Young Nantwich athlete Hayley Jones has scooped a bronze medal at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow.
The 24-year-old former Malbank High student was in the final leg of the 4x100m relay on the final day of the competition today (August 18).
Jones took the baton in second place in the final leg but the powerful runners of France and USA just pipped her on the line and GB finished fourth.
However the British protested against the French who seemed to exchange the relay baton outside the specified zone.
And judges upheld the complaint after the medal ceremony, to move the British quartet into bronze position.
Jones, and her relay partners Dina Asher-Smith, Ashleigh Nelson, and Annabelle Lewis, were overjoyed.
The Nantwich girl, who now lives in Wigan with her partner, told the BBC after: “I can’t even think what to say, I’m shaking right now. We were all screaming in the corridor when we found out.
“It was so disappointing to finish fourth, it really is the worst place so this is great.
“I’d heard originally that there were a few things that were a bit dodgy but, with it taking so long to come through I thought the appeal had been rejected.”
Asher-Smith, 17, added: “It means so much to us. I’m over the moon, it’s such a shock.”
Jones was a reserve for the relay but was called up to run the daunting last leg because of injury to GB’s 200m runner Anyika Onuora.
The quarter had earlier made it through to the final after finishing second to the Bahamas in their semi-final.
(Pic courtesy of BBC Sport)
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