Taunton School athletes win haul of gold medals in European Championships

Three young athletes from Taunton School have won a clutch of gold medals in the Biathle and Triathle European Championships in Athens. 

JJ Wells, Tom Barnett and Nicolas Du Toit won 13 golds and one silver, competing against people from 15 countries across Europe. They will now go on to compete in the World Championships later this month.

Biathle and triathle events feature combinations of running, swimming and laser pistol shooting and form part of the modern pentathlon.

JJ, who scooped six golds in the U11 individual, mixed, relay and team events, said: “I’m very proud of our achievements. I feel quite confident and really excited about going to the World Championships. It was great to be there with my friends because we could all support each other and cheer each other on.”

Tom, who topped the podium in four U13 events, said: “I was nervous to begin with but after my first event my confidence grew and my motivation built up. I’m looking forward to the Worlds and hoping to pull off another good performance.”

Nicolas, who came away with three golds, said: “It felt great to go to such a high level competition and to compete with so many different people. I can’t wait to compete at Worlds as it will be a unique environment.”

The European Championships took place in Greece, with the World Championships due to start on 26th October in Madeira.