Tyas aiming for heptathlon heaven after making the switch from high jump

FORMER high jumper Zara Tyas hopes to crank up her British senior heptathlon bid with more marquee performances next season. The Holmfirth star has been earmarked as one of the nation's brightest talents in the event after diligently balancing the two disciplines throughout her fledgling career.

Ad The Loughborough University student decided to fully add six events to her roster two years ago — and, revealed how messing around with spare equipment started a love affair with the gruelling event. AthleticsTyas aiming for heptathlon heaven after making the switch from high jumpAN HOUR AGO «Originally, I was just a high jumper and then in lockdown I had access to a container that had hurdles in and shot put, and javelin,» Tyas explained.

«So, when I was training, I would just have a bit of fun, throw a javelin around, do some shot put. »Then when we started competitions again after lockdown, I thought I actually do want to start competing in these events and take it seriously, so I found a coach, went and started some heptathlon training and it went from there." Since then, Tyas has turned in eye-catching results that have propelled her towards becoming a member of Aldi's Rising Stars programme, an initiative that supports 20 young athletes by providing a financial award to help with training and competition costs, while also delivering personal development opportunities to many athletes through workshop sessions.

Chief among those displays was the English Combined Events Championship in May last year, where she secured a fourth-placed heptathlon finish in the Under-20 event. Tyas also produced two particularly stellar high jump showings, first at the Loughborough International where she earned a silver medal before the