British Athletics team prepare for World Cross Country test – UKA Athletics – News
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25
03
2017

British Athletics team prepare for World Cross Country test ©EA - European Athletics

British Athletics team prepare for World Cross Country test – UKA Athletics – News

By GRR 0

The British Athletics team have arrived in the Kampala, Uganda ahead of competing at the IAAF World Cross Country Championships tomorrow (Sunday 26 March).

The team, captained by senior women’s team member Claire Duck (coach: Mike Baxter) and consisting of 16 in total, will take to the course tomorrow in what are expected to be warm and dry conditions.

The quartet of senior women including Duck will be tasked with tackling five laps of the course’s two kilometre loop, with a series of obstacles including ditches and natural hills also present to further challenge the world’s best athletes.

The team captain will be accompanied by European Cross U23 team gold medallist Rebecca Murray (Alex Stanton) and English Nationals silver medallist Louise Small (Mick Woods), with Aldershot, Farnham & District’s Emily Hosker-Thornhill (Woods) adding further firepower.

In the junior men’s race, trials victor Jonathan Shields (Michael Thompson) will lead the sextet of Great Britain & Northern Ireland representatives over four laps and 8km, as he bids to continue his fine form shown at each of his three Cross Challenge outings this calendar year.

Among those on the team with Shields are Scott Beattie (Mike Bateman), an eighth place finisher at the Great Edinburgh XCountry earlier this year; European Cross U20 team bronze medallist Sam Stevens (Alan Maddocks); and, following a fantastic run at the Inter-County championships for third place, British Athletics international team debutant Luke Prior (Simon Prior).

Tackling 6km in the junior women’s field will be the newly crowned Inter-County champion Anna MacFadyen (Doug Cowie) and Scottish National champion Gillian Black (Michael Johnston). Fresh from four victories from five races this year, the impressive Amelia Quirk (Beverly Kitching) also lends support, while Victoria Weir (Bud Baldaro) is among those on the team earning her first international vest following strong outings at 2016’s European Cross Country championships and January’s Great Edinburgh XCountry.

Live coverage from the championships can be found via the BBC Red Button from 11:55 on Sunday 26 March.

Highlights from the championships will also be shown on BBC Two at 17:00 on Sunday 26 March.

Live coverage from the championships can be found via the British Athletics Twitter. For reference, local time in Kampala is +3 GMT.

The British Athletics team for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships in Kampala, Uganda on Sunday 26 March 2017:

Senior Women:
Claire Duck (Mike Baxter)
Emily Hosker-Thornhill (Mick Woods)
Rebecca Murray (Alex Stanton)
Louise Small (Mick Woods)

Junior Men:
Scott Beattie (Mike Bateman)
Ben Davies (Simon Goodwin)
Hugo Milner (Chris Woodhouse)
Luke Prior (Simon Prior)
Jonathan Shields (Michael Thompson)
Sam Stevens (Alan Maddocks)

Junior Women:
Phoebe Barker (Richard Owen)
Gillian Black (Michael Johnston)
Cari Hughes (Andrew Walling)
Anna MacFadyen (Doug Cowie)
Amelia Quirk (Beverly Kitching)
Victoria Weir (Bud Baldaro)

UKA Athletics – News

author: GRR