SICHEL CELEBRATES GREAT BRITAIN SELECTION FOR 24HR CHALLENGE

Orkney’s William Sichel, is celebrating his selection for the Great Britain team to run in the I.A.U. European 24 Hour Challenge to be held in Apeldoorn, The Netherlands on May 25th /26th.

A team of 3 men and one woman have been selected by UK Athletics, the sport’s governing body in the UK. William will be accompanied by Adrian Stott (Edinburgh) and Walter Hill (Crawley) with the sole woman representative being Sandra Brown (Surrey).

UK Athletics had laid down strict selection criteria and also insisted that athletes ‘proved their fitness’ prior to the selection meeting. Even though William had run a personal best 153.3 miles in Switzerland last May, the best by a British athlete for over 8 years, he still had to prove his fitness by running in Sheffield on April 28th in a 6 hour race.

In Sheffield William was able to run a very steady and even paced race passing just over 24 miles in the first 3 hours, 6th position, eventually coming home in 3rd place with 47.23 miles after 6 hours.

“This is the 3rd time that I have been selected to run for Great Britain in the 24 hour event. I’m looking forward to a good performance.”

William was voted Orkney’s first ‘Sportsman of the Year’ last year. He is a member of the Moray Road Runners and the Orkney Athletic Club. With his wife, Elizabeth, he runs the Orkney Angora mail order craft business in Sanday.

William is grateful to sponsors Orkney Meat (main sponsor), The Ayre Hotel, The Orcadian, Crantit Dairy (Orkney Ice Cream) and Saucony UK. William also receives a grant from the sportScotland Lottery Fund.

Making contact:
William Sichel, Upper Breckan, Sanday, Orkney KW17 2AZ. Tel/Fax: 01857 600421. Mobile (whilst travelling only) 0794 128 3506. williamsichel@orkneyangora.co.uk Running web site: www.orkneyangora.co.uk/ultra.htm

Photographs:
Newsline Scotland (Press Agency). Tel 01224 594000. photos@newsline-scotland.co.uk
Ken Amer, Orkney Photographic. Tel 01856 873574, Mobile 0780 896 1780 orkneyphoto@sol.co.uk
Also Jean Maclachlan. Tel 01857 600350 jean.maclachlan@bhs-inter.net

6/5/01