THROWERS SELECTED TO REPRESENT AT THE EUROPEAN CUP

British Athletics have today announced that 11 athletes have been selected to #REPRESENT the country at the European Throwing Cup which will be held in Leiria, Portugal on 10-11 March 2018.

One of the highlights of the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships over a week ago was the women’s shot put, and the main protagonists on that day will showdown once more in Portugal.

Rachel Wallader (coach: Richard Woodhall, club: Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) overcame her younger compatriot with a stunning last round effort of 17.45m to overhaul Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch). The Great Yarmouth athlete enjoyed a remarkable competition improving her personal best to 17.42m, narrowly placing behind Wallader after a fascinating contest.

Olympians Chris Bennett (Michael Jones, Shaftesbury Barnet) and Mark Dry (self-coached, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) will compete in the hammer throw, while there will be senior international debuts for Joe Harris (Manx Harriers) in the javelin and Phoebe Dowson (Mark Chapman, Bournemouth) in the discus. The latter threw a personal best of 52.37m at the winter throws event organised by British Athletics in conjunction with Loughborough University, to secure her first British vest.

In the U23 category, five developing athletes have been picked to represent the British team.

Cardiff’s Sarah Omoregie (Gareth Lease) emerged from of last week’s British championships with a huge PB and fourth place overall in the women’s shot put. Still only 17-years-old, the Commonwealth Youth Games silver medallist has improved to 14.88m this year; in fact, she has thrown significantly further than her 2017 PB three times this calendar year.

Amy Holder (Neville Thompson, WSEH) and Welsh U17 record holder Bethan Rees (Mike Pinner, Cannock & Stafford) will go in the discus and javelin respectively.

Welshman Jac Palmer (Adrian Palmer, Cardiff) will compete in the hammer throw as he warmed up with a solid 64.90m opener in Loughborough last weekend. He’s joined by English Schools champion Daniel Bainbridge (Mike McNeill, Shaftesbury Barnet) who improved his lifetime best to 64.28m in the javelin at the same competition to earn his first age-group call-up for the British squad.

Head of Field Events at British Athletics, Peter Stanley commented:

“The European Throwing Cup provides our athletes with the perfect continental competition early in the year. For our developing throwers, this competition will help to bridge the gap from being a competitive junior, to a world-class senior.

“We witnessed a fantastic shot put competition at the British Athletics Indoor championships a couple of weekends ago so I am delighted to select Rachel (Wallader) and Sophie (McKinna) to compete alongside Europe’s best to continue their strong start to the 2018 campaign. We are pleased to have debutants on the team who have stepped up their performances to earn the British vest.”

The British Athletics team selected to #REPRESENT at the European Throwing Cup in Leiria, Portugal on the 10-11 March 2018:

Senior Women:

Phoebe Dowson (Mark Chapman, Bournemouth) – Discus

Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch, Great Yarmouth) – Shot Put

Rachel Wallader (Richard Woodhall, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) – Shot Put

Senior Men:

Chris Bennett (Michael Jones, Shaftesbury Barnet) – Hammer Throw

Mark Dry (self-coached, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) – Hammer Throw

Joe Harris (Manx Harriers) – Javelin

U23 Women:

Amy Holder (Neville Thompson, WSEH) – Discus

Bethan Rees (Mark Pinner, Cannock & Stafford) -Javelin

Sarah Omoregie (Gareth Lease, Cardiff) – Shot Put

U23 Men:

Daniel Bainbridge (Mike McNeill, Shaftesbury Barnet) – Javelin

Jac Palmer (Adrian Palmer, Cardiff) – Hammer