Top spots for Chichester duo who are hitting new heights

In a tense battle, Brown cleared the 1.70m mark for the first time in her career by jumping 1.71 (pictured right) at the second attempt to put pressure on her rivals which included Kate Anson, winner of the English schools outdoor title last summer.

However the pressure of the occasion was too much for the rest of the field to leave Brown standing on top of the podium and receive her first English gold medal.

Not having time to rest on her laurels, Brown, with club-mate Nathalie Godden, travels to Sheffield this weekend for the national pentathlon championships.

The 16-year-old will be aiming to set another personal best, buoyed by this breakthrough in her best individual discipline. Meanwhile, another of Chichester’s promising juniors, pole vaulter Jamie Moore, 18, struck gold at the Sussex indoor championships at Sutton.

His winning jump of 3.70m was especially pleasing as Moore has been learning the techniques of moving up to a heavier pole over the winter to enable him to break through the 4m mark in the summer season.

Moore’s jump at Sutton was just 10cm below his outdoor best but gives him a first gold in his first year in the under-20s.