Amber Valley star Niamh Emerson wins bronze at Commonwealth Games

Amber Valley has a new heptathlon star after Niamh Emerson won bronze at the Commonwealth Games.

The 18-year-old climbed into the medal places with a new personal best points total of 6043 after winning the last event of the competition.

Needing to make up around eight seconds on Australian Celeste Mucci in the 800m, Emerson streaked ahead to win the race by more than five seconds and come home some 27 seconds ahead of home athlete Mucci.

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She said: “I’m really, really happy. I always wanted to get a medal, it was always my aim. But wanting to get it and actually doing so are two very different things, so I’m very happy.

“I was very pleased with my high jump and also my 200m and javelin. I think I was quite solid overall, but these areas stood out.

“I knew going into the 800m that I had to beat the girl ahead of me by 10 seconds, so I had a plan in place.

“Because of my knee injury, I only started high jumping properly about four weeks ago, so I had no idea I had that in me!

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“I’ve now got a busy season with World Junior and also Europeans, so all being well I’ll do both of those.”

Her run also received praise from Britian’s most recognised heptathlon star Jess Ennis-Hill, who said: “She was determined to get that bronze medaland what a way for her to announce herself on the world stage.”

Emerson is two years younger than Ennis-Hill when she took Commonwealth bronze in Melbourne in 2006.