SPRINT hurdler Khai Riley La-Borde produced an amazing performance to win the Southern 110m hurdles title.

The 19-year-old from Purfleet clocked 13.77s to destroy the rest of the field at Lee Valley and propel himself up the national rankings.

The time puts him inside the top 25 for the whole of Europe this season but, more importantly, makes him the fourth fastest time for the under-23 age group in the country.

Riley La-Borde, who has represented Great Britain over the past two summers at the European Under-20 and World Junior championships, is hoping to win selection for the European Under-23 Championships in Estonia in three weeks time.

And his new personal best of 13.77s means he now has the qualification standard. He will now look to rubber-stamp his place on the GB team by finishing in the top two at the trials in Bedford this weekend.

There was also a star gold medal winning performance by another former William Edwards School pupil at the Southern Championships.

Thurrock Harrier Gemma Holloway, 18, won the under-20 women’s 800m race and will now go on to represent England at the Welsh International in Cardiff next month.

Holloway was trailing for almost all of the two laps of the track but never gave up and dug deep to pass Hollie Parker in the final metre and win gold with a PB of 2m 10.59s.

There were medals for two other Thurrock athletes at Lee Valley.

Stanford-le-Hope’s Hayley McLean won a silver medal in the senior women’s 400m hurdles, clocking 59.91s.

Grays’ Thomas Head also returned home with a medal as he won bronze in the under-20 men’s hammer with a best throw of 65.48m.