A TEENAGER from mid Wales has won a silver medal at the Welsh Junior Indoor Athletics Championships.

Kyle Davies from Beulah came second in the men’s under 20s shot put at the competition at Cardiff Metropolitan University on Saturday, February 2.

The 17-year-old threw 11.51 metres which bagged him his place on the podium.

The Brecon Athletics Club star lost out to gold medal-winner Nicholas Young from the Manchester Harriers, who threw 15.81m, but saw off the challenge of bronze medal-winner Dylan Bevan who threw 10.68m.

The athletes competed using shots weighing six kilogrammes, which was easy for Kyle as he usually trains with shots weighing 7kg used by shot putters in the senior ranks.

Kyle, who plays rugby with Gwernyfed Youth, also competes in hammer throwing, discus and javelin.

He said: “I’m delighted to have got a silver at the Welsh Indoors. It feels really good.

“I also won quite a few titles over the summer – I can’t remember all of them off the top of my head.”

Fortunately a record of all Kyle’s performances is kept on his profile on the Power of 10 athletics website.

Last year Kyle competed in 28 competitions across the UK, winning an impressive 11 times, coming second three times and third four times in the shot, hammer, discus and javelin.

Kyle currently holds Wales’ under 20s outdoor hammer throw record after he threw 49.15m at the UK Youth Development League in Yeovil on Sunday, July 1 last year.

He also competed in the hammer at the Schools International Athletic Board’s (SIAB) international competition in Grangemouth, Scotland, on July 21, placing seventh with a best throw of 47.78m.

Kyle’s other notable hammer achievements last year included placing first another nine times such as at the Welsh Under 20 Championships in Newport on Saturday, June 23.

In 2018 he placed second three times and third twice in the shot, for which he entered 10 competitions, and he placed first once and third once in the javelin, for which he entered five competitions.

Proud parents Adrian and Karen attend competitions with Kyle as well as his coach John McFall.

The young athlete spends his days working as a mechanic apprentice at the Ford Garage in Llandrindod Wells.

He said he spends one day a week in college as part of the apprenticeship.

Kyle said that while he enjoys taking part in the throwing events and rugby, to compete at a professional level would be a bonus as he also enjoys working at the garage.

He said: “If I got there, I would love it even more but it would be a bonus.

“I’m happy with what I’m doing with my apprenticeship, but it would be a big bonus if I got to do shot put or hammer throw professionally.”

Kyle trains a couple of times a week including working on his fitness indoors on Monday and athletics training on Thursday followed by rugby with Gwernyfed Youth straight after on a Thursday.

He comes from the same village in Powys as the former judoka world number one Natalie Powell who won Sportswoman of the Year at The Brecon & Radnor Express’ Sport Awards last year.

Kyle has been nominated for this year’s Young Sports Star of the Year category which is open to any person of any gender who is aged 20 or under.

The Sport Awards, which will reveal the results at the awards ceremony on Friday, March 8 at the Castle Hotel in Brecon, also features the categories: Sportsman of the Year; Sportswoman of the Year; Sports Team of the Year; Veteran Sports Star; Disable Sports Star; and, Sports Volunteer of the Year.

He said: “I’m a bit nervous for the results but I can’t wait to attend the awards ceremony in Brecon.

“It should be a good evening – I can’t wait to see how I’ve done.”