28 July 2009

UKA today announced defending World 400m Champion Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles) among the 60-strong squad of athletes selected to represent the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team at the IAAF World Championships in Berlin, Germany on 15-23 August.

Also heading to the German capital are European Indoor 3,000m gold medallist Mo Farah (Newham & Essex Beagles) and Olympic high jump and triple jump silver medallists Germaine Mason (Birchfield) and Phillips Idowu (Belgrave).

A large contingent of the team will draw on experiences from last year’s Olympics including; Martyn Rooney (Croydon) who narrowly missed out on a medal in the 400m, 1500m fourth placer Lisa Dobriskey (Ashford AC), Goldie Sayers (Belgrave) who finished just outside the medals in the javelin, triple jumper Larry Achike (Shaftesbury) who made top eight and Greg Rutherford (Marshall Milton Keynes) who finished 10th in the long jump.

The team is reinforced by 23 national champions, including British pole vault record holder Kate Dennison (Sale), 200m winner Emily Freeman (Wakefield), 100m champion Simeon Williamson (Highgate) and 110m hurdles specialist Andy Turner (Sale) all looking to maintain their current form on an international stage.

Young guns Gianni Frankis (Newham & Essex Beagles), Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham & District), Perri Shakes-Drayton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets), Nigel Levine (Bedford & County) Luke Cutts (Dearnside) and Chris Clarke (Marshall Milton Keynes) represent the encouraging crop of up and coming athletes breaking into Aviva GB&NI senior teams for major championships.

Head Coach Charles van Commenee said: “This team has been selected to give us the best possible results at the 2009 IAAF World Championships in Berlin. I expect to see athletes demonstrating their ability to perform at the highest level under pressure.

“Of course we are on a long term journey to 2012, but we can’t wait three years for the medals and performances, I want to see both in Berlin and then more next year and the year after until we get to London. This is our first staging post on our toughest ever journey.”

Already pre-selected to the Aviva GB & NI team are Paula Radcliffe (Bedford & County) in the marathon and UK champion Johanna Jackson (Redcar) in the 20k walk.

The majority of the team will prepare for the major championships at a holding camp in Monte Gordo, Portugal in the week leading up to the competition.

AVIVA GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM

MEN
100m: Dwain Chambers (Belgrave); Tyrone Edgar (Newham & Essex Beagles); Simeon Williamson (Highgate)

200m: Chambers; Marlon Devonish (Coventry Godiva) Toby Sandeman (Thames Valley);

400m: Michael Bingham (Unattached) Martyn Rooney (Croydon), Robert Tobin (Basingstoke & Mid Hants);

800m: Michael Rimmer (Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton);

1500m: Andy Baddeley (Harrow), Tom Lancashire (Bolton);

5000m: Mo Farah (Newham & Essex Beagles)

110mH: Gianni Frankis (Newham & Essex Beagles), Andy Turner (Sale)

400mH: David Greene (Swansea), Rhys Williams (Cardiff)

 4x100m: Harry Akines–Aryeetey (Sutton & District), Devonish, Edgar, Rikki Fifton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets), Craig Pickering (Marshall Milton Keynes), Williamson

4x400m: Bingham, Chris Clarke (Marshall Milton Keynes), Nigel Levine (Bedford & County), Rooney, Tobin, Conrad Williams (Kent)

High Jump: Germaine Mason (Birchfield)

Pole Vault: Luke Cutts (Dearnside), Steve Lewis (Newham & Essex Beagles)

Long Jump: Greg Rutherford (Marshall Milton Keynes), Chris Tomlinson (Newham & Essex Beagles);

Triple Jump: Larry Achike (Shaftesbury) Nathan Douglas (Oxford), Phillips Idowu (Belgrave);

Shot:  Carl Myerscough (Blackpool, Wyre &Fylde)

Javelin: Mervyn Luckwell (Marshall Milton Keynes);

WOMEN

200m: Emily Freeman (Wakefield)

400m: Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles), Nicola Sanders (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

800m: Jenny Meadows (Wigan), Marilyn Okoro (Shaftesbury), Jemma Simpson (Newquay & Par);

1500m: Lisa Dobriskey (Ashford), Charlene Thomas (Wakefield), Stephanie Twell (Aldershot, Farnham & District);

3000mSC: Helen Clitheroe (Preston);

Marathon: Paula Radcliffe (Bedford & County)

20k Race Walk: Joanna Jackson (Redcar)

100mH: Sarah Claxton (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield),

400mH: Eilidh Child (Pitreavie), Perri Shakes- Drayton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets);

Pole Vault: Kate Dennison (Sale);

Javelin: Goldie Sayers (Belgrave);

Hammer: Zoe Derham (Birchfield)

Heptathlon: Ennis; Louise Hazel (Birchfield)

4x100m: Emma Ania (Shaftesbruy Barnet), Montell Douglas (Blackheath & Bromley), Jeanette Kwakye (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Joice Maduaka (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Anyika Onuora (Liverpool), Laura Turner (Harrow AC)

 4x400m: Vicky Barr (Rugby & Northampton), Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet), Ohuruogu, Okoro, Sanders, Shakes- Drayton,