BIANCA WILLIAMS TO CAPTAIN GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND AT EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPS

Bianca Williams will captain the Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad at the European Team Championships First Division fixture in Silesia, Poland (23-25 June).

Williams brings a wealth of experience to the team having won European and Commonwealth medals during her career so far.

In 2018, Williams was part of the gold-medal winning 4x100m relay quartet at the European Championships in Berlin, adding to her silver from Amsterdam two years earlier.

2018 was a successful season for the Enfield and Haringey athlete as she was also part of the England team which won the Commonwealth title in the 4x100m relay. Her CV also includes 200m bronze from Glasgow 2014 and two further relay medals in 2014 and 2022.

The last time the European Team Championships were held in Silesia two years ago, Williams ran in the winning relay quartet which added full points to the overall team points tally.

On receiving the captaincy, Williams said, “It is a huge accomplishment. I take a lot of pride in being the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team captain, especially as there are quite a few young athletes on the team. It is nice for them to be able to look up to me and a lot of the other experienced athletes.

“Team Champs is always a lot of fun. Even though it is a team event, and you want to get maximum points, you still want to do well individually. You have to make it fun and if you do that, you can put in your best performance.

“Athletics comes with so many highs and so many lows. For me, I’ve had so many lows, but I have come on this journey and looking back, it has been incredible, and I have achieved so much. Before I had my son, athletics was the whole world. But now I have my son, it has given me a different perspective. If I have had a bad race, it is not the end of the world as I can go home, and I am met by a happy boy who is happy to see me. And if I run well, then that is fantastic. But I have learned now to not put pressure on myself, you’ve got to enjoy the experience.”

Team Leader, Stephen Maguire, said on the appointment, “Being named as captain is a huge honour for any athlete, and I am pleased Bianca will have the honour of leading this team in Poland. Bianca brings so much experience to the squad and is highly respected among her peers. She will lead the team passionately and professionally across the three days of competition.”

The European Team Championships will be streamed on the European Athletics website. You will also find results HERE. Action gets underway on Friday 23 June at 14:30 (BST).

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2023 European Team Championships in Silesia, Poland on the 23-25 June.

Women

100m: Bianca Williams (Enfield & Haringey)

200m: Bianca Williams (Enfield & Haringey)

400m: Ama Pipi (Linford Christie, Enfield & Haringey)

800m: Issy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey)

1500m: Ellie Baker (Jon Bigg, Shaftesbury Barnet)

5000m: Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood)

100m Hurdles: Abigail Pawlett (Ashley Bryant, Trafford)

400m Hurdles: Lina Nielsen (Philipp Unfried, Shaftesbury Barnet)

3000m Steeplechase: Maisie Grice (Joe Franklin, Aldershot Farnham and District)

Long Jump: Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York)

Triple Jump: Georgina Forde-Wells (Lukasz Zawila, Rugby & Northampton)

High Jump: Laura Zialor (Jade Surman, Marshall Milton Keynes)

Pole Vault: Jade Ive (Brian Hooper, Sutton & District)

Shot Put: Sarah Omoregie (Brandon Amo, Cardiff)

Discus: Jade Lally (Zane Duquemin, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Hammer: Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading)

Javelin: Bekah Walton (David Turner, Blackheath & Bromley)

4x100m Relay: Leonie Ashmeade (Lewis Samuel, Wakefield), Alyson Bell (Anne Scott, Glasgow Jaguars), Amy Hunt (Joe McDonnell, Charnwood), Cassie-Ann Pemberton (Clarence Callender), Aleeya Sibbons (Coral Nourrice, Newham & Essex Beagles) and Bianca Williams (Enfield & Haringey)

Men

100m: Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff)

200m: Adam Clayton (Ryan McAllister, Giffnock North)

400m: Alex Haydock-Wilson (Benke Blomkvist, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

800m: Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid Hants)

1500m: George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix)

5000m: Jonathan Davies (Luke Gunn, Reading)

110m Hurdles: Josh Zeller (Adrian Brown, Bracknell)

400m Hurdles: Seamus Derbyshire (Nick Dakin, City of Stoke)

3000m Steeplechase: Zak Seddon (Geoff Wightman, Bracknell)

Long Jump: Jack Roach (Lukasz Zawila, Harrow)

Triple Jump: Jude Bright-Davies (David Johnson, Thames Valley)

High Jump: William Grimsey (Bethan Partridge, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Pole Vault: Adam Hague (Trevor Fox, Sheffield & Dearne)

Shot Put: Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York)

Discus: Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon)

Hammer: Jake Norris (Paul Dickenson, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Javelin: Joe Dunderdale (Sheffield & Dearne)

4x100m Relay: Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff), Oliver Bromby (Marvin Rowe, Southampton), Adam Clayton (Ryan McAllister, Giffnock North), Richard Kilty (Gateshead), Andrew Morgan-Harrison (Alex O’Gorman, Kingston upon Hull) and Tommy Ramdhan (Bexley)

Mixed

Mixed 4x400m Relay: Seamus Derbyshire (Nick Dakin, City of Stoke), Alex Haydock-Wilson (Benke Blomkvist, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), Carys McAulay (Nick Dakin, Trafford), Lina Nielsen (Philipp Unfried, Shaftesbury Barnet), Ama Pipi (Linford Christie, Enfield & Haringey) and Brodie Young (James McMenemy, Glasgow Jaguars)

Team Staff

Team Leader: Stephen Maguire

Team Coaches: Femi Akinsanya [Jumps], Leon Baptiste [Sprints & Relays], Benke Blomkvist [Hurdles], Darren Campbell [Sprints & Relays], Spencer Duval [Endurance], Jackie Newton [Endurance], Kate Rooney [Pole Vault], Martyn Rooney [Relays] and Paul Wilson [Throws]

Team Support Staff: Abosede Ajayi, Laura Burke, Stuart Butler, Ben Jones, Laura Moss and Adam Rattenberry