A FORMER student of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC) set a new personal best as he competed in the 2007 World Athletics Championships in Osaka, Japan.

Tom Parsons celebrated his selection for the Norwich Union Great Britain & Northern Ireland team by achieving his best result yet at the championships.

Tom took up the sport in his early teens, inspired by watching the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. Since then he has been able to improve his personal best every year. In 2005, whilst competing for UWIC, Tom was crowned BUSA Champion with a leap of 2.20m, still the championship record.

A new lifetime best in the qualifying rounds at the World Championships of 2.29m ensured Tom made history, as he and Martyn Bernard became the first British pair to reach a World Championships High Jump final. 

Eventually finishing 10th overall, following failed attempts at what would have been a new personal best of 2.30m, Tom said “I’m chuffed, it’s still a little bit frustrating not to get 2.30m, because I know it was in the body. The next step for me is to keep being consistent over 2.25 and above and make sure I stay at a world class level and try and qualify for Beijing.”

Tom is featured with fellow debutants Vicky Barr and Alex Nelson as they celebrate their call up to the Norwich Union Great Britain & Northern Ireland team with a bottle of Heidsieck & Co Monopole Champagne.