Chorley sprinter Charlie Unsworth on fast-track for UK Championships debut
Teenage flyer heads to Alexander Stadium after Northern England glory
It's full speed ahead to Birmingham for Chorley sprinter Charlie Unsworth, who competes at his first UK Athletics Championships this weekend.
The 19-year-old from Adlington will contest the 200m at Alexander Stadium on Sunday, fresh from being crowned Northern England Under-20s champion in Hull this month.
A former pupil at St Michael's Church of England High School, Charlie has represented Chorley in the Lancashire Schools' Championships and Lancashire at the English Schools' Championships, winning a bronze medal last year.
He has qualified for the UK Championships for the first time but is no stranger to Alexander Stadium, where he ran a personal best of 21.07 last summer (and 10.68 for the 100m).
Now representing Sale Harriers, Charlie broke Blackburn Harriers' 55-year-old 200m record last year with a time of 21.46 at Trafford.
He is currently ranked eighth in the UK in his age group and proud dad Matt told the Lancashire Post: “Qualifying for the UK Athletics Championships is a significant achievement and Charlie is looking forward to competing against some of the country’s top athletes. He is working towards a world qualifying time of 20.85.”
The two-day championships begin this Saturday, with the men's 200m heats and final on Sunday afternoon.
Charlie then aims to contest the the England Athletics Championships in Bedford two weeks later.