24 June 2008

UK Athletics has today announced the names of athletes who will take their places as part of the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland team heading to the 12^th IAAF World Junior Championships.

The team will travel to Bydgoszcz, Poland on Saturday 5 July to prepare for the championships, which takes place 8-13 July 2008.

Amongst those selected are:

World Youth 400m gold medallist Chris Clarke (Marshall Milton Keynes) who will compete over 200m and Dave Forrester (St Helens Sutton) – top European finisher in the Junior men’s race at the World XC in March – who will line up in the 1500m.

From the women, European Cross Country champion Steph Twell (AFD) will take her place in the 1500m, whilst Ashlee Nelson (City of Stoke), the World Youth 100m bronze medallist from 2007 will represent GB in the 100m and 4 x 100m relay.

UK Athletics Performance Director Dave Collins said:

“A number of personal coaches asked us to make allowances for several mitigating factors in selection – namely the unusually short season, the weather conditions at Bedford and the early entry deadline required by the IAAF removing the second wave of selections – therefore we have also considered a number of athletes who have achieved the lower IAAF qualification standard.

“As a result some athletes have been selected with IAAF standards where they have consistently achieved this mark, and where their performance profile matches the philosophy of the selection policy – namely the ability to finish in the top eight at the World Juniors, and the ability to take the experience and turn junior potential into senior potential.

“The team selected know what is expected of them at World Junior level, and I wish them the very best of luck for Bydgoszcz.”

Norwich Union GB and NI team

Men

100m

James Alaka* (Blackheath & Bromley)

200m

Chris Clarke (Marshall Milton Keynes)

Richard Kilty (Gateshead Harriers)

400m

Nigel Levine (Windsor Slough Eton & Hunslow)

Jordan McGrath (Birchfield Harriers)

800m

Chris Smith (Wirral)

Rick Ward (City of Norwich)

1500m

Dave Forrester (St Helens Sutton)

James Shane (Basildon)

110mH

Alex Al-Ameen (Blackheath & Bromley)

Edirin Okoro (Birchfield Harriers)

400mH

Nathan Woodward (Tamworth)

High Jump

Matthew Owens (Liverpool Harriers)

Pole Vault

Scott Huggins (Blackheath & Bromley)

Andrew Marsh (City of Stoke)

Shot

Jamie Stevenson (Newham & Essex Beagles)

Discus

Curtis Griffith Parker (Cambridge Harriers)

Brett Morse (Cardiff)

Hammer

Peter Smith (Kingston Upon Hull)

Decathlon

Daniel Gardiner (Leeds)

4x100m

Alaka

Eugene Ayanful (Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Junior Ejehu (Harrow)

Kilty

Dele Onifade (Herne Hill)

Olafunmi Sobodu (Blackheath & Bromley)

4x400m

Clarke

Robert Davis (Birchfield Harriers)

Levine

McGrath

Louis Persent (Colchester Harriers)

Women

100m

Ashlee Nelson (City of Stoke)

Elaine O’Neill (Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

200m

Shaunna Thompson (Sale)

800m

Alison Leonard (Blackburn Harriers)

Lynsey Sharp* (Edinburgh AC)

1500m

Emma Pallant (AFD)

Steph Twell (AFD)

3000m

Jo Harvey (Exeter)

5000m

Emily Pidgeon (Gloucester)

400mH

Meghan Beesley (Birchfield Harriers)

Pole Vault

Jade Ive (Sutton)

Long Jump

Abigail Irozuru  (Sale Harriers)

Discus

Shaunagh Brown (Blackheath & Bromley)

Hammer

Sophie Hitchon (Blackburn Harriers)

4x100m

Hollie Croxford (Winchester)

Torema Dorsett (Enfield & Haringey)

Nelson

O‘Neil

Anike Shand Whittingham (Blackheath & Bromley)

Thompson

*Athletes selected subject to fitness

For more information visit: 12th IAAF World Junior Championships