NINE BRITS CHOSEN FOR EUROPEAN THROWING CUP

British Athletics has today announced a team of nine athletes for next month’s European Throwing Cup, which will be held in Samorin, Slovakia from 9-10 March.

Hammer thrower Taylor Campbell (club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow; coach: John Pearson), who finished fifth at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast last year, will lead the senior team having enjoyed a career best opening to a season, 73.21m, in Loughborough on Sunday.

Another to perform at the Loughborough Winter Throws Open, Harry Hughes (West Suffolk; Mark Roberson) will lead the under-23 team following an effort of 78.89m in the javelin – the best throw by any Brit since 2012 – at the weekend.

Promising junior talent Serena Vincent (City of Portsmouth; Bronwin Carter), who broke the UK under-17 record on the way to fourth in the shot put at the European Under-18 Championships last year, will make the step up to under-23 level for Samorin.

Along with Hughes and Vincent, two-time British silver medallist in the javelin Emma Hamplett (Birchfield Harriers; Michael McNeill) and James Tomlinson (Pembrokeshire; Paul Jensen), who represented the British team in the discus at the IAAF World Junior Championships in 2018, complete the under-23 team.

Phoebe Dowson (Bournemouth; Mark Chapman) makes the team for the European Throwing Cup for the second year running and will be joined in the senior discus competition by Amy Holder (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow; Neville Thompson), who makes the step up having competed in the under-23 event 12 months ago.

Craig Murch (Birchfield Harriers; Lorraine Shaw) joins Campbell in earning selection for the men’s hammer and alongside Jessica Mayho (Birchfield Harriers) in the women’s hammer, will make their senior international British debuts in Samorin.

Peter Stanley, Head of Field & Combined Events at British Athletics, said: “The European Throwing Cup once again provides a great opportunity for our athletes to compete against the best on the continent so early on in the season. For those making the step up to either senior or under-23 level, Samorin offers a great development opportunity as they build towards reaching major championships this year and over the next few years.

“The Winter Throws Open in Loughborough at the weekend produced some great performances and we are looking forward to what the team can achieve in Slovakia as they move up to throwing with the best in Europe.”

The British team selected for the European Throwing Cup Samorin 2019:

Senior Women:

Phoebe Dowson (Bournemouth; Mark Chapman) – Discus

Amy Holder (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow; Neville Thompson) – Discus

Jessica Mayho (Birchfield Harriers) – Hammer

Senior Men:

Taylor Campbell (club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow; coach: John Pearson) – Hammer

Craig Murch (Birchfield Harriers; Lorraine Shaw) – Hammer

Under-23 Women:

Emma Hamplett (Birchfield Harriers; Michael McNeill) – Javelin

Serena Vincent (City of Portsmouth; Bronwin Carter) – Shot Put

Under-23 Men:

Harry Hughes (West Suffolk; Mark Roberson) – Javelin

James Tomlinson (Pembrokeshire; Paul Jensen) – Discus