Only some tremendous work by Ecovert workers avoided the second cancellation in the three years of the Brighton, Hove and Portslade Track and Field championships at Withdean.

In 1999, work on the building of the main stand was not completed in time to hold the championships, which are the oldest town athletic championships in the country.

Because of the rigid pattern of school dates, the latest any area championships can be held is the final week before half term and the late spring holiday.

Following the appallingly wet winter, work needed to be carried out on the drainage at Withdean to prevent further Albion football cancellations next season.

Initially it was thought the work could not be done in time to allow the championships to be held but conjuring with the time tables and switching all the long throwing events, the discus and javelin, to day two permitted the championships to go ahead.

Dave Baker, the stadium manager said: "We have had a dreadful winter and we have endeavoured to balance the needs of athletics with the need to do extensive drainage works.

"We called in extra machinery and as many bodies as we could to get the work done. We could not start the work until the May 9 and we managed to get the centre useable, if not finished by the 21st, the first day of the Brighton & Hove Schools' Championships."

Baker does not expect to have to do the work again while Albion are resident at Withdean.

He added; "It has been difficult juggling the needs of athletics with the demands of the football club and we appreciate that the early weeks of the track season are very important for the athletes.

"Full training should be resumed this coming Monday."

The lack of turf did not disturb international junior thrower Claire Smithson.

She said: "We were throwing on to a similarly, sandy surface, at Portugal back in the winter.

"It did not affect my throwing.The fact that we have not been able to train at Withdean during the work has been much more of a hardship.

"Having suffered the worst winter for training since I took up athletics all the throwers were eager to get in some throwing training in the spring as it is most important as we prepare for the track season."

Smithson and javelin thrower Sam Redd have been having to throw at Lewes after the host club have finished training.

This was Smithson's final year at these championships and it is fitting she bowed out with a record in the discus as well as victory in the under-19 shot putt.

As she has progressed through the age groups and dominated her events at national level, she has still managed to turn up to the town sports each year.

She admitted: "I find these events probably more stressful than major championships.

"I am always nervous because it is easy to get no throws when you are trying hard and people expect so much from me at these championships.

"I have managed to survive but it was not getting any easier and I was relieved when the competition was over.

"I do think it is important to come to these championships. I know when I was starting throwing I was watching the older throwers and learning and it is interesting to watch the other throwers coming through."

It was fitting that Smithson was again awarded the trophy for the best performance at the championships but not many people will have noticed she was also in attendance at the first day of the championships, when she also helped with the officiating at the shot putt. Truly a champion in all respects.