3 March 2013

Olympic finalists Alex Smith (coach: Shane Peacock) and Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson) will lead a team of seven GB & NI athletes competing at the European Cup Winter Throwing event in Castellon, Spain, on 16-17 March.

Smith, who finished 12th in the hammer at the London Games last summer, will compete alongside 2010 Commonwealth Games representative Mark Dry (Tore Gustafsson) while British record holder Hitchon, also 12th in London, is joined in the women’s hammer by 2009 European Under-23 bronze medallist Sarah Holt (Tore Gustafsson).

Rachel Wallader (Geoff Capes), gold medallist at last month’s British Athletics European Trials & UK Championships, will compete in the women’s shot put alongside Sophie McKinna (Geoff Capes), reigning World Youth silver medallist.

Under-23 athlete Joseph Dunderdale (David Parker) will compete in the javelin following a throw of 72.47m to open his season at the British Athletics Winter Throws Trials in Loughborough.

GB & NI team in full:

Alex Smith – Hammer
Mark Dry – Hammer
Sophie Hitchon – Hammer
Sarah Holt – Hammer
Sophie McKinna – Shot put (Under-23)
Rachel Wallader – Shot put
Joseph Dunderdale – Javelin (Under-23)