FINAL SELECTIONS CONFIRMED FOR THE EUROPEAN U20 CHAMPIONSHIPS

The final selections of Great Britain and Northern Ireland junior athletes has been completed for the European U20 Championships which take place in Jerusalem, Israel on 7-10 August.

Following the final rounds in the selection process, a total of 57 athletes have earned a call-up to the GB & NI team. Another 36 athletes will join those 21 selected in the first wave.

Among those selected are Brook Cronin (coach: Andrew Kennard, club: Walton) in the men’s 200m, currently ranked fifth in Europe following his 20.98 to win at the Mannheim junior international in Germany last month.  Well inside the qualification standard of 21.20, this secured his place in the team following his second-place finish at the trials.

In the women’s 200m Faith Akinbileje (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley) earned her place with two fine performances at the UK Championships in Manchester earlier this month. Her 23.53 in the heat was inside the qualification standard and moved her to fourth in the European rankings. She showed great consistency with a 23.58 in the final where she came eighth in a stacked field.  She joins previously selected Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester), currently second ranked in Europe, with both of them forming part of the strong women’s 4 x 100m relay team.

With her impressive 1:59.92 personal best Abigail Ives (Luke Gunn, Basildon) will be looking for a podium position in Jerusalem. The  Birmingham based athlete is ranked second in Europe and just missed out on a final spot in the 800m at the UK Championships but ran comfortably inside the qualification standard for the fourth time outdoors this year.

Charlie Evans (Felicity Dawes, Banbury) joins fellow javelin thrower, Michael Allison (Tom Dobbing, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) with the two throwers both having excellent seasons. Evans finished fourth at the UK Champs with a throw of 66.35m but has thrown a personal best of 70.76m this season to place him within the top ten in Europe.

Head Coach for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland junior team at the Championships, Darren Ritchie said, “I am delighted that we have been able to select such a strong team for Jerusalem including some serious medal contenders as well as some representing their country for the first time gaining valuable competition experience at an international level. I am looking forward to working with all the team and our group of talented coaches out in Jerusalem where I am sure the competition will be tough but rewarding. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the personal coaches in their efforts in preparing the athletes for these Championships.”

The full Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the European U20 Championships is: 

Women

100m

Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Ryan Freckleton, Harrow)

Renee Regis (Tamunonengiye-Ofori Ossai, BFT Track Academy)

Joy Eze (Gateshead/Harrow)

200m

Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester)

Sophie Walton (Trevor Williams, Horwich)

Faith Akinbileje (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley)

400m

Ashley Nemits (Trevor Painter, Wigan & District)

Charlotte Kelsey (Glynn Williams, Middlesbrough)

800m

Abigail Ives (Luke Gunn, Basidon)

Indienne King (Trevor Painter, Wigan & District)

Iris Downes (Colin Lancaster, Shrewsbury)

1500m

Ella Greenway (Joanna Evans, Cleethorpes)

Abigail Stratton (Edmund Finucane, Blackburn)

Ava Lloyd (Trevor Painter, Wigan & District)

5000m

Natasha Phillips (Dundee Hawkhill)

Olivia Martin (Bernard Wilkins, Abingdon)

3000m Steeplechase

Hattie Reynolds (Tim and Pauline Ash, City of Norwich)

100m Hurdles

Mia McIntosh (Jake Awe, Harrow)

Jessica Duncton (Paul Gripton, Birchfield Harriers)

Kira Holt (Richard Holt, Kingston & Poly)

400m Hurdles

Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet)

High Jump

Halle Ferguson (Andrew Wood, Trafford)

Gabrielle Garber (Jessica Taylor-Jemmett, Leeds City)

Long Jump

Lucy Fellows (Zac Harrop, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

Shot Put

Cleo Agyepong (John Hillier, Blackheath & Bromley)

Discus

Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman, Blackheath and Bromley)

4 x 100m Relay

Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Ryan Freckleton, Harrow)

Renee Regis (Tamunonengiye-Ofori Ossai, BFT Track Academy)

Joy Eze (Gateshead/Harrow)

Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester)

Sophie Walton (Trevor Williams, Horwich)

Faith Akinbileje (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley)

Mia McIntosh (Jake Awe, Harrow)

4 x 400m Relay

Ashley Nemits (Trevor Painter, Wigan & District)

Charlotte Kelsey (Glynn Williams, Middlesbrough)

Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Iris Downes (Colin Lancaster, Shrewsbury)

Jess Astill (Paul Keeble, Stevenage & North Herts)

Men

100m

Sean Anyagou (Tamunonengiye-Ofori Ossai, BFT Track Academy)

200m

Brook Cronin (Andrew Kennard, Walton)

400m

Charlie Carvell (Stewart Marshall, Telford)

800m

David Race (Kyle Bennett, Gateshead)

Harry Ross-Hughes (Andrew Fraser, Wirral)

Finlay Hutchinson (Dean Miller, Notts)

1500m

Tendai Nyabadza (Robert Hawkins, Harmeny)

Sam Mills (Harry Mills, Exeter)

Dan Galloway (Stuart Hamilton, Telford AC)

3000m

Edward Bird (Mark Pauley, Poole)

Dafydd Jones (James Thie, Swansea)

Bradley Giblin (Joe Pienta, Trafford)

5000m

James Dargan (Mick Woods, Aldershot Farnham and District)

Conan Harper (Joe Boardman, Giffnock North)

George Couttie (Joanne Day, Harrogate)

110m hurdles

Daniel Goriola (Tony Jarrett, Blackheath & Bromley)

Joseph Purbrick (Tony Jarrett, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Ruben Hedman (Richard Holt, Shaftsbury Barnet)

400m Hurdles

Sam Lunt (Andrew Fraser, Wirral)

Onyeka Okoh (Julia Benterman, Chelmsford)

High Jump

Luke Ball (Jeremy Dale, Yate)

Pole Vault

Lazarus Benjamin (Sale Harriers Manchester)

Discus

Rhys Allen (David Callaway, Newham & Essex Beagles)

Javelin

Michael Allison (Tom Dobbing, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Charlie Evans (Felicity Dawes, Banbury)

Hammer

Kai Barham (Paul Head, Dartford)

Decathlon

Sammy Ball (Michael Dyer, Reading)

4 x 400m Relay

Charlie Carvell (Stewart Marshall, Telford)

Sam Lunt (Andrew Fraser, Wirral)

Onyeka Okoh (Julia Benterman, Chelmsford)

Jake Minshull (Coventry)

Alex Houchin (Mike Bennett, Worcester)

Otis Irwin (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

Team Staff

Team Head Coach: Darren Ritchie

Team Coaches: Andrew Ashurst (Pole Vault), Jake Awe (Sprints & Relays), Kyle Bennett (Endurance), Mark Chapman 9Throws), Hayley Hemmings (Endurance), John Herbert (Field and Combined Events), Sharon Morris (Sprints & Relays), Julie Pratt-Benterman (Hurdles & Relays), Dave Turner (Throws)

Team Support Staff: Daniel Fitzpatrick, Jess Flint, Rebecca Knight, Alex Rainforth, Josh Waller, Emma Wiltshire, Dan Wagner