Croydon Harriers pole vaulter Cameron Johnston achieved a personal best of 4.70m to take second place in the Welsh Indoor Senior AAA championships on Sunday in Cardiff.
The event had attracted a high-class field which included current British Champion Tim Thomas, six-time former champion Edgrin Jones and local boys Chris Type and Andy Penk, both British International Athletes.
Cameron, at only 19 and the youngest competitor in the field, had a shaky start with failures at his three opening heights 4.20m, 4.40m and 4.60m.
When the bar was raised to 4.70 there were still five athletes left in the competition with Cameron trailing in fifth place.
Disaster was narrowly averted when the pole Cameron had been borrowing from one of the other athletes was reclaimed.
With the Welsh officials threatening to exclude him from the competition, he made frantic attempts to acquire and re-tape another suitable pole.
Cameron's efforts were fully rewarded when he coolly cleared 4.70m on his first attempt giving him the silver medal.
With only the current British champion left in the competition, Cameron made three good attempts at 4.80m before conceding the title to his more senior rival Tim Thomas, who went on to clear 5m.
Cameron, now studying law at Surrey University, was pleased with his result which will keep him on track for his ambition to be selected for the Commonwealth Games this summer.
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