Hammer thrower Emma O’Hara and middle-distance runner Christian Von Eitzen were relieved after justifying their favourites’ tags by winning gold for Oxfordshire at the English Schools’ Track & Field Championships.

O’Hara, 18, from Larkmead School, Abingdon, launched the hammer an impressive 55.40m to take victory in the senior girls’ event at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium.

And Von Eitzen, 16, of the European School, Culham, stormed home in a personal best 1min 55.37secs to win the intermediate boys’ 800m.

However, with the pair widely regarded as favourites they were simply content to justify their billing.

O’Hara, who was claiming her second gold at the championships, having won the intermediate event two years ago as well as claiming senior bronze in 2012, said: “It was such a relief more than anything.

“I went into the competition and I was really nervous – I had never been that nervous.

“I think it was because if I messed up there was not a chance to win it again.”

However, she quickly stamped her mark on the competition with a 53m-plus throw in the first round to take the lead.

“I knew that would be enough to win because someone else would have to throw a two-metre personal best,” she said.

She bettered that with her winning throw in the fourth round to take gold by more than three metres from Buck’s Kayleigh Presswell, who threw 52.16.

O’Hara added: “It was my second best-ever throw. It was a good distance, but not a pb, which I wanted because I had never pb’d at the competition.”

Von Eitzen’s previous best at the championships was bronze in the junior boys’ 800m two years ago.

But he stepped up two places on that with a clear-cut victory.

Having eased through the first and second round heats, the talented teenager survived a collision and a stumble in the final before stretching clear on the last lap to beat Essex’s Daniel Rowden, who recorded 1.53.75.

“I was quite nervous before and everyone came up to me, saying I was the favourite to win it, so there was a lot of pressure on me,” he said.

“With about 120m to go I kept looking back because I couldn’t believe that no-one was with me.

“I thought that someone would catch on, but no-one reacted and then I finished it was more relief than a happy moment.”

Victory in the intermediate age group earned Von Eitzen a place in England’s team in the SIAB Track & Field International in Dublin on Saturday, July 20.

“It is special as it is national kit,” said Von Eitzen, whose victory came just six months after the death of his father, Meino, 61, in Hamburg.

“Before the race I think about it and to do him proud,” he added.