Jake Heyward, the Cardiff born and bred athlete to look out for at the 2022 Commonwealth Games.

With the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games on the horizon, it’s time to take a look at one of Wales’s biggest medallist hopefuls in Jake Heyward, to go through his career achievements so far leading up to what could be his biggest year yet.

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Born in 1999,  Heyward is a Welsh middle-distance runner from Cardiff. He turned professional in 2020 and has never looked back since.

As a youngster, he dominated the world arena, winning gold at the 2016 European Youth Championships whilst two years later in 2018 he shattered a 50-year-old held record.

Following his success on the young stage, he made the choice to migrate from his hometown of Cardiff to the far West of the United States in 2019.

Since then, the 22-year old’s career has seemed to have stalled through persistent setbacks through injuries.

However, the youngster returned to track with a vengeance, smashing his previous records to set a new Welsh record of 3:33.99 in the 1500m, beating previous holder Neil Horsfield’s 31-year mark.

Although his training has been compromised due to injuries, Heyward does a lot of core and mobility work, particularly focusing on his thoracic mobility.

His lack of normal training compared to most of the guys in his age group would have to raise the question, how good could he be if injuries weren’t holding him back in this sense?

The talented track runner trains with the Nike-supported Oregon track club in Eugene under the guidance of respected coach and former athlete Mark Rowland, the Olympic steeplechase bronze medallist in Seoul 1988 and British record holder.

Training at the world-famous track club with the likes of Olympic 800m silver medallist Nijel Amos it’s no wonder the young athlete is tipped for great things.

2020 was a year to remember for the Cardiff University graduate, where he competed in the Tokyo Olympics as the first Welshman in the 1500’s since Reg Thomas in Los Angeles 1932.

 Heyward is in great shape ahead of the Birmingham games, which will take place from July 28 to August 8. This will be Wales’s 22nd appearance at the Commonwealth Games, and Heyward will be seeking to build on the success of former Welsh competitors in this tournament.

With his speed, endurance, mental drive and humble attitude, it’s clear to see why Heyward has all the right ingredients to win medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

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