WILTSHIRE high jumper Tom Gale has no doubt that the landmark two metres is now firmly in his sights after unleashing a terrific performance to claim the Midland Counties title over the weekend.

The 16-year-old, from Trowbridge, added one centimetre to his personal best to win the under 17 men’s title with a leap of 1.96m at the Alexander Stadium, in Birmingham.

“I am really happy with that,” said Gale.

“It was only an improvement by one centimetre but a PB is a PB and I can’t complain with that. It also lifted me back into the top 10 of the UK Rankings for under 17 men, which was another goal.”

With victory confirmed, Gale, who is a student at John of Gaunt School, ended his competition in order to save himself for the England Athletics Championships at Bedford in a week’s time.

“The only thing that annoyed me in the competition was that my back started to play up,” added Gale.

“I was thinking of trying to go for two metres but decided to call it a day to save myself for the national championships. I would love to clear two metres there and really feel I am capable of doing that.”

Also at Birmingham, fellow John of Gaunt pupil Sean Cleveland finished fourth in both the under 17 men’s long and triple jump events.

In the triple jump, Cleveland was just six centimetres off the bronze medal while in the long jump, the 16-year-old was 12cms off making the podium.

The third John of Gaunt student at the two-day meeting was Zoe Mattacks, 16, and she was fourth in the under 17 women’s 100m, just 0.16secs off bronze.

In the under 15 girls’ high jump, St Laurence School student Jenna Blundell was fifth and also sixth in the 75m hurdles.

Midland Counties Championships, Alexander Stadium U17 men – HJ: 1 Tom Gale (TBAC) 1.96 (PB); LJ: 4 Sean Cleveland (TBAC) 5.59; TJ: 4 Cleveland 11.48.

U17 women – 100: 4 Zoe Mattacks 12.95 (0.16secs off bronze); 80H hts: Mattacks DNF.

U15 girls –75H: 6 Jenna Blundell (TBAC) 11.81; HJ: 5 Blundell 1.50.