Alex Bell (coach: Andrew Henderson, club: Pudsey and Bramley) has been chosen as the captain of the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for this weekend’s European Cross Country Championships in Fingal-Dublin.

The Pudsey and Bramley athlete has enjoyed a remarkable season as she finished seventh in the Olympic Games 800m final, lowering her personal best to 1:57.66 to move to sixth on the UK all-time standings.

This weekend, she will race as part of the senior mixed relay team as she looks to match her gold-medal winning display at the Championships in Lisbon two years ago.

Bell joins Luke Duffy (Richard Massey, Mansfield), Hannah Nuttall (John Nuttall, Charnwood) and Benjamin West (Kyle Bennett, Milton Keynes Distance Project) in the quartet for the Championships in Ireland.

On the receiving the captaincy, Bell said,

“It is a huge honour to be selected as team captain. It is as special to me as the first time I received my British vest. I am so happy that I have been nominated to take on this role at this championship, and I’m really looking forward to being a part of this team in Fingal-Dublin.”

On the mixed relay, she added, “It is a really exciting race to be a part of. Year on year we are seeing more and more teams getting involved and they are getting stronger. We are getting stronger too, you can see that by the number of people competing in the trial in Liverpool.

“The race will be one of the highlights of the weekend, anything can happen in the race and every leg counts.”

Team Leader, Chris Jones, added,

“Alex has enjoyed a stellar season on the track, and we are delighted to have her as an important part of the British team in Fingal-Dublin. She has shown in the past that she is a strong racer on the cross country terrain, and she’ll be looking to lead the British team to the medal places like she did in Portugal in 2019.

“It is a great honour to captain a British team, and I know she will do a fantastic job in bringing together this squad during the Championships.”

The European Cross Country Championships will be broadcast on the BBC Red Button and BBC iPlayer between 10:00-15:00 on Sunday 12 December. A highlights programme will be available between 18:00-19:00 on the BBC Red Button.

The British team for the European Cross Country Championships in Fingal-Dublin, Ireland on Sunday 12 December:

Senior women (Team coach – Helen Clitheroe)

Kate Avery (Shildon)

Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis, Lincoln Wellington)

Jess Gibbon (Reading)

Lauren Heyes (Paul Roden, Hallamshire)

Jess Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn Harriers)

Jenny Nesbitt (Chris Jones, Cardiff)

Senior men (Team coach – Mick Woods)

William Battershill (Luke Gunn, Erme Valley)

Andrew Butchart (Central)

Jamie Crowe (Derek Easton, Central)

Stuart McCallum (Bud Baldaro, Winchester)

Jack Rowe (Tim Eglen, Aldershot Farnham and District)

Jake Smith (James Thie, Cardiff)

Senior Mixed Relay (Team coach – Andrew Henderson)

Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson, Pudsey and Bramley)

Luke Duffy (Richard Massey, Mansfield)

Hannah Nuttall (John Nuttall, Charnwood)

Benjamin West (Kyle Bennett, Milton Keynes Distance Project)

U23 Women (Team coach – Sarah Benson)

Eleanor Bolton (Ribble Valley)

Jemima Elgood (Andrew Henderson, Ilkley)

Izzy Fry (Steve Vernon, Newbury)

Cari Hughes (Andrew Walling, Cardiff)

Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods, Bracknell)

Eloise Walker (Andy Young, Edinburgh)

U23 Men (Team coach – Luke Gunn)

Sam Charlton (Helen Clitheroe, Wallsend)

Charles Hicks (Shaftesbury Barnet)

Rory Leonard (Morpeth)

Zakariya Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton)

Tom Mortimer (Chris McGeorge, Stroud & District)

Matthew Stonier (Peter Mullervy, Invicta East Kent)

U20 Women (Team coach – Jamie Thie)

Phoebe Anderson (Wayne Vinton, Herne Hill)

Alice Garner (Mick Woods, Aldershot, Farnham and District)

Ella Greenway (Joanna Louise Evans, Cleethorpes)

Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness)

Ellen Weir (Anne Hegvold, Hercules Wimbledon)

Beatrice Wood (Dave Amey, City of Salisbury AC)

U20 Men (Team coach – Mark Pollard)

Hamish Armitt (Crawford Whyte, Giffnock North)

Will Barnicoat (Aldershot Farnham and District)

Lewis Hannigan (Robert Hawkins, Kilbarchan)

Henry McLuckie (Geoff Watkin, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Osian Perrin (Andrew Walling, Menai)

Liam Rawlings (Colin Lancaster, Shrewsbury)