Team Update: 17 May 2011

Further to proving form and fitness over the weekend Ben Wears and Lisa Kehler have now been confirmed and added to the team. Both in their respective 20km races.

12 May 2011

2010 Commonwealth Champion Johanna Jackson (coach: Andi Drake) will lead the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland Team into the 9th European Cup, in Olhao, Portugal on 21st May, aiming to begin her 2011 season with a solid performance over 20k.

Jackson, who has spent the last two winters training in Australia at an international race walking camp – in addition to a period of training at the UKA/London Marathon Altitude Camp in Font Romeu prior to a tenth place finish at the 2010 European Championships – has enjoyed a steady rise to prominence, firstly dominating the UK walking rankings before setting her sights on the Commonwealth title.

She is joined by experienced walking twins Dominic and Daniel King who will compete over 50k and 20k respectively. Both competed at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, Daniel beating his bother by one place with a fifth place finish, and have since enjoyed regular international race walking call ups.

Jackson’s training partner Tom Bosworth (coach: Andi Drake), who made his international debut at the 2010 Commonwealth Games in Delhi with a respectable 11th place finish, will contest the 20k event, while 17-year old Jamie Higgins (coach: Andi Drake), in only his first full year as a race walker, makes his Aviva GB&NI debut.

Aviva GB&NI Team

Men

50km: Dominic King

20km: Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake); Alex Wright; Daniel King; Ben Wears

Junior 10km: Jamie Higgins (Andi Drake)

Women

20km: Johanna Jackson (Andi Drake) ; Lisa Kehler

Junior 10km: Heather Lewis (Martin Bell); Laura Whelan