By Will Piper
 

Greenwich athlete Jonathan Webb admits carrying the Queen’s baton across the Olympic Park in Stratford has given him enough memories to last a lifetime.

The 17-year-old was given the opportunity to take part in the baton relay because of his skills in fencing that have seen him climb to the number one spot in the British cadet rankings and also claim the U20 national championship in sabre.

The baton relay is the Commonwealth Games’ version of the Olympic torch relay and carries a sealed, secret message written by the Queen, which will be read out at the opening of Glasgow 2014 on July 23.

The baton was transported across the capital by Webb, along with five other baton bearers, as part of its 198,000km relay across the Commonwealth which will see it visit 70 nations in an effort to build excitement ahead of the tournament.

And Webb admits that it was an amazing experience to be part of history.

“It was an honour to have been put forward for my borough and to carry the baton through the park, which is obviously one of the biggest sporting venues in the world,” he said.

“We’ve seen many memories here and I’ve created my own memories now.

“I felt like a bit of a celebrity (carrying the torch around).

“There were a lot of photos but it was nice because everyone was so supportive.

“In my sport I represent Team GB but doing this I’m representing my borough and Team England and it’s an honour.”

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