HOLLY MILLS AND TADE OJORA NAMED CO-CAPTAINS OF BRITISH TEAM FOR EUROPEAN U23 CHAMPS

Holly Mills (coach: Laura Turner-Alleyne, club: Andover) and Tade Ojora (Caryl Smith-Gilbert, Windsor Slough, Eton and Hounslow) have been named as co-captains of the British team at the European U23 Championships taking place between 8 and 11 July in Tallinn, Estonia.

The recently crowned British champion in the men’s 110m hurdles, Tade Ojora will be looking to build on this great form in Tallinn. The NCAA athlete reached the semi-final at the European U23 championships in 2019 at just 21 years of age so will be looking to go all the way this time.

He was delighted at being named captain, “It is a great honour to have been bestowed that position. I came to the U23 champs in Gavle, Sweden and it was a great experience although it didn’t go exactly to plan as I was disqualified on a technicality in the second round, but I really learnt a lot from that. But some of what I learned about how to manoeuvre through championships with heats, semis and a final, helped me reach the NCAA final and the British Championships final and hopefully back here at the Euro U23s.

“I think my journey and understanding the mentality of an elite athlete will really help others in the team. I didn’t come just to participate; I came here to win, and I think the rest of the team are in that space too.”

Co-captain, Holly Mills, the European U20 long jump bronze medallist of 2019, goes in the heptathlon which begins on Thursday with the 100m hurdles.

Reflecting on the responsibility of being named captain she said, “It is an absolute honour especially as I am only in my second year as an under 23 and it is a really large team. This is one of the many stepping stones for me as I have made every age group team champs since 2016 and I have been on the Futures Academy at British Athletics has been so useful for me. It also means I have grown up with many of the coaches and athletes here. This feels like the last stepping stone for me before becoming a proper senior. This will also be so beneficial for me as captain.

“I feel I am approachable, and I can talk to anyone, and I know so many on the team. It is great that I can relate to almost every event – the sprints, the distance, the throws and the jumps – so being a heptathlete really has its advantages.”

Michael Afilaka, Team Leader, said “Both Holly and Tade are mature beyond their years and are great examples to the rest of the team as to what can be achieved. Holly has been on the British Athletics Performance Pathway and really represents all the advantages that this programme brings to the athletes supporting them on their journey toward future Olympic success. She has also progressed through the age group championships including being captain at the European Junior Championships in 2019.

“Tade is such a promising talent who really came to the fore at the recent British Championships. He has bounced back so well from the disappointment of a DQ at the European U23s in 2019 and this is a great example that resilience and perseverance can pay off.

“The whole team is excited about the championships, and we are really looking forward to competition getting underway on Thursday.”

The European Athletics Under 23 Championships runs from 8 to 11 July in Tallinn, Estonia.  It will be streamed live on the European Athletics website with events getting underway at 1000 hours (0800 BST) on Thursday.

Jona Efoloko has been called up to 4x100m relay squad for the Olympic Games with Joe Brier also headed to Tokyo as a travelling reserve in the 4x400m so neither will be competing in Tallinn.

James Hanson (Jake Awe, Woking) joins the men’s 4 x 100m relay team.

The British team for the European Athletics U23 Championships:

Men

100m

Dominic Ashwell (Marvin Rowe, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Jeremiah Azu (Helen Patricia James, Cardiff)

Brandon Mingeli (Ryan Freckleton, Cambridge Harriers)

200m

Shemar Boldizsar (Stephen David Loft, Harlow)

400m

Alex Haydock-Wilson (Michael Baker, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)

800m

Finlay McLear (Exeter)

Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke and Mid Hants)

Thomas Randolph (Craig Winnow, Tamworth)

1500m

Tiarnan Crorken (Andy Bibby, Preston)

Josh Lay (Anthony Love, Rugby & Northampton)

George Mills (Jon Bigg, Brighton Phoenix)

5000m

Issac Akers (Bill Boyd, Crosby)

Rory Leonard (Morpeth)

Tom Mortimer (Christopher Brown, Stroud)

10,000m

David Melville (Harvard Uni)

110m Hurdles

Tade Ojora (Caryl Smith-Gilbert, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)

Josh Zeller (Adrian Brown, Bracknell AC)

400m Hurdles

Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey)

Alex Knibbs (Nick Dakin, Amber Valley & Erewash)

High Jump

Joel Khan (Deidre Elmhurst, Worcester)

Hammer

Ben Hawkes (Adrian Palmer, Cardiff)

4 x 100m Relay

Dominic Ashwell (Marvin Rowe, Shaftesbury Barnet)

Jeremiah Azu (Helen Patricia James, Cardiff)

Shemar Boldizsar (Stephen David Loft, Harlow)

James Hanson (Jake Awe, Woking)

Brandon Mingeli (Ryan Freckleton, Cambridge Harriers)

Destiny Ogali (Winston Thomas, Dacorum & Tring)

4 x 400m Relay

Alex Haydock-Wilson (Michael Baker, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)

Alex Knibbs (Nick Dakin, Amber Valley & Erewash)

Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey)

Lewis Davey (Newham & Essex Beagles)

Ethan Brown (Clarence Callender, Bromley & Blackheath)

Aidan Leeson (Glyn Hawkes, Rugby & Northampton)

Women

100m

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas, Herne Hill)

Alisha Rees (Leon Baptiste, Edinburgh AC)

200m

Georgina Adam (Joe McDonnell, Loughborough Students)

Amber Anning (Dennis Shaver, Brighton & Hove)

Kiah Dubarry-Gay (Clarence Callender, Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets)

400m

Yasmin Liverpool (Stewart Marshall, Coventry)

800m

Izzy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey)

Khahisa Mhlanga (Mick Judd, Herts Phoenix)

1500m

Erin Wallace (Andy Young, Giffnock North)

5000m

Eleanor Bolton (Chris Barnes, Ribble Valley Harriers)

Izzy Fry (Mick Woods, Newbury)

10,000m

Eleanor Bolton (Chris Barnes, Ribble Valley Harriers)

100m Hurdles

Jenna Blundell (Bristol & West)

Anastasia Davies (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley)

400m Hurdles

Zoe Pollock (Nick Dakin, Oxford City)

3000m Steeplechase

Sarah Tait (Linda Smith, Lasswade)

Elise Thorner (Wells City)

Pole Vault

Molly Caudrey (Stuart Caudery, Thames Valley)

Long Jump

Lucy Hadaway (Matt Barton, City of York)

Javelin

Bekah Walton (David Turner, Blackheath & Bromley)

Hammer

Anna Purchase (Rob Careless, Notts)

Tara Simpson-Sullivan (Robert Halliwell, Wigan & District)

Heptathlon

Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Andover)

Jade O’Dowda (Newham & Essex Beagles)

Jodie Smith (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

4 x 100m Relay

Georgina Adam (Joe McDonnell, Loughborough Students)

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas, Herne Hill)

Ellie Booker (Lewis Samuel, Rotherham)

Kiah Dubarry-Gay (Clarence Callender, Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets)

Cassie-Ann Pemberton (Sharon Morris, Birchfield Harriers)

Alisha Rees (Leon Baptiste, Edinburgh AC)

4x 400m Relay

Amber Anning (Brighton & Hove)

Izzy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey)

Hannah Kelly (Les Hall, Bolton)

Yasmin Liverpool (Stewart Marshall, Coventry)

Zoe Pollock (Nick Dakin, Oxford City)