Super Sophia is a UK School Games National Finals golden girl - The Stratford Observer

Super Sophia is a UK School Games National Finals golden girl

Stratford Editorial 5th Sep, 2017 Updated: 5th Sep, 2017   0

STUDLEY’S Sophia Potter saw off allcomers to win the gold medal in the women’s sabre competition at the UK School Games National Finals at Loughborough University.

The 17-year-old Stratford School sixth-former won her semi-final 15-1 before going on to beat Scotland’s Elise Llewellyn 15-12 to win the coveted gold medal.

Of her performance, Potter, who competed for Team England, said: “It was quite tense but I kept my cool so I was calm but, when I stress, I go mad, so as long as I’m calm I can win which is what I did.

“In the final it’s a big thing and you need to win it. The semi-final was a warm-up for me and then as soon as I got into the final my head was in the game.”




Potter relished her time at the Games, adding: “The School Games is amazing. You come here, you compete, you make friends, watch other sports and then you come here and win it.

“It’s an amazing experience and I’d advise anyone to come here.”


Potter competed at the School Games at Loughborough last year and won a bronze medal but this year she went two places better.

“It’s a massive step up and everything I’ve worked for has paid off and I’ve eventually won,” she said.

POTTER’S fellow Stratford School star JACK SUMNERS powered to victory in the boys’ 100m hurdles at the School Games.

The Stratford Athletic Club talent, who was part of the England Midlands team, took the title in a time of 12.97secs after powering out of the blocks to beat English Schools champion Josh Zeller.

Sumners had to wait until the end of the day to win his second gold medal, running the first leg of the 4x100m relay.

With his experience as a fast starter, he was given the responsibility of getting the team off to a good start and by the time of the first changeover he had put the Midlands into the lead.

From then on things got closer and closer on each leg until the last Midlands runner just dipped over the line from the fast-finishing Scottish athlete.

Sumners said: “It’s a great way to end the season, it’s been so good for me.

“I’ve been all around the world this year, it’s been amazing, but this is really a highlight. It’s a great competition.”

STRATFORD AC’s Lewis Byng is the epitome of consistency and five of his series of six throws were all within a few centimetres of each other in the mid-14.5m range.

His best of 14.64m was good enough to secure the silver medal in what again has been a hugely successful season.

The School Games, which took place between August 31 and September 3, are an integrated multi-sport event for the UK’s most talented school-age athletes, with around 1,600 athletes competing across 12 sports, seven of which included disability disciplines.

Previous competitors include Paralympic champions Hannah Cockroft, Ellie Simmonds and Jonnie Peacock, Olympic champion Adam Peaty and GB sprinters Adam Gemili and Dina Asher-Smith.

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