A SEVENTEEN-year-old student at Ipswich School is celebrating striking gold after successfully representing Great Britain in athletics.

A SEVENTEEN-year-old student at Ipswich School is celebrating striking gold after successfully representing Great Britain in athletics.

Louis Persent, a year 13 student, competed in the European Athletics Association's Under 20 Championships in Hengelo in the Netherlands, where he and his team mates won gold in the 4x400 metre relay.

Ipswich School's director of games, Julian Halls, said: “The heights at which Louis has competed at such a young age are simply fantastic.

“He has the dedication and the exceptional maturity which go to make an elite athlete. Other young aspiring Olympians could learn a lot from him about what it takes to convert from being a talented youngster into being a future world class athlete.”

Louis said he enjoyed the whole experience.

“The relays came at the end of the championship programme so we had plenty of time to prepare and also to enjoy the exciting atmosphere of an international competition,” he said.

“This was a level of competition I had never experienced before and it was great to watch some amazing athletes in action.”

The path to the podium was not without controversy. The British quartet comfortably won their heat and Louis, running third, achieved his fastest lap ever with a time of 47.5 seconds.

He went on to better this in the final, with a time of 47.2 seconds and when he handed over the baton to the fourth British runner, the team was in the lead.

However, during the fourth leg of the race, the British runner was impeded by an athlete representing Poland, who was the first to cross the line.

After an investigation, the gold was awarded to Great Britain and Louis and his team mates collected their well-earned medals.