Peebles teenager Louis Whyte jumping for joy over four U17 athletics title wins in space of five days

The 16-year-old, of Peebles, had cause for celebration at the double at Glasgow’s Emirates Arena last Tuesday after claiming two gold medals at the Scottish Schools Athletic Association’s indoor track and field championships, then proceeded to notch up another winning double on Saturday.

Representing Peebles High School, Whyte, coached by Linda Nicholson, came out on top in the men’s under-17 long jump and triple jump events, recording 6.21m in the former, with Hawick High’s Filip Kubicki fifth with 5.85m, and 12.44m in the latter.

He headed back to the same venue for Scottish Athletics’ under-17 national championships at the weekend, representing his home-town’s Moorfoot Runners club against competition from across the UK, and not only won both long jump and triple jump titles but also came up with his best-ever jumps in both, 6.55m in the former and 12.88m in the latter, to go top of the Scottish rankings for both.

Fellow Peebles High pupil Hannah Begg won her first Scottish schools medal in the girls’ under-20 triple jump with a personal best of 10.05m, placing third, and she also managed a sixth-placed finish, with 4.59m, at long jump.

Two other schoolmates of theirs were also competing.

Robert Horton, despite being only 12, was allowed to compete at under-15 level at boys’ 60m sprint and long jump after achieving their entry standards, reaching the former’s semi-finals, clocking 8.72 seconds for eighth place, and the latter’s final, finishing sixth with 4.50m.

Elsewhere in the arena, Moorfoot Junior Kieran Fulton made the final of the men’s under-17 1,500m at both the schools and national championships, finishing fourth in each, with 4:05.13 and 4:06.09.

Earlston High’s Dima Graham also made it to a final at the schools event, finishing sixth in the men’s under-17 400m in 55.80, as did Galashiels Academy’s Evie Renwick, winning bronze, with 8.07, in the women’s under-20 60m and Jedburgh Grammar Campus’s Ava Lees, finishing seventh, with 8.54, in the under-15 girls’ 60m.

Whyte is back in action in two weeks’ time, moving up an age group to challenge for Scottish under-20 long and triple jump titles.

Looking back over his four under-17 wins in five days, he told us: “I’m really proud. It’s an amazing achievement.

“My personal bests currently rank me third in the UK for under-17 long jump and fourth for triple jump, so hopefully I will be selected to represent Scotland at upcoming international events.”