Podium Finish and England Honours for Leila Newth 

Report by Armen Kanikanian

ESM’s Leila Newth capped a remarkable 2025 outdoor season with a bronze medal at the Under-17 English Schools Combined Events Final in Chelmsford. The result secures her selection for the England team at the Schools’ International Athletics Board Championship in Glasgow this December.

Having already represented England earlier in the summer, where she won gold in the individual event, a second England vest exceeds all expectations for Leila, particularly as a first-year U17.

Across two demanding days, and despite challenging conditions that included strong headwinds in the hurdles and 200m, she amassed 4,690 points, just shy of her PB and ESM record of 4,763. Her strengths in the jumps were clear, with victories in both the high jump (1.65m) and long jump (5.71m). The biggest breakthrough came in the shot put, where she added over a metre to her personal best with 10.38m, reflecting the hard work put in with her coach Dave Johnson.

Day two brought drama in the javelin, with two no-throws, but her best effort of 23.60m kept her in medal contention. With reassurance from her training partner Jude Bright-Davies, Leila ran a well-judged 800m to secure a deserved bronze medal.

She now joins fellow South-East athletes Jasmine Nkoso, Gracie Osman and Kiera Oxley in the England team, underlining the region’s strength in combined events this year.