Great Britain top medal table at 2022 Laser Run World Championships
Great Britain enjoyed a fantastic weekend in Lisbon, Portugal as they dominated at the UIPM 2022 Laser Run World Championships.
An impressive medals-haul saw them pick up 34 medals in total which included 15 golds, right across the age categories, and in both the individual and mixed relay events.
In the women’s event, all 38 competitors qualified for their respective finals, with 7 individual medals being won, as well as 5 of the team medals too.
There were three new champions crowned – Emily Carman took top spot in the U17s, sharing the podium with teammate Imogen Edwards who finished just a few seconds behind her in second place. Meanwhile Kirsty Maher and Jillian Wallace both held on in tight races, to win in the U19s and Masters 60 categories, respectively.
Laser Run stalwart, Denise Silk had a tough competition in the Masters 50 category, but crossed the line in 3rd place comfortably. Similarly, Elizabeth Coakley ran a solid race to finish second in the Junior Women. The final medal came from Daisy Hassell, whose dash to the line earned her a bronze medal in the U15s.
Medals Galore
An impressive 13 more British female athletes finished within the top 10 of their finals, while the Brits were also awarded 5 team medals too; U9 SILVER (Violet Fisher, Sophie Neil, Pippa Griffin), U11 BRONZE (Mollie Earle, Henrietta Paul, Siobhan Hunt), U13 GOLD (Lydia Eastwood, Naomi Hawkins, Amelie Smith), U15 GOLD (Daisy Hassell, Emma Jupp, Isabelle Whittle) and U17 GOLD (Emily Carman, Imogen Edwards, Evie O’Connell).
Day two of the competition saw the men’s event take place and the success for Great Britain continued, as 37 athletes qualified for the finals, with 6 individuals medalling and 6 team medals also awarded. Thomas Johnson (U17) and Mark Powell (Masters 50) both crossed the line comfortably ahead of their nearest rivals to take gold in their respective categories.
Meanwhile, finishing just a few seconds behind their gold medal rivals, it was silver for Travis Moore (U13) and Richard Wallace (Masters 60), and for debutants, Lachlan Humphreys (U11s) and Edward Hyland (U9s), who both remained calm and collected on their first performance on the world stage.
In addition to the medallists, another 11 athletes finished in the top 10 across the age groups – notably in the U11s and U19s, where British athletes held 4 of the top 10 positions.
Team medals were awarded; U11 GOLD (Lachlan Humphreys, Charlie Carman, Caiden Griffin), U13 GOLD (Travis Moore, Joshua Spolton Oliver Stenhouse), U17 GOLD (Thomas Johnson, Zinzan Sargent, Archie Harding), U19 SILVER (Samuel Tate, Ivo Schulz-Andreu, Tom Sadanandom), Masters 50 GOLD (Mark Powell, Martin Murray, Spencer Hassell) and Masters 60 SILVER (Richard Wallace, Charlie Lane, Phillip Budden).
The competition came to a close with the Mixed Relay event. Always a spectacle to watch, the event sees male and female competitors pair up to complete a run-shoot consecutively in a relay-style race.
Sticking to script, the Great British pairings performed spectacularly.
Violet Fisher and Edward Hyland both added to their medal haul to bring home bronze in the U9 mixed relay. Likewise, in the U13s, it was another medal for Travis Moore and Lydia Eastwood as they crossed the line in second place for silver.
Despite an agonising 4th place finish the day before, Zinzan Sargent took silver in the U17s, alongside Imogen Edwards who will be pleased with a triple medal success at this year’s event.
A sprint for the line delivered a second gold for Kirsty Maher in the U19s, as she partnered up with top 10 finisher Sam Tate. Competing up an age group, Jack Collet joined Victoria Bradbury to produce a fantastic performance to take the title in the Juniors.
Finally, it was double-gold delight for Jillian Wallace and Richard Wallace in the Masters 60 category. The golden duo comfortably took the top spot, much to the delight of teammates cheering them on.
The Event
Since its introduction as a standalone sport by the UIPM in 2015, Laser Run has been a runaway success story as its dynamic and ultra-accessible appeal has seen the sport adopted by athletes and fans across the world. And its popularity in Great Britain is certainly no secret.
In addition to the remarkable performances seen at this year’s UIPM Laser Run World Championships, last week’s Discover Laser Run Finals, hosted by Pentathlon GB, was the culmination of several regional events aimed at introducing new people to the sport – the series itself welcomed over 250 participants to the track and range, many of whom were picking up a laser pistol for the first time ever.
With the participation numbers growing and medal success on the rise, the stage is certainly set for the 2023 Laser Run World Championships set to be hosted alongside the Pentathlon World Championships at the home of Pentathlon GB, the University of Bath, in August 2023.
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