19 July 2008

The British Olympic Association (BOA) today selected the final athletics (track and field) members of Team GB for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. The track and field squad is made up of 68 members and all but 21 will be making their Olympic debuts, with Donna Fraser being named for her fourth Olympic Games.

Commenting on her selection, 18 year old Steph Twell said: "Finding out I have been named in the Olympic team is a moment I will cherish all my life. I want to be able to go as far as possible in the competition, not be overwhelmed by it and learn from the experience. I don’t want anyone to think this is a whirlwind either, this has all been part of the gradual progression made year on year with my coach Mick Woods." 

Simon Clegg, Team GB 2008 Chef de Mission, said: “I am delighted that we will be taking 68 track and field athletes as part of Team GB to the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. This brings the total number of athletes selected for Team GB to date to 311.

A majority of the track and field athletes will be making their first appearance at an Olympics at these Beijing 2008 Olympic Games and I am confident that this will be an excellent opportunity for them to learn and develop for London 2012 and beyond.

I wish them well in their final preparations which will culminate at the BOA’s Preparation Camp in Macau before they continue to Beijing to compete.”

Dave Collins, Team GB’s Athletics’ Team Leader, said: “We have selected a team based on tough criteria and so it should be. It is good to see that so many athletes have stepped up to the challenge and I will be looking for them to continue their progression towards the huge challenges that lie ahead in Beijing.

"The process of selection is never an easy one, but we were very careful to be  consistent across the board. In some events, where competition for places was particularly close we based our decisions on a three-part check of performances at the trials, season’s bests and head-to-heads.

"We now look forward to Beijing, where each athlete has their own individual targets meet and perhaps, exceed. Some will be gunning for medals, others will be looking to grasp this huge opportunity to learn from and develop into a podium level athlete in the near future.

"I can assure them that the support team behind them will give them every backing to ensure they meet their goals at Beijing 2008.”

The athletes from the sport of athletics selected for Team GB are (new additions in CAPS):

MEN

100m

TYRONE EDGAR* (Newham & Essex); CRAIG PICKERING* (Marshall Milton Keynes)*; Simeon Williamson* (Highgate Harriers)

200m

Marlon Devonish (Coventry Godiva); Christian Malcolm (Cardiff AAC); Alex Nelson* (Sale Harriers Manchester)

400m

Martyn Rooney* (Croydon Harriers); Andrew Steele* (Trafford AC)

800m

Michael Rimmer* (Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton Harriers)

1500m

Andy Baddeley* (Harrow AC); Tom Lancashire* (Bolton Harriers)

5000m

Mo Farah* (Newham & Essex)

Marathon

Dan Robinson (Stroud & District)

3000m steeplechase

ANDREW LEMONCELLO* (Fife AC)

110m hurdles

ALLAN SCOTT* (Shaftesbury Barnet); Andrew Turner (Sale Harriers Manchester)

High Jump

MARTYN BERNARD* (Wakefield Harriers); Germaine Mason* (unattached); Tom Parsons* (Birchfield Harriers)

Pole Vault

Steve Lewis* (Newham & Essex)

Long Jump

Greg Rutherford* (Marshall Milton Keynes); Chris Tomlinson (Newham & Essex)

Triple Jump

Larry Achike (Shaftesbury Barnet); Nathan Douglas (Oxford City); Phillips Idowu (Belgrave Harriers);

Decathlon

Daniel Awde* (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies)

4x100m

Harry Aikines-Aryeety* (Belgrave Harriers); Tyrone Edgar* (Newham & Essex); RIKKI FIFTON* (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets); Craig Pickering* (Marshall Milton Keynes); Simeon Williamson* (Highgate Harriers)

4x400m

Michael Bingham* (unattached); Richard Buck* (City of York); DALE GARLAND* (Birchfield Harriers/Channel Islands AC); Martyn Rooney* (Croydon Harriers); Andrew Steele* (Trafford AC); Rob Tobin* (Basingstoke & Mid Hants)

WOMEN

100m

MONTELL DOUGLAS* (Blackheath & Bromley); Jeanette Kwayke* (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies); LAURA TURNER* (Harrow AC)

200m

Emily Freeman* (Wakefield Harriers)

400m

Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet); Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex); Nicola Sanders* (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

800m

JENNY MEADOWS* (Wigan AC); Marilyn Okoro* (Shaftesbury Barnet); JEMMA SIMPSON* (Newquay & Par)

1500m

Lisa Dobriskey* (Ashford AC); SUSAN SCOTT* (City of Glasgow); STEPHANIE TWELL* (Aldershot, Farnham & District)

5000m

Jo Pavey (Exeter Harriers)

10,000m

Jo Pavey (Exeter Harriers), Kate Reed* (Bristol & West)

Marathon

Paula Radcliffe (Bedford & County); Mara Yamauchi* (Harrow AC); Liz Yelling (Bedford & County)

3000m steeplechase

Helen Clitheroe (Preston Harriers); HATTI DEAN* (Hallamshire Harriers); Barbara Parker* (City of Norwich AC)

100m hurdles

SARAH CLAXTON (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies)

400m hurdles

Tasha Danvers (Shaftesbury Barnet)

20k walk

Johanna Jackson* (Redcar)

Pole Vault

Kate Dennison* (Sale Harriers Manchester)

Long Jump

Jade Johnson (Herne Hill)

Discus

Philippa Roles (Swansea Harriers)

Hammer

ZOE DERHAM* (Birchfield Harriers)

Javelin

Goldie Sayers (Belgrave Harriers)

Heptathlon

Julie Hollman* (Birchfield Harriers); Kelly Sotherton (Birchfield Harriers);

4x100m

Emma Ania* (Shaftesbury Barnet); Montell Douglas* (Blackheath & Bromley); Jeanette Kwayke* (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies); Anyika Onuora* (Liverpool Harriers); ASHLEE NELSON* (City of Stoke); Laura Turner* (Harrow AC)

4x400m

VICKI BARR* (Rugy & Northampton); DONNA FRASER (Croydon Harriers); Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet); Christine Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex); Nicola Sanders* (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow)

* Olympic debut