14 May 2013

Jessica Judd (coach: Rob Denmark) will lead a strong GB & NI team for this weekend’s Loughborough International, which takes place at the Paula Radcliffe Athletics Stadium, Loughborough, on Sunday 19 May. 

The Chelmsford athlete took World Junior silver over 800m in Barcelona last summer, and will once again take on some of the best senior athletes in the country, notably European Champion Lynsey Sharp (Terrence Mahon) who takes her place in the Scottish team. Third at the Olympic Trials last summer, Judd went on to run a personal best of 2.00.96 in taking silver in Barcelona and has already shown good form this summer having run 4.14.43 over 1500m in Italy, the host of this summer’s European Junior Championships.

Joining Judd in the middle distance events, Matthew Fayers (Stevan Dokic) returns to try and improve on his fourth place finish in this fixture in 2012. Fayers made a huge breakthrough this year in winning the British Athletics European Trials and UK Indoor Championships and will be looking to continue that rich vein of form this summer.

In the field, two of British Athletics’ finest young talents Jazmin Sawyers (Toni Minichiello) and Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake) line up in the long jump and high jump respectively. Sawyers, who took a fantastic bronze medal at the World Junior Championships last summer trains alongside Jess Ennis and has been progressing well under the tutelage of Minichiello.

Meanwhile Lake, who is still only 16 years old, already has an impressive resume, which includes UK Combined Events records at U13, U15 & U17 and an array of national titles from every age group. Even though her main event is the heptathlon, Morgan is a talented high jumper, having won silver at the British Athletics European Trials and UK Indoor Championships earlier this year, and has improved her personal best to 1.84 already this outdoor campaign. 

In the sprints, World Junior finalists Sophie Papps (Neil Dodson) and Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie) line up over the 100 & 200 respectively, and will combine later in the day to make up half of a strong 4x100m relay team. Elsewhere in an almost full strength line-up, Lucy Bryan (Charles Preston), David King (James Hillier), Hayley McLean (Steve Mitchell) and Sophie McKinna (Geoff Capes) will all be looking to put in strong performances ahead of their assault on European Junior Championships later in the summer.

The Loughborough International is the traditional curtain raiser to the international athletics season, and sees teams from England, Scotland, Wales, GB & NI Juniors and British Universities take on a the hosts, Loughborough. Taking place this Sunday, the event is sure to be quite a spectacle, and tickets are still available on the Loughborough Sport website. 

GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM:

MEN:

100m: Ojie Edoburun (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
200m:Josh Street (Matthew Thomas)
400m: Ben Snaith (Mick Graham)
800m:Shaun Wyllie (Jeff Seddon)
1500m: Matthew Fayers (Stevan Dokic)
3000m: Michael Callegari (Nadeem Shaikh)
110mH: David King (James Hillier)
400mH: Jacob Paul (Marina Armstrong)
3000m S/C: Doug Musson (Trevor Muxlow)
High Jump: Chris Kandu (John Herbert)
Pole Vault: Jack Phipps (Nick Phipps)
Long Jump: Feron Sayers (Femi Akinsanya)
Triple Jump: Efe Uwaifo (Tom McNab)
Shot: Kai Jones (Lukasz Barzyk)
Discus: Nick Percy (John Hillier)
Javelin: Benji Pearson (David Parker)
Hammer: Michael Painter (John Painter)
4 x 100m Relay: Street, Roy Ejiakuekwu (Keith Hunter), Dewi Hammond (Matt Elias), Tom Holligan (Eddie McKenna), Nathan Selby (John Smith), Josh Cox (Alan Watts)
4 x 400m Relay: Snaith, Ryan Lee (David Norton), Paul, Owen Smith (Caroline Sayer), Lolu Oluwole-Oji (Marina Armstrong)

WOMEN:

100m: Sophie Papps (Neil Dodson)
200m: Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)
400m: Sabrina Bakare (Jane Dixon)
800m: Jessica Judd (Rob Denmark)
1500m: Bobby Clay (Peter Mullervy)
3000m: Bronwen Owen (Andrew Henderson)
100mH: Yasmin Miller (Jared Deacon)
400mH: Hayley McLean (Steve Mitchell)
3000m S/C: Katie Ingle (Margaret Riley)
High Jump: Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake)
Pole Vault: Lucy Bryan (Charles Preston)
Long Jump: Jazmin Sawyers (Toni Minichiello)
Triple Jump: Mary Fasipe (John Herbert)
Shot: Sophie McKinna (Geoff Capes)
Discus: Shadine Duquemin (John Hillier)
Javelin: Natasha Wilson (Michael Doran)
Hammer: Louisa James (Ron James)
4 x 100m Relay: Papps, Asher-Smith, Clieo Stephenson (Michael Utting), Miller, Steffi Wilson (Graeme Gourlay)
4 x 400m Relay: Bakare, Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna), Jessie Knight (Nick Dakin), Loren Bleaken (Adrian Clover), McLean