SOUTHAMPTON'S under-20 race walker Nick Ball retained his 3k indoor title with a controlled performance in his sixth AAA National Championships at Birmingham.
The Barton Peveril student led from the gun and pulled away to eventually lap the entire field over the 15-lap race.
He won in a personal best time of 12min 47sec, much to the pleasure of his dad, Jim, who said: "This performance emphasises Nick's current form as he is just ending his winter, endurance-based training phase with no speed work to draw on."
Ball has already attained the qualifying time to represent Great Britain at the European Race Walking Cup in Miskolc, Hungary in May. He has also achieved the UK Athletics qualifying standard for both the IAAF World Youth Championships in Morocco and the European Junior Championships in Lithuania, both taking place in July.
March and April will be busy months for the Hedge End-based athlete as he defends his Inter-Counties and RWA national titles at Coventry and Leamington Spa before competing in the Hampshire County Championships at Portsmouth in May.
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