THE Tartan Games incorporated the Celebral Palsy (CP) Sport Grand Prix, which this year had the added importance of being an IPC-ratified event with athletes chasing qualification for the Beijing Olympics.
In the field, Gateshead Harriers’ Stephen Miller was well within the qualifying distance in his favoured club event with 30:74 metres.
On the track, Stephen Payton, who trains at Gateshead while studying at Nothumbria University, was just half a second off the qualifying time in the 200 metres.
Lee Hunter was a second outside the qualifying time in the 400m.
There was a mixture of athletes from world class to juniors competing.
After the Games, Miller travelled to London to meet up with the UKA squad for a training camp in Hong Kong/Macau to test out the facilities which will be the forward camp for next September’s Beijing Paralympics.
Miller will be away for two weeks of training with a competition at the end of it all.
While out in Asia, the squad will be able to assess how they cope with the heat, humidity and culture they will have to deal with in 2008.
Miller has achieved the qualifying distances in both the club and discus and is hoping to line up in both events in Beijing.
