Aled Davies breaks own world indoor F42 shot put record
Aled Davies, who switched to discus last year to win Commonwealth gold for Wales, returned to Birmingham to break his own F42 world indoor shot put record at the UK Championships.
A distance of 16.39m saw the the 31-year-old add an extra 25cm to his previous mark, which was set in Sheffield back in 2016.
Davies, competing in the able-bodied competition at the Utilita Arena, finished fifth overall but had two marks – 16.39m and 16.26m – which were better than his old world record.
When Davies transitioned to the discus last year he did so with the knowledge it was an event he hadn't competed in since 2019.
After achieving that golden moment at the Alexander Stadium, the Welshman suffered from a condition called Osteitis Pubis, which created lower abdominal and pelvic pain.
Now, back in the shot put, Davies is targeting another world title at the Para Athletics World Championships in Paris this summer. Next year, he will also aim to add another Paralympic gold medal to his collection, in the same city.
"I'm pain-free now and I'm in great shape," said Davies, before the UKA Indoor Championships. "Everything is there to throw far. I feel like it could go a long way, so we are going to target the world indoor record. Shot put is what I'm built to do. I still feel like I haven't thrown as far as I can so it feels good to be back.
"Getting the chance to compete alongside able-bodied guys and take a few scalps is always fun. The indoors is always a fast and furious kind of season, and with the shot put being the only throwing event, we get a lot of attention."
Scott Lincoln took the plaudits once again in the men's shot put as he won an astonishing 15th domestic title (indoors and outdoors) in the discipline.
The Commonwealth bronze medallist won his first British crown all the way back in 2015 and, eight years later, he is still going strong.
Lincoln does not have the standard for the European Indoor Championships in Istanbul but is hoping for an invite.
"Today was nice, it was good to end with a decent throw, season's best indoor," he said. "I lost a bit of feeling coming into this, I'll always aim for more but it was nice to get the season's best.
"Our competition was on for a while, so it's important to keep your head in the game. You've got to keep yourself focused and stay as fresh as possible."
Sophie McKinna comes back from brink
Sophie McKinna added an impressive sixth British shot put title to her name, with a best throw of 17.20m seeing the 28-year-old take the gold ahead of Amelia Strickler, who recorded 17.01m.
Yet the tale of the last year has been a choppy one. Last year McKinna changed her technique from that of a 'glider' to somebody who would use 'rotation' but made the decision at the back end of 2022 to return to gliding.
It wasn't something she took lightly.
"The journey has been rocky and difficult," she told AW. "It's a miracle I'm still standing here in the sport to be honest. I thought about retiring at the end of November. It's been a difficult time.
"I genuinely decided last night that I was going to compete so all of this was a whirlwind. My coach Mark [Winch ] was a big driving force in keeping me in the sport. He's an ex shot-putter and he told me that it's very hard to come back to the sport once that mindset has flipped.
"I've still got so much to give this sport. I'm a very capable athlete and I want to attack the British shot put record [19.36m]. That's always been my career goal. That's what I want to do over the next two to three years."
» Subscribe to AW magazine here
