FINAL BRITISH ATHLETES NAMED FOR EUROPEAN U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS

European Under-18 Championship 3000m gold medallist Thomas Keen (coach: Mark Vile; club: Cambridge & Coleridge) and British age-16 100m hurdles record holder Lucy-Jane Matthews (Andrew Fisher; Southampton) lead the 39 new additions for the British team heading to the European Under-20 Championships later this month.

The 69-strong team is the largest ever selected for the championships and strengthens the 30 automatic qualifiers named in the first wave of selection a fortnight ago.

3000m specialist Keen took gold in Győr, Hungary last year and will step down to the 1500m for the European U20 Championships, joining Joshua Lay (Anthony Love; Rugby & Northampton) in the event after he was named in the first round of selections.

Matthews lowered her own British age-16 best when she clocked 13.51s (-0.6) to take victory in Mannheim last month, moving her up to third in the European rankings and guaranteeing her automatic selection following her success at the trials.

There are five additional European U18 Championship finalists from Gyor named in the team, led by Cassie-Ann Pemberton (Sharon Morris; Birchfield), Marcia Sey (Lorna Boothe; Croydon) and Serena Vincent (Bronwin Carter; City of Portsmouth), all of whom finished fourth in the women’s 100m, women’s 100m hurdles and women’s shot put respectively.

After breaking the Under-18 world record and British U20 200m record in Mannheim, Amy Hunt (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood) has turned her attention from the 100m and will now compete in the 200m and the 4x100m in Borås.

Bayley Campbell (Paul Dickenson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), who was eighth at last year’s World U20 Championships, earns another British vest, while there are British debuts for 800m specialists Oliver Dustin (Graeme Mason; Border) and Finley McLear (Kirk Salmon; Exeter), who are ranked third and fourth in Europe respectively.

Unfortunately, after picking up an injury in training, Max Burgin (Brian Burgin; Halifax) has withdrawn from the championships.

Team leader Trevor Painter said: “The 69-strong team we have been able to name for the European Under-20 Championships encompasses a mass of world, European and British record holders across a range of events and highlights the young up-and-coming talents we have at our disposal in athletics in Great Britain.

“At these championships in Grossetto in 2017, the British came away with 19 medals and many of that team have since transitioned onto the world stage at age-group and senior level.

“I hope that this championships will once again shine a light on some of the country’s best up and coming athletes and that it provides them with a stepping stone to even bigger things.”

The full British team for the European Under-20 Championships in Boras, Sweden, on 18-21 July:

Men

100m – Jeremiah Azu (Helen James; Cardiff), Chad Miller (Ryan Freckleton; Hercules Wimbledon), Tobi Ogunkanmi (Peter Griffiths; Watford)

200m – Joe Ferguson (Lewis Samuel; Leeds City), Praise Olatoke (Colin Sinclair; Kilbarchan)

400m – Ethan Brown (Lloyd Cowan; Blackheath & Bromley)

800m – Oliver Dustin (Graeme Mason; Border), Finley McLear (Kirk Salmon; Exeter), Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan; Basingstoke & Mid Hants)

1500m – Thomas Keen (Mark Vile; Cambridge & Coleridge), Joshua Lay (Anthony Love; Rugby & Northampton)

3000m – Max Heyden (Mick Woods; Aldershot, Farnham & District), Ben West (Kyle Bennett; MK Distance Project), Joe Wigfield (Craig Winrow; Wirral)

5000m – Rory Leonard (Morpeth)

110m Hurdles – Jack Sumners (Paul Bearman; Stratford-upon-Avon), Josh Zeller (Adrian Brown; Bracknell AC)

400m Hurdles – Alastair Chalmers (James Hillier; Guernsey), Seamus Derbyshire (Nick Dakin; City of Stoke)

3000m Steeplechase – Remi Adebiyi (Darryn McAtee; Newport), Kristian Imroth (Stephen Murphy; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Long Jump – Stephen MacKenzie (Linda Nicholson; Pitreavie), Alessandro Schenini (David Watson; Giffnock North)

Shot – Lewis Byng (Stuart Carlaw; Stratford-upon-Avon)

Discus – James Tomlinson (Paul Jensen; Pembrokeshire)

Hammer – Bayley Campbell (Paul Dickenson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), Ben Hawkes (Eric Davison; Worthing)

Decathlon – Joel McFarlane (John McFarlane; Central), Jack Turner (Kevin Skinner; Exeter)

4x100m – Fraser Angus (Ryan McAllister; Giffnock North), Jeremiah Azu, Joe Ferguson, Chad Miller, Sagesse Nguie (Derek Fraser; Trafford), Tobi Ogunkanmi, Praise Olatoke

4x400m – Ethan Brown, Alastair Chalmers, Lewis Davey (Karl Eve; Peterborough), Callum Dodds (John Wildman; Enfield & Haringey), Michael Fagbenie (Christopher Harris; Bexley), Ben Hawkes (Linda McGreavy; Leamington), Ben Pattison

Women

100m – Immanuela Aliu (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley)

200m – Georgina Adam (Jonas Dodoo; Loughborough Students), Amy Hunt (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood), Hannah Kelly (Les Hall; Bolton)

400m – Amber Anning (Lloyd Cowan; Brighton & Hove), Louise Evans (Linford Christie; Blackheath & Bromley)

800m – Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn; Enfield & Haringey), Sarah Calvert (Sandra Hardacre; Livingston), Keely Hodgkinson (Margaret Galvin; Leigh)

1500m – Molly Canham (Kevin Canham; Exeter), Erin Wallace (Andy Young; Giffnock North)

3000m – Saskia Millard (Luke Gunn; Herne Hill), Eloise Walker (John Lees; Edinburgh)

5000m – Grace Brock (self; Cornwall), Izzy Fry (Mick Woods; Newbury)

100m Hurdles – Lucy-Jane Matthews (Andrew Fisher; Southampton), Marcia Sey (Lorna Boothe; Croydon)

400m Hurdles – Marcey Winter (Neil Dodson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

3000m Steeplechase – Holly Page (Jason Marchant; Dartford)

Long Jump – Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover), Josie Oliarnyk (Dominic McNiellis; Halesowen)

Triple Jump – Lily Hulland (Paco Montesinos; Trafford)

Shot – Sarah Omoregie (Gareth Lease; Cardiff), Serena Vincent (Bronwin Carter; City of Portsmouth)

Hammer – Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson; Newbury), Charlotte Williams (Michael Hitchon; Blackburn)

Heptathlon – Olivia Dobson (Exeter), Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover), Amaya Scott (Matthew Watson; Southampton)

4X100m – Georgina Adam, Immanuela Aliu, Amy Hunt, Hannah Kelly, Jazmine Moss (Bruce Horsburgh; Gateshead), Cassie-Ann Pemberton (Sharon Morris; Birchfield)

4x400m – Amber Anning, Nayanna Dubarry-Gay (Clarence Callender; Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets), Louise Evans, Hannah Foster (Craig Andrew; Shaftesbury Barnet), Natasha Harrison (Alex O’Gorman; Stockport), Maisey Snaith (Mick Graham; Cambridge & Coleridge)