UKA Athletics – News -Aviva GB & NI team for Stockholm

UKA today announced a clutch of European champions in the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team set to compete at the Spar European Team Championships in Stockholm, Sweden 18-19 June.

Barcelona gold medallists Dai Greene (Coach: Malcolm Arnold), Andy Turner (Coach: Lloyd Cowan),  and  Phillips Idowu (Coach: Aston Moore), will be joined by European Indoor champion Helen Clitheroe (Coach: John Nuttall) in a strong team also featuring other key Aviva GB&NI performers from the last two major championships.

Following his selection for the 400m hurdles, Dai Greene will also hope to lead by example as team captain for the event, by scoring maximum points in the first track discipline of the championships.

Dwain Chambers (self coached) will line up for the men’s 100m having started the season in superb form with 10.01 at a meet in Sao Paulo last month, whilst youngster Danny Talbot (Dan Cossins), who has already secured a UKA  A standard for this summer’s World Championships in Daegu, lines up in the 200m.

Steve Lewis (Dan Pfaff) returns to the team following his injury layoff for a hand fracture that he suffered in February’s Aviva Indoor Grand Prix, having marked a strong return to form with a solid 5.63m clearance in Germany on Saturday, whilst Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff) is enjoying a run of consistency with four jumps over eight metres in recent weeks including a slightly wind assisted 8.32m at the Diamond League meet in Eugene last weekend.

Shana Cox (Chris Johnson) makes her Aviva GB&NI team debut in the 400m – Cox can compete for GB at the European Team Championships because the IAAF do not list the event as one that athletes are ineligible for when changing nationality. Perri Shakes Drayton (Chris Zah), who has also put in some fast performances over the flat 400m in recent weeks, will line up in the 400m hurdles having clocked a fast season-opener of 55.36 in Eugene last weekend – also a World Championship A standard.

World Junior bronze medallist Holly Bleasdale (Julien Raffalli-Ebezant) takes the women’s pole vault berth following her outdoor lifetime best 4.50m in Ostrava last week, alongside reigning World Junior Champion Sophie Hitchon (Derek Evely) who will compete in the hammer having set a new senior UK record at Bedford last month. There is also a GB&NI team debut for Shara Proctor (Rana Reider) in the long jump and Greg Beard (Mark Chapman) in the men’s shot.

Aviva GB & NI team captain Dai Greene said:

“I was surprised to be asked but I’m really proud take on the role of team captain in Stockholm. It’ll be great to lead by example by hopefully scoring maximum points in the first event.

“Five years ago when I went to the European Championships in Gothenburg I never thought I would be a team captain just a few years later, it’s a real honour, especially when there are world champions in the team and other senior figures who could take the role.”

UKA Head coach Charles Van Commenee said: “I am pleased to be able to name a strong team with a number of athletes having posted promising early season performances so far.

“The Aviva GB&NI team is looking forward to competing against nations such as Russia, France and Germany and vying for the top positions in Stockholm.”

AVIVA GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM

MEN
100m:

Dwain Chambers (self-coached) – Belgrave

 

200m:

Danny Talbot (Dan Cossins) – Birchfield

 

400m:

TBC

 

800m:

Michael Rimmer (Norman Poole) – Liverpool Harriers

1500m:

TBC

 

3000m:

Andy Baddeley (Andrew Hobdell) – Harrow

 

5000m:

Chris Thompson (John Nuttall/Mark Rowland) – Aldershot Farnham & District

 

110mH:

Andy Turner (Lloyd Cowan) – Sale

 

400mH:

Dai Greene (Malcolm Arnold) – Swansea

 

3000mSC:

Luke Gunn (Bud Baldaro) – Derby

 

4x100m:

Harry Aikines Aryeetey (Michael Khmel) Sutton

Leon Baptiste (Michael Khmel) – Enfield & Haringey

Marlon Devonish (Tony Lester) – Coventry Godiva

James Ellington (John Powell) – Belgrave

Christian Malcolm (Dan Pfaff) – Cardiff

Craig Pickering (Michael Khmel) – Marshall Milton Keynes

Danny Talbot

 

4x400m:

Michael Bingham (Tony Lester / Ken Harnden) – unattached

Dai Greene

Luke Lennon Ford (Linford Christie) – Birchfield

Martyn Rooney (Nick Dakin) -Croydon

Robert Tobin (Dan Pfaff) – Basingstoke & Mid Hants

Conrad Williams (Linford Christie) – Kent AC

 

High Jump:

Tom Parsons (Fuzz Ahmed) – Birchfield

 

Pole Vault:

Steve Lewis (Dan Pfaff) – Newham & Essex

 

Long Jump:

Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff) – Marshall Milton Keynes

 

Triple Jump:

Phillips Idowu (Aston Moore) – Belgrave

 

Shot: 

Greg Beard (Mark Chapman) – Belgrave

 

Discus:

Brett Morse (Nigel Bevan) – Birchfield

 

Javelin:

James Campbell (Mick Hill) – Cheltenham

 

Hammer:

Andy Frost (Alan Bertram) – Woodford Green & Essex Ladies

 

WOMEN

100m:

Anyika Onuora (Lloyd Cowan) – Liverpool Harriers

 

 

200m:

Abi Oyepitan (Tony Lester) – Shaftesbury Barnet

 

400m:

Shana Cox (Chris Johnson) – unattached

 

800m:

Jenny Meadows (Trevor Painter) – Wigan

 

1500m:

Charlene Thomas (Aaron Thomas) – Wakefield

 

3000m:

Stevie Stockton (George Gandy) – Vale Royal

 

5000m:

Helen Clitheroe (John Nuttall) – Preston

 

100mH:

Tiffany Ofili-Porter (James Henry) – unattached

 

400mH:

Perri Shakes Drayton (Chris Zah) – Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets

 

3000mSC:

Hatti Dean (Bud Baldaro) Hallamshire

 

4x100m:

Jeanette Kwakye (Michael Afilaka) Woodford Green & Essex Ladies

Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka) City of Stoke

Anyika Onuora

Laura Turner (Linford Christie) – Harrow

Asha Philip (Mike McFarlane) – Newham & Essex

Abi Oyepitan

 

4x400m:

Kelly Massey (Stephen Ball) – Sale

Lee McConnell (Rodger Harkins) Shaftesbury Barnet

Jenny Meadows

Nicola Sanders (Tony Lester) Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow

Perri Shakes Drayton

Kelly Sotherton (Aston Moore) Birchfield

 

High Jump:

Emma Perkins (Fuzz Ahmed) – Worthing

 

Pole Vault:

Holly Bleasdale (Julien Raffalli- Ebezant) – Blackburn

 

Long Jump:

Shara Proctor (Rana Reider) – unattached

 

Triple Jump:

Yasmine Regis (Peter Stanley) – Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow

 

Shot: 

Rebecca Peake (Gert Damkat) – Sale

 

Discus:

Jade Nicholls (Andrew Neal) – Shaftesbury Barnet

 

Javelin:

Goldie Sayers (Dan Pfaff) – Belgrave

 

Hammer:

Sophie Hitchon (Derek Evely) – Blackburn

UKA Athletics – News