Hammond is Top Brit
FVO youngster James Hammond was in excellent form at the Junior World Championships in Italy, as fine set of results moved him up to third overall amongst all British men in the 35 years at the championship.
Having helped the Mixed Sprint Relay team into their best placing of 7th (55.48) on the opening day, where he had the third best time for his leg, James went into the first of the individual races, the Sprint, with high hopes.
An unseeded start list and 40 degree temperatures meant additional challenges, but he made good time in the early stages, and was through the first TV control in 5.00 for the lead at that point. Maintaining the pace and accuracy, he continued to lead to within sight of the finish, but an unexpected barrier in an alleyway cost 20 seconds, and he came home in 13.25 for the silver medal at that point. A Polish athlete ran on hard in the closing stretch to equal the lead, and James had the provisional bronze medal for more than an hour before the Norway #1 topped the lot in a time of 12.57.
The Long race was next, and James looked set to take GB's first-ever forest JWOC men's medal as he streaked round the 10km course to lie 2nd with 1km to go. Cruelly though, he missed an easy cut off a path, and dropped more than four minutes in rough terrain to come back frustrated in 76.50 for an eventual 16th place, still within the top 10 all-time amongst British men.
Following a rest day, the individual programme concluded with the Middle race, but any chance of a medal for James was scuppered by a slow start, which featured three leg splits outside the top 100. Thereafter, it was much better, with strong execution on the key legs, and he was 5th best from control 6 onwards, but the early damage meant a 23rd (31.16) place finish on a day where he was still the top GB performer by five places.
The championship concluded with the forest relay, but James was left with too much to do to challenge the front on the final leg, although he was able to move the team up 15 places to an eventual 10th place (114.21) finish.