UK Athletics (UKA) have announced eight athletes who will represent the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland team at the Combined Events International on 31 January/1 February 2009 in Zaragoza, Spain.

It is this type of competition where recent leading British combined eventers Kelly Sotherton, Dean Macey and Jessica Ennis have cut their teeth at international level.

The men’s team have all started 2009 in solid domestic form:

Francis Baker (Derby AC) set a personal best of 5169points in the heptathlon at the England Indoor Combined Events Championships in Sheffield in early January and cut his 60m hurdles time down to 8.26 at the recent Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow Open Indoor Meeting.

Also selected are Ben Hazell (Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC), Richard Reeks (Bournemouth AC) and Kevin Sempers (Trafford AC) who performed well the England Indoor Combined Events Championships and Data Connection Indoor Games at Lee Valley early in the New Year.

Hazell set personal bests in the 1k, heptathlon and bettered his 60m hurdles while Reeks smashed his 60m, 60m hurdles and Heptathlon personal bests and Sempers improved his 60m hurdles and pole vault.

Included in the women’s team are regular Great Britain & Northern Ireland combined eventers 2008 Combined Events International silver medallist Grace Clements (Dartford Harriers) and Louise Hazel (Birchfield Harriers) who finished 2008 ranked 5^th for the heptathlon in the UK.

Lucy Boggis (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers) – otherwise known as Tempest in TV’s Gladiators  – had early January outings at the Southern Senior Indoor Championships, England Indoor Senior Combined Events Championships and the WSE&H Open Indoor Meeting, resulting in personal bests in the pentathlon, 60m hurdles and long jump.

Completing the quartet is Catherine Holdsworth (Colchester Harriers AC) set a PB of 12.79m for the shot at the England Indoor Senior Combined Events Championships.

AVIVA GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM

MEN

Francis Baker (Derby AC)

Ben Hazell (Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC)

Richard Reeks (Bournemouth AC)

Kevin Sempers (Trafford AC)

WOMEN

Lucy Boggis (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers)

Grace Clements (Dartford Harriers)

Louise Hazel (Birchfield Harriers)

Catherine Holdsworth(Colchester Harriers AC)