A young athlete from Stratford-upon-Avon has cemented his place as a rising star on the athletics circuit following his performance at a series of events this summer.
Lewis Byng, who studies Sport at Stratford-upon-Avon College, is now ranked number 2 in the UK for senior competitions and number 2 in the world for under-20 competitions.
Competing at the British Senior Athletics Championships on Saturday 5th September, Lewis, aged 18, threw a magnificent 16.66m and took home a silver medal.
Since then, Lewis has gone from strength to strength, competing in under-20 competitions run by the England Throws Camps.
Throwing a 6kg weight, he broke the under-20 record at the first of these contests by throwing 19.71m. Not content with this achievement, he then proceeded to break his own record the following week with a throw of 19.73m.
Lewis now has his eye firmly on the UK number 1 spot. He explained “I’m about 2 metres behind the number 1 competitor. I’m hoping that in 2021 I can get as close as I can to him, and then moving into 2022 for the Commonwealth Games, I’ll be either with him or ahead of him.”
While many athletes found their training adversely affected by this year’s lockdown, Lewis was able to continue practicing with little disruption. “I was really lucky because I could train in a field behind my house four times a week and I spoke to my coach regularly over Facetime.”
Lewis will now focus his training on preparing for the European Under-23 Championships in July 2021 in Norway, and following that, for the 2022 Commonwealth Games which will be held in Birmingham.
When he completes his studies at the College, Lewis plans to study Sports Therapy at Loughborough University where he will stay in the Elite Athlete Accommodation on campus and continue to train extensively around his lectures.
Looking further to the future, when he retires from his shot-putting career, Lewis is looking to transition into powerlifting and strongman events. He explained “I just really enjoy lifting heavy things!”
