15 June 2017

With ‘50 Days to Go’ until the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, British Athletics has today named a largely developmental team for the European Athletics Team Championships in Lille Métropole from 23-25 June, which is headlined by Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallist Sophie Hitchon.

A mixture of young, up-and-coming talent on the track, combined with a number of seasoned professionals in the field, the 56-strong team will see 14 athletes represent the senior team for the first time in France – with the World Class Performance Programme (WCPP) athletes granted leave to focus on qualifying for the World Championships at the British Team Trials (which take place the following weekend in Birmingham on 1-2 July).

With limited opportunities for field athletes to compete against top class competition ahead of London 2017, Lille provides the perfect chance for many to gauge where they stand against Europe’s top throwers and jumpers.  Olympic medallist in the Hammer, Sophie Hitchon leads the way for Britain and will be joined by European medallist Jazmin Sawyers in the women’s Long Jump, Olympians Morgan Lake and Chris Baker in the High Jump, along with fellow Rio 2016 alumni Jade Lally, Nick Miller and Luke Cutts in the Discus, Hammer and Pole Vault respectively.  While Shara Proctor, 2015 World silver medallist in the Long Jump, moves to the Triple Jump.

Also included in the team are near full strength relay squads, which include Rio 2016 Olympic bronze medallists from both the 4x100m (Asha Philip, Desiree Henry and Darryll Neita) and 4x400m (Emily Diamond, Anyika Onoura and Eilidh Doyle).  On the men’s side 2015 4x400m World bronze medallists Rabah Yousif, Jarryd Dunn and Delano Williams are selected, along with European Indoor 60m Champion Richard Kilty and sub-ten runners CJ Ujah and Adam Gemili in the 4x100m.

British Athletics Performance Director, Neil Black said: “I’m excited and pleased with the team we have selected.  It’s a look towards the future.  Many of these athletes should be in the mix for Tokyo 2020 and beyond in 2024.  So it will be interesting to see where they stand against some of Europe’s top names.

“With the British Team Trials and qualification for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London taking place the following weekend in Birmingham, it has allowed us the somewhat unique opportunity to choose a largely developmental team.

“Obviously we still want to see a great British team performance in France, but we also need to give our most experienced athletes the best possible build-up going into a home World Championships – so everyone on the WCPP was given the option to compete in Lille or concentrate on Trials.

“I’m glad so many of those we expect to be selected in the field events for London have made themselves available for this event.  We will be looking for them to pick up a large number of points for the team.  Jumpers and throwers especially have limited opportunities to compete at elite level, so to have two top class competitions, first in France then back home in Birmingham, over two weekends in a row will be good for them.”

The British Athletics team for the European Athletics Team Championships:

MEN:

100m:

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist)

200m:

Sam Miller (Leon Baptiste)

400m:

Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan)

800m:

James Bowness (William Parker)

1500m:

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman)

3000m:

Marc Scott (Steve Gulley)

5000m:

Nick Goolab (Craig Winrow)

3000m steeplechase:

Rob Mullett (self-coached)

110m hurdles:

David Omoregie (Benke Blomkvist)

400m hurdles:

Jack Green (self-coached)

High Jump:

Chris Baker (Sharon Heveran)

Pole Vault:

Luke Cutts (Trevor Fox)

Long Jump:

Dan Bramble (Frank Attoh)

Triple Jump:

Ben Williams (Jon Crotty)

Shot:

Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson)

Discus:

Zane Duquemin (John Hillier)

Hammer:

Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson).

Javelin:

James Whiteaker

4x100m:

Adam Gemili (Rana Reider)

Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills)

Richard Kilty (Kevin Kilty)

Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)

Chijindu Ujah (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist)

4x400m:

Delano Williams (Neil Harrison)

Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams)

Jarryd Dunn (Keith Holt)

Matthew Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley)

Cameron Chalmers (James Hillier)

WOMEN:

100m:

Corinne Humphreys (Darren Braithwaite)

200m:

Finette Agyapong (Coral Nourrice)

400m:

Mary Iheke (Frank Adams)

800m:

Katie Snowden (Rob Denmark)

1500m:

Rhianwedd Price (Houston Franks)

3000m:

Harriet Knowles-Jones (Paul Roden)

5000m:

Calli Thakery (Joe Franklin)

3000m steeplechase:

Lennie Waite (Jim Bevan)

100m hurdles:

Alicia Barrett (Toni Minichiello)

400m hurdles:

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)

High Jump:

Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan)

Pole Vault:

Sally Peake (Scott Simpson)

Long Jump:

Jazmin Sawyers (Kelly Sotherton)

Triple Jump:

Shara Proctor (Rana Reider)

Shot Put:

Amelia Strickler (Paul Wilson)

Discus:

Jade Lally (Andrew Neal)

Hammer:

Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson)

Javelin:

Jo Blair (David Burrell)

4x100m:

Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)

Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)

Daryll Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

Imani Lansiquot (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

Shannon Hylton (Ryan Freckleton)

4x400m

Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)

Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider)

Laviai Nielsen (Frank Adams)

Kirsten McAslan (Trevor Painter)

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna)

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)