Liam Ramsay is following in the footsteps of some of Britain’s top athletes – and beating their records along the way – after winning the prestigious English Schools Senior Boys’ Decathlon title.
Liam won the gold medal in Exeter last month, breaking the championship record in the process. The previous record holder, 2012 Olympic hopeful Ashley Bryant's record of 7219 points was immediately under threat in Devon where Liam defied the wet and windy conditions to clock 11.00 in the 100m, 6.94m in the long jump and equal his personal best in the high jump with a leap of 1.96m. The 18-year-old then made sure of his place in the record books with a time of 49.26 in the 400m, 14.16 in the 110m hurdles, victory in the 1500m and a pole vault of 4.03m. Liam’s points tally of 7308 outshone the efforts of runner up Deo Milandu (6414pts), from Stoke, and Matthew Lavoipierre, of Berkshire, who took the bronze medal with 6205pts.
Liam is currently ranked number one in the UK for U20 decathlon and has enjoyed a sensational 2011, moving up to eighth in the senior rankings in his first year of competing in the men’s decathlon. He hopes to qualify to represent his country at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.