03 January 2013

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland team, including European under-23 cross country champion Jess Coulson (coach: Mick Woods) and top Scottish athletes Steph Twell (Mick Woods) and Freya Ross (Steve Jones), will this weekend return to the picturesque Holyrood Park for the Bupa Great Edinburgh Cross International Challenge.

Competing for the first time since topping the medals table for the fifth successive year at the European Cross Country Championships in Hungary in December, the team will seek to defend their Edinburgh title against the USA and Team Europe in this IAAF World Cross Permit series event.

A number of those in this weekend’s team raced over the Christmas break. Highlights included a fifth place finish for Patrick Martin (David Turnbull) at the Venta de Banos cross country race in Spain on 16th December, with Jonathan Davies (Rob McKim) winning the junior race at the same event.

Jess Coulson finished 11th in the senior race at the Lotto Cross Cup in Brussels whilst Bobby Clay (James Roberts) won the under-17 race and her sister Alex (Pete Mullervy) won the junior race.

Since the initial squad selection in December, a trio of athletes have been brought into the team. Emily Wicks (Keith Donkin), who won team bronze after a 33rd place finish at the European Cross Country Championships, comes into the senior women’s team. Wicks is joined by Lauren Deadman (Bill Foster) and Katie Brough (Michael Hancock), who were 12th and 13th respectively at the McCain Liverpool Cross Challenge, whilst Caryl Jones (George Edwards) and Katrina Wootton (Harvey Rose) have both withdrawn.

The junior men, junior women and senior men’s teams remain unchanged.

Hometown favourite Freya Ross (Steve Jones), GB & NI men’s captain Steve Vernon (Dave Turnbull) and women’s captain Julia Bleasdale (Nic Bideau) will take part in tomorrow’s pre-event press conference at 11.00.

The International Challenge between the GB & NI team, the United States and Team Europe for all age groups is the 4th leg of this winter’s IAAF World Cross Permit series and will be broadcast live on BBC One on Saturday from 13:00 to 14:30.

In addition to the UKA web report, you can also keep up to date with results via Twitter at @UKA_athletics

Full Great Britain and Northern Ireland team (in alphabetical order – new additions in bold):

SENIOR MEN

Kieran Clements (Ricardo Santos)
Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans)
Neilson Hall (Philip O’Dell)
Andrew Heyes (Keith Whitelam)
Adam Hickey (Eamonn Martin)
Simon Horsfield (Norman Poole)
Tom Humphries (Phil Clamp)
Patrick Martin (Dave Turnbull)
Scott McDonald (Derek Easton)
Jonathan Taylor (Gordon Surtees)
Andy Vernon (Nic Bideau)
Steve Vernon (Dave Turnbull)

SENIOR WOMEN

Elle Baker (Dave Turnbull)
Julia Bleasdale (Nic Bideau)
Katie Brough (Michael Hancock)
Jessica Coulson (Mick Woods)
Lauren Deadman (Bill Foster)
Lauren Howarth (Peter Riley)
Lily Partridge (Mick Woods)
Beth Potter (Mick Woods)
Freya Ross (Steve Jones)
Rosie Smith (Bryan Mackay)
Stephanie Twell (Mick Woods)
Emily Wicks (Keith Donkin)

JUNIOR MEN

Jonathan Davies (Rob McKim)
Matthew Fayers (Stevan Dokic)
Calum Johnson (John Stephenson)
William Paulson (Christopher Frapwell)
Henry Pierce (Mark Hookway)
Benedict Westhenry (Tom Watson) 

JUNIOR WOMEN

Alex Clay (Peter Mullervy)
Bobby Clay (James Roberts)
Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods)
Jessica Judd (Rob Denmark)
Annabel Mason (John Mason)
Rebecca Weston (James Roberts)