SHE may have missed out on the podium in her two races this weekend but St Helens middle distance runner Chelsea Jarvis insists her busy schedule was all about preparing for this summer’s World Junior Championships.

With the outdoor season firmly up and running, the 18-year-old was an athlete in demand, competing in two different 800m competitions almost 100 miles apart over the weekend.

The first of those on Saturday saw her finish fifth in the BMC Grand Prix in Watford in a time of 2:07.04 minutes, before an eighth-place finish for the Great Britain Juniors team at the Loughborough International the following day in a similar time of 2:07.75.

Jarvis, a pupil at Carmel College, first competed for Great Britain last summer when she finished fifth at the World Youth Championships in Ukraine.

And with her eyes on this July’s World Junior Championships in Oregon, Jarvis knows having a number of races in a short period of time will be something she has to get used to.

“It was a busy weekend, I competed on Saturday, then we stayed in a hotel 20 minutes outside of Watford, did the normal things like ice bath, massage and then we drove up on Sunday morning to Loughborough,” said Jarvis.

“It was only my second and third outing in 800m this year so I am just getting started.

“Both the times were consistent which bodes well, now it is just about getting some more training done and getting the speed up.

“My coach said to me it was more about getting back-to-back race fitness and the gains I will get from it.

“It’s all good preparation though as in the World juniors you will have to be running three days in a row.

“The World Junior Championships are my target for this year. It will be tough to qualify, there are a few good girls going for the team. But I’m hoping to pick up my times in the next few weeks.”

Before Jarvis can be sure of a place on the team for Oregon, she first has to meet the required qualifying time of 2:05.00, a target only just shy of her current personal best of 2:05.89.

But with training progressing well, Jarvis, a member of Stockport Harriers & Athletics Club, is confident she can make the grade.

“I had a good year last year and then had a little bit of an injury over the winter with a fractured foot. But this year I am feeling stronger than ever,” she added.

“The qualifying time is 2:05 so I just need to knock a second off my personal best which I feel I can do.

“I’m feeling good at the minute. I have another race at SportCity in a couple of weeks so I’m looking to get a decent time there and keep increasing my times.”

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