Aimee Christian enjoyed a memorable milestone making her European debut in the 400m hurdles at the IFAM Oordegem meeting in Belgium.
The Isle of Man and Manx Harriers athlete made her debut on Saturday (August 1).
The World Athletics Continental Tour Bronze meeting attracted a strong international field, giving Aimee the opportunity to compete against athletes from across Europe in one of the continent’s best-known athletics meetings.
Although the result wasn’t quite what she had hoped for, Aimee described the experience as an invaluable one.
She said: “It was a really cool experience competing at such a high-level international meet. The atmosphere was incredible, and it was great to race against such a strong field.”
One aspect that took some getting used to was the pre-race routine, with athletes spending more than 45 minutes in the call room before being led out to compete – all part of the learning experience at this level.
The race marks another important step in Aimee’s development as she continues to gain valuable international experience. She now turns her attention to next weekend’s Northern League fixture, which is likely to bring the curtain down on her 2026 season.