a significant amount of money for a worthwhile cause.

If any readers would like to add their support to the Wiltshire Air Ambulance then just log onto the Just Giving page at: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/merrittvsmerrettcc