12th July 2016
Rio 2016 Olympics: GB Athletics Team
13 July 2016
The British Olympic Association has today announced the 80 track and field athletes who will compete for Team GB at next month’s Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
Olympic Champions Jess Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford will seek to retain their Olympic crowns in Brazil having triumphed on ‘Super Saturday’ at London 2012, with Farah also defending his 5000m title.
London 2012 medallists Christine Ohuruogu, who also won Olympic gold at Beijing 2008, and Robbie Grabarz also return and will again compete in the 400m and high jump respectively while Jo Pavey is set to compete in her fifth Olympic Games in the 10,000m.
British athletes have enjoyed a successful 12 months in the build-up to Rio 2016 with the team winning seven medals at Beijing 2015. Ennis-Hill, Farah and Rutherford all claimed gold while Shara Proctor took long jump silver and there were bronze medals for the men’s and women’s 4x400m relay teams.
Just last week, the team then took away 16 medals from the European Championships after winning five gold, three silver and eight bronze in Amsterdam.
Team GB Chef de Mission Mark England said: “Track and field is one of the showpiece sports of an Olympic Games and in these 80 athletes we have a team full of the ability, pedigree and experience to match the spectacle.
“It’s great to welcome back the household names who lit up London 2012 but I’m also sure the country can look forward to new heroes emerging in the Olympic Stadium in Rio de Janeiro this summer.
“With well over 300 athletes now selected and just over three weeks to go until the start of the Games, Team GB, with an estimated 360 athletes in total, is shaping up to be the most talented team we’ve ever taken to an Olympic Games.”
Athletics Team Leader Neil Black said: “I’m very excited by this group of athletes and what I think we can achieve in Rio.
“There’s a real blend of experience and exciting new talent, with the likes of Olympic gold medallists Mo, Jess, Greg and Christine, selected alongside those becoming Olympians for the first time, like Dina Asher-Smith, Chris Baker, Jazmin Sawyers and Elliot Giles.
“This is the best prepared and arguably strongest team we have ever selected. We believe the world class level of performances this group can achieve will see us challenging for a number of places on the podium.”
Jess Ennis-Hill said: “Everything’s coming together now and I’m feeling good. Training over the past few weeks has been going really well and it’s been good to be back in the competitive environment recently. There’s still some time left before Rio to put some work in as well.
“London was an incredible experience and the two journeys to London and Rio have been completely different, which I’ve really enjoyed. If I was able to defend my title in Rio it will certainly be one of my greatest achievements.”
Martyn Rooney said: “I’m over the moon to be selected for my third Olympics, I’m hoping that Rio will be my most successful yet.
After a successful European Championships, both individually and the team as a whole, I’m setting my sights on the final in the individual 400m and a medal in the 4x400m relay.”
The selected athletes are:
Men:
100m
James Dasaolu
James Ellington
Chijindu Ujah
200m
Adam Gemili
Danny Talbot
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake
400m
Martyn Rooney
Matthew Hudson-Smith
Rabah Yousif
800m
Michael Rimmer
Elliot Giles
1500m
Chris O’Hare
Charlie Grice
5000m
Mo Farah
Tom Farrell
Andrew Butchart
10,000m
Mo Farah
Ross Millington
Andy Vernon
3000m steeplechase
Rob Mullett
110m hurdles
Andy Pozzi
Lawrence Clarke
400m hurdles
Sebastian Rodger
Jack Green
High Jump
Robbie Grabarz
Chris Baker
Pole Vault
Luke Cutts
Long Jump
Greg Rutherford
Hammer Throw
Nick Miller
Mark Dry
Chris Bennett
20km race walk
Tom Bosworth
50km race walk
Dominic King
Marathon
Callum Hawkins
Tsegai Tewelde
Derek Hawkins
Women:
100m
Asha Philip
Desiree Henry
Daryll Neita
200m
Dina Asher-Smith
Jodie Williams
400m
Christine Ohuruogu
Emily Diamond
Seren Bundy-Davies
800m
Lynsey Sharp
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke
1500m
Laura Muir
Laura Weightman
5000m
Eilish McColgan
Stephanie Twell
Laura Whittle
10,000m
Jo Pavey
Beth Potter
Jessica Andrews
3000m steeplechase
Lennie Waite
100m hurdles
Tiffany Porter
Cindy Ofili
400m hurdles
Eilidh Doyle
High Jump
Morgan Lake
Pole Vault
Holly Bradshaw
Long Jump
Lorraine Ugen
Shara Proctor
Jazmin Sawyers
Discus Throw
Jade Lally
Hammer Throw
Sophie Hitchon
Heptathlon
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Jessica Ennis-Hill
Marathon
Sonia Samuels
Alyson Dixon
Relays:
Men:
4x100m
James Dasaolu
James Ellington
Chijindu Ujah
Adam Gemili
Danny Talbot
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake
Richard Kilty
Ojie Edoburun
Harry Aikines-Aryeteey
4x400m
Martyn Rooney
Matthew Hudson-Smith
Rabah Yousif
Jack Green
Delano Williams
Nigel Levine
Jarryd Dunn
Women:
4x100m
Asha Philip
Desiree Henry
Daryll Neita
Dina Asher-Smith
Bianca Williams
Ashleigh Nelson
Louise Bloor
4x400m
Christine Ohuruogu
Emily Diamond
Seren Bundy-Davies
Eilidh Doyle
Anyika Onuora
Margaret Adeoye
Kelly Massey