GB&NI TEAM READY FOR EUROPEAN TEAM CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MADRID

The top division of the European Athletics Team Championships will take place in Madrid, Spain, on June 26-29. The Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GB&NI) team will go up against 15 other countries across four days of competition to see which nation will be crowned Team Champions. Each country fields one athlete per event across 37 disciplines — spanning sprints, hurdles, middle- and long-distance races, jumps, throws, and relays. Each point awarded on the athletes finishing position, which then contributes to the overall points for that nation.

In the men’s 100m Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Steve Fudge, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) will face fellow sub-10 second sprinter, the Tokyo Olympic and European champion Marcell Jacobs (ITA).

Paris relay Olympic medallist Sam Reardon (Nigel Sticking, Blackheath & Bromley) will be competing in the 400m whilst in the 200m, Tobby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix) goes in with the second-best ranking behind fellow Italian Eseosa Desalu, who tops the rankings with a season’s best of 20.21.

In the women’s sprints, Rachel Bennett (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers), who is making her international debut in the 200m, will face the European Indoor Champion in the 400m Lieke Klaver (NED), who has dropped down into the 200m for this Championship.

Lina Neilsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnet) boasts a season-best of 54.66 and will face a good battle over the 400m hurdles with Italy’s Ayomide Folorunso. Since the team announcement, Abi Pawlett has had to withdraw, and Alicia Barrett (Lewis Samuel, Sheffield & Dearne) will take her place in the 110m hurdles.

In the field events, we have a great mix of youth and experience; in the long jump, Samuel Khogali (Lukasz Zawila, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) and in the high jump, Kimani Jack (Julian Reid, Shaftesbury Barnett) will make their senior debut.

Whilst the experienced and new British record holder of 70.76m, Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon) will compete in the discus and Scott Lincoln (Dale Stevenson, City of York) in the shot put. Anna Purchase (Mo Saatara, Notts) throw the hammer, who has consistently thrown over 70m in her last three competitions.

Emily Borthwick (Wigan & District) makes a comeback to the senior GB&NI squad in the women’s high jump competition, and Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke) goes in the long jump.

In the middle distances, Tiarnan Crorken (Andrew Henderson, Preston) and Abigail Ives (Luke Gunn, Basildon) step into the 800m spotlight for their senior debuts. Archie Davis (Joel Kidger, Brighton Phoenix) and David Mullarkey (Andrew Henderson, Leeds City) feature in the men’s 1500m and 5000m events that promise tactical battles against deep European fields.

An in-form Calli Hauger-Thackery (Nick Hauger, Hallamshire) is coming off a busy competition run with a new personal best in 10,000m from the Oslo Diamond League and placing second in the women’s UK 10,000m Championships, she will step down to the 5000m where she will face the European 5000m and 10,000m Champion Nadia Battocletti (ITA).

After beating Eilish McColgan’s Scottish record in the 3000m steeple chase earlier this season, GB debutant Sarah Tait (Linda Smith, Lasswade AC) is in top form with a season-best 9:27.80.

The women’s relay team will be the team to beat after the gold medal at the World Relay Championships and will face good competition from the Spanish team, which will be looking to go one better than their World Relay silver medal on home turf.

Joe Ferguson, Bianca Williams and Imani-Lara Lansiquot have all withdrawn from the relay teams since the team announcement.

With Hungary and Lithuania making their top-division debuts and the likes of Germany, Poland, Italy and France all fielding strong squads, every point will count.

Live Streaming, including event highlights, will  be available on the European Athletics website and Eurovision Sport

Live results will be available on the European Athletics website: https://www.european-athletics.com.

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2025 European Team Championships in Madrid, Spain, on the 26-29 June:

Women

100m: Aleeya Sibbons (Coral Davis, Newham & Essex Beagles)

200m: Rachel Bennett (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers)*

400m: Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet)

800m: Abigail Ives (Luke Gunn, Basildon)*

1500m: Revee Walcott-Nolan (Thomas Dreissigaker, Luton)

5000m: Calli Hauger-Thackery (Nick Hauger, Hallamshire)

100m Hurdles: Alicia Barrett (Lewis Samuel, Sheffield & Dearne)

400m Hurdles: Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnet)

3000m Steeplechase: Sarah Tait (Linda Smith, Lasswade AC)*

Long Jump: Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke)

Triple Jump: Georgina Forde-Wells (Lukasz Zawila, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

High Jump: Emily Borthwick (Wigan & District)

Pole Vault: Gemma Tutton (Richard Pilling, Lewes)*

Shot Put: Serena Vincent (Mike Winch, City of Portsmouth)

Discus: Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman, Blackheath and Bromley)

Hammer: Anna Purchase (Mo Saatara, Notts)

Javelin: Bekah Walton (Blackheath & Bromley)

4x100m Relay: Desiree Henry (Linford Christie, Enfield & Haringey)

Men

100m: Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Steve Fudge, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

200m: Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix)

400m: Sam Reardon (Nigel Sticking, Blackheath & Bromley)

800m: Tiarnan Crorken (Andrew Henderson, Preston)*

1500m: Archie Davis (Joel Kidger, Brighton Phoenix)

5000m: David Mullarkey (Andrew Henderson, Leeds City)*

110m Hurdles: Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

400m Hurdles: Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey)

3000m Steeplechase: Will Battershill (Luke Gunn, Bristol & West)

Long Jump: Samuel Khogali (Lukasz Zawila, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)*

Triple Jump: Efe Uwaifo (Daniel Hooker, Harrow)

High Jump: Kimani Jack (Julian Reid, Shaftesbury Barnett)*

Pole Vault: Owen Heard (Kate Rooney, Harrow)*

Shot Put: Scott Lincoln (Dale Stevenson, City of York)

Discus: Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon)

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

Javelin: Daniel Bainbridge (Tom Dobbing, Shaftesbury Barnet)

4x100m Relay: Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon), Jona Efoloko (Ryan Freckleton, Sale Harriers Manchester), Adam Gemili (Marco Airale, Blackheath & Bromley)

Mixed

Mixed 4x400m Relay: Evan Blackman (Dai Greene, Corby)*

*those who will be making their senior international debuts