CALDICOT athlete Melissa Arthur warmed up for the Welsh Senior Championships with a lifetime best performance on Sunday – a day before her 18th birthday.

Melissa, currently the Welsh Schools long jump champion and a member of Newport Harriers AC, jumped five metres, 61centimetres in an Open meeting held at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in Cardiff, increasing her personal best by 14 centimetres.

Melissa, who has ambitions to make the Welsh squad for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, was back at the NIAC on her birthday, training as usual with her sights set on the Welsh Seniors on January 26th and the Welsh Under20s championships on February 17th.

“I’ve putmycelebrations on hold because there are two very important events coming up and I want to be ready for them,” Melissa said.

Her coach, Nigel Lewis, was delighted by her performance.

“Her performance today firmly establishes her as Wales’ Number 1 in her age-group.”