The Novuna Great Britain & Northern Ireland team got their European Athletics Under-23 Championships underway in Bergen, with 14 athletes booking their place in the next round of competition.

Sprinters Faith Akinbileje (John Blackie, Blackheath and Bromley) and Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Ryan Freckleton, Harrow) led the way by securing their places in the women’s 100m finals by safely navigating two rounds on Thursday.

Faith Akinbileje led the heats, with her time of 11.42 the fastest of the morning. The European Under-18 200m champion looked in complete control and team-mate Wedderburn-Goodison was similarly composed to ease over the line in 11.52 to win her heat.

Both athletes then handled the semi-finals with equal aplomb. Wedderburn-Goodison went quicker with a time of 11.51 to finish second, whilst Akinbileje qualified in a time of 11.55.

The evening session also saw Thomas Bridger (Mark Vile, Cambridge) qualify for the 1500m final by finishing fifth in Heat 1 with a time of 3:44.17. Bridger put in a gutsy effort diving over the line at the finish to ensure his qualification.

The first final of the Championships on the track saw Johnny Livingstone (Exeter) finished 23rd in the 10,000m final with a time of 31:27.42.

Archie Yeo (Lukasz Zawila, Kingston upon Hull) reached the long jump final by jumping third furthest in Group A with a best attempt of 7.69m.

Abigail Ives (Luke Gunn, Basildon) led from the front with an assured performance to ease into the final of the women’s 800m. She clocked 2:02.19 to win her heat.

Daniel Goriola (Tony Jarrett, Blackheath and Bromley) qualified for the semi-finals of the men’s 110m hurdles in 13.95.

Elizabeth Korczak (Bob Willows, Brighton & Hove) qualified for the women’s javelin final with a throw of 53.69m, the fifth-strongest in the field.

The morning session saw several athletes safely navigate the early rounds of their events.

Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet) was the fastest qualifier in the women’s 400m hurdles thanks to an assured opener of 56.14s.

Jake Minshull (James Wright, Coventry) and Harry Barton (Wells City) also secured progression to the semi-finals of the men’s 400m hurdles.

Minshull won the opening heat in 50.03 before Barton followed him through in the next heat in 50.97.

Brodie Young (James McMenemy, Airdrie) booked his place in the semi-finals of the men’s 400m with the fifth-fastest time of 46.04.

Rebecca Grieve (Francis Smith, Woodford Green Essex Ladies), Poppy Malik (Grant Barker, Harrow) and Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) all qualified from the heats of the women’s 400m.

Grieve stormed through her heat in 52.30 to take the win, while Malik was second in hers in 52.84.

Co-captain John then followed by comfortably winning her heat by over a second in 52.39 to make it three out of three.

Michael Onilogbo (Carl Graham, Newham & Essex Beagles) clocked 10.62 in his men’s 100m heat but that was not enough to progress.

Thursday also saw Sammy Ball (Rafer Joseph, Reading AC) have an exceptional day in the decathlon and now sits second overnight on 4254 points, only 101 points behind first.

Ball clocked 10.85s in the 100m – the second fastest in the field – and then produced a best long jump attempt of 7.32m.

He then followed up with 13.94m in the shot put and then cleared 2.03m in the high jump to equal his personal best before ending the day by clocking 47.92s in the 400m.

Ball heads into the second day of competition with the 110m hurdles, discus, pole vault, javelin, and 1500m to complete.