8 July 2014

British Athletics has today announced a finalised team of 46 athletes for the IAAF World Junior Championships to be held in Eugene, Oregon on 22-27 July, with IAAF World Youth pole vault champion Harry Coppell (coach: John Mitchell) the most notable addition.

Coppell took victory in Donetsk last year but just last weekend smashed his lifetime best with a 5.40m clearance to win in Mannheim. That performance puts him second on the world rankings and he will join British junior record holders Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie) and David Omoregie (Mike Guest) in a strong team that contains 15 athletes who currently sit in the top ten in the world junior rankings.

Desiree Henry (Rana Reider) is another key addition, having won medals at two previous age group championships. She joins Asher-Smith in both the 100m and the 4x100m relay, where they will both have their eyes on medals

Similarly, Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake) has been named in the heptathlon, and will head to Eugene with high hopes after withdrawing from the Commonwealth Games to focus on this championship; the 17 year old is currently ranked third in the world. Full teams have also been named in all four relays, with the women’s 4x100m team in particular looking to get amongst the medals and potentially break the British junior record set in Rieti last summer.

Further athletes who were named in the first wave of selections include Shona Richards (Marina Armstrong), currently ranked number two in the world over 400m hurdles, high jumper Chris Kandu (John Herbert), who is also ranked second in the world this year and last year’s world youth 800m bronze medallist Kyle Langford (George Harrison).

On the strength of the team selected, Team Leader and former world junior high jump fourth placer Jo Jennings commented:

“We’re all excited for what is set to be a very special championship. Hayward Field in Eugene is an iconic venue with a lot of history and this will certainly add to the experience. The championship will provide a great opportunity for this very talented crop of young athletes to get a taste of what is hopefully on the agenda for them in years to come. It’s a strong team, with plenty of highly ranked athletes, so we look forward to the championships and coming home with some great performances.”

GREAT BRITAIN & NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM FOR THE IAAF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS:

MEN:

100m: Reuben Arthur (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo), Ojie Edoburun (Tawiah-Dodoo)
200m: Thomas Somers (Geoffrey Barraclough), Chris Stone (Alastair Abrams)
400m: Elliot Rutter (Dan Cossins), Jack Crosby (Rick Betts)
800m: Kyle Langford (George Harrison), Theo Blundell (Eddie Cockayne)
1500m: Shaun Wyllie (Jeff Seddon)
110mH: David Omoregie (Mike Guest), Khai Riley-La Borde (Ray Gibbins)
400mH: Jacob Paul (Marina Armstrong)
High Jump: Chris Kandu (John Herbert), Rory Dwyer (Paul Bearman)
Pole Vault: Adam Hague (Trevor Fox), Harry Coppell (John Mitchell)
Long Jump: Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Matt Barton)
Javelin: Freddie Curtis (Petteri Piironen)
Hammer: Taylor Campbell (Paul Dickenson)
Decathlon: David Hall (Ian Grant)
4x100m: Arthur, Edoburun, Stone, Roy Ejiakuekwu (Keith Hunter), Marvin Popoola (Les Johnson), Owin Sinclair (Leon Baptiste)
4x400m: Rutter, Crosby, Somers, Ben Snaith (Mick Graham), Nick Petrou (John Baron), Jacob Ness (Lee Ness)

WOMEN:

100m: Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie), Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)
200m: Asher-Smith (Blackie), Shannon Hylton (Blackie)
1500m: Amy Griffiths (Mick Woods), Bobby Clay (Peter Mullervy)
100mH: Yasmin Miller (Lloyd Cowan)
400mH: Shona Richards (Armstrong), Jessica Turner (Nick Dakin)
3000m S/C: Katie Ingle (Margaret Riley), Amy-Eloise Neale (Greg Medcalf)
Heptathlon: Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake)
Hammer: Kimberley Reed (Scott Reed)
4x100m: Asher-Smith, Henry, Hylton, Cheriece Hylton (Blackie), Imani Lansiquot (Lorna Boothe), Ama Pipi (Tawiah-Dodoo)
4x400m: Sabrina Bakare (Jane Dixon), Lily Beckford (Christine Bowmaker), Loren Bleaken (Malcolm Arnold), Nikita Campbell-Smith (Toni Minichiello), Cheriece Hylton (Blackie), Lavai Nielson (Frank Adams)