Central Coast athlete George Wells took gold on the first day of the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games.
George threw 56.7m in the third round of the men’s discus event to take the gold ahead of Hencu Lamberts of South Africa (53m) and Denzel Phillips of Saint Lucia (47.77m).
He said he was thrilled with the medal but had aspired for a slightly bigger winning mark.
“It’s been a rollercoaster,” he said.
“I went into this without knowing what everyone was throwing, but I’ve come away with the gold and that’s the main thing.
“I wasn’t expecting the experience to be as it’s been, in a good way.
“I was expecting delays and other challenges with travel, but we’ve gone in quick, I’ve recovered well and was ready to throw today.
“I felt in control of the competition.
“I was hoping to crack 60 metres if I’m honest, but you can’t come away with everything.
“That’s the next target.”
Representing Mingara Athletics Club, with ties to Gosford Athletics Club, George started in athletics when he was five years old.
His most recent achievements include setting a State Little Athletics record in discus and winning the U18 Discus and Shot Put Australian titles.
He and fellow Coastie Liliya Tatarinoff are two of a team of 76 athletes forming the Australian contingent for the games, an international multi-sport event organised by the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF).
Cyclist Tatarinoff claimed bronze in the women’s sprint on day six of the Games.
The Games bring nations together in a colourful celebration of sport and human performance, giving young athletes aged between 14 and 18 a platform to develop their skills and gain valuable experience on the international stage.
The event was first held in 2000 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and since then has been held an additional five times.
The Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games will see more than 1000 athletes compete across seven sports from August 4-11.
The sports will take place across Trinidad and Tobago, bringing a diverse perspective of the twin island country to the nations of the Commonwealth, as well as showcasing a festival of the country’s activities.
Seven sports will be featured, with 94 different medal events.
CCN