JC Legend: Walter Nicholls

The selection of Walter Nicholls as Chairman of the Amateur Athletics Association caps a sixty year career in the service of his sport. Manchester solicitor Nicholls follows in the distinguished footsteps of fellow Jews Harold Abrahams and Arthur Gold in heading up the world's oldest national athletics body.

Walter and his wife Marlene are members of the Sha'arei Hayim congregation of Didsbury, South Manchester. The couple have four children and nine grandchildren and are looking forward to celebrating 55 years of marriage in June.

Now 81, Nicholls joined his first athletics club, Manchester AC, at age 15, and has belonged to Trafford AC since its foundation in 1964. During his senior career, he represented Lancashire and Cheshire in the shot and his main event, the discus. He continued to compete until his mid-seventies, earning medals in the Northern and National Veteran Championships, and is hoping to resume training this year.

Nicholls began his career in athletics administration in 1958, officiating and timekeeping at athletics meetings. Nicholls lived in Israel for three years in the late 1960's, during which time he coached athletics at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at the Hapoel Club in Haifa. He officiated in the 1969 Maccabia Games, and 20 years later was invited back as Chief Timekeeper for the 1989 Games. In the previous Maccabia in 1985, Nicholls had served as GB Athletics Team Manager.

Nicholls has served roles in Northern, England  and Great Britain team selection and management throughout the last forty years. He has officiated at international matches and the Commonwealth Games and still officiates at athletics meetings in the North of England.

He was a Director of the British Association for Sport and Law and Secretary of the British Athletics Doping Committee for several years. He still chairs disciplinary panels for UK Athletics. Specialising in sports law in his professional life, he has acted in a number of high-profile doping cases. Together with Mel Watman, Nicholls is a member of the selection panel for the British Athletics Hall of Fame.

Nicholls takes over the Chairmanship role after several years serving as Secretary of the AAA. "Although UK Athletics has taken over from the AAA as the sport’s governing body, we remain very active", Nicholls commented. "We support events for young athletes across the country, such as the Marathon Relay in which two hundred teams of 11-to-13-year-olds competed last year. We see ourselves as the conscience of the sport and the custodians of its history, and I hope I can further that through the setting up a national museum of athletics."

International success for Hannah Viner

Hannah Viner, 20, recorded 34:50 in the Internacional Villa de Laredo 10K event in Spain, to move to the top of the UK U23 rankings. Highgate Harrier Viner placed eighth overall, achieving a 30 second PB.

Rachel Ayrton, 17, and Eden Davis, 18, came away from Lee Valley with county indoor championship gold medals. Ayrton, who competes for Harrow AC, took the Middlesex U20 800m title in 2:34.96, while Herts Phoenix sprinter Davis triumphed in the Hertfordshire U20 60m in 7.05. Both athletes are also coaches for Maccabi London Harriers.

Evergreen Roger Bruck strikes gold again

Roger Bruck, 77, brought his indoor season to a successful conclusion at the British Masters Championships at Lee Valley. Competing in the M75 category, Bruck took golds in the 200m, high jump and long jump, recording 35.78, 1.21m and 3.34m respectively. He also secured bronze in the 60m in 10.41. All four performances were season’s bests.

At the other end of the age spectrum, Maayan Radus, 12, represented Camden Borough to place fourth in the London Schools Year 8 Championships at Eltham.

James Bongart, 20, came within a metre of his javelin PB with a throw of 57.56m at the Loughborough Winter Throws meeting.

Rachel Ayrton, 17, set an indoor 800m PB of 2:30.93 in the Lee Valley Middle Distance Open.

Israeli participation in the European Indoor Championships at Belgrade ended after just 7.54 seconds. The country's only competitor, Diana Vaisman, was eliminated in her heat of the 60m despite coming close to her own national record of 7.50 seconds.

Around and about

In her first year competing in the senior race, Hannah Viner, 20, placed 28^th out of 788 competitors in the English National Cross Country Championships at Nottingham.

Viner started hard in her 8km race to gain a good position. "As always the case with the Nationals, there was a fast start, and it was a tough race”, she commented. ”In some places the going was firm, but much of the course was boggy with some deep and wide ditches to wade through. I think I chose the right strategy, even though I lost a few places towards the end."

Sophie Dowson, 18, placed fifth in the England Athletics U20 pole vault Championships in Sheffield with a clearance of 3.60m. Eden Davis, now 18, narrowly missed a place in the 60m final.

James Bongart, 20, came within a metre of his javelin PB with a throw of 57.56m at the Loughborough Winter Throws meeting.

Rachel Ayrton, 17, set an indoor 800m PB of 2:30.93 in the Lee Valley Middle Distance Open.

Israeli participation in the European Indoor Championships at Belgrade ended after just 7.54 seconds. The country's only competitor, Diana Vaisman, was eliminated in her heat of the 60m despite coming close to her own national record of 7.50 seconds.

Contrasting fortunes in the National Cross Country Championships

Hannah Viner, 20, and Richard Goodman, 23, experienced contrasting fortunes at the sharp end of the English National Cross Country Championships at Nottingham. Viner placed 28^th out of 788 competitors in the senior women's race, while Richard Goodman was forced to pull out of the senior men's event after suffering a serious spike wound.

Viner started hard in her 8km race to gain a good position. "As always the case with the Nationals, there was a fast start, and it was a tough race”, she commented. ”In some places the going was firm, but much of the course was boggy with some deep and wide ditches to wade through. I think I chose the right strategy, even though I lost a few places towards the end."

Goodman entered his race with realistic expectations of medalling. "I was in the leading group on the first full lap when I lost a shoe in the mud," he recounted. "I continued for another lap but was forced to take off the other shoe in order to balance my stride. Then a spectator shouted out that my ankle was bleeding and I needed to stop. I had been unaware of it, but the wound needed twelve stitches. I only hope that my enforced layoff proves to be a blessing in disguise."

Lia Radus, 15, and her sister Maayan, 12, had successful outings in the U15 and U13 events. Lia helped Blackheath & Bromley secure team bronze while Maayan led the club home to team gold medals.