2 July 2013

British Athletics has confirmed the second wave of selections for the European Under 23 Championships in Tampere, Finland, on 11-14 July. Following the first wave of athletes selected on 17 June, a further 15 athletes have been added to the GB & NI team.

Reigning European Under 23 400m hurdles champion Jack Green (coach: Malcolm Arnold) has been added to the GB & NI squad of 38 athletes and will look to defend the title he won in Ostrava two years ago. Green ran a time of 49.13 to take victory in 2011 and will be joined in the 400m hurdles in Finland by Niall Flannery (Nick Dakin) and Sebastian Rodger (Stephen King), who are ranked third and fourth respectively in Europe.

British senior record holder Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson) is almost two metres clear at the top of the European under 23 women’s hammer rankings. Hitchon, who threw 72.97m to extend her British record by 99cm at the European Team Championships in Gateshead last weekend, will go to Finland as the clear favourite to defend the title she won two years ago.

Adam Gemili (Michael Afilaka), selected for the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay in the first wave of selections, will be another leading British medal hope. Gemili sits second in the European under 23 100m rankings and leads the 200m rankings thanks to his 20.30 performance at the England Athletics Under 23 Championships last month.

The GB & NI team contains the top three ranked European male 200m runners as Gemili is joined by Danny Talbot (Daniel Cossins) and David Bolarinwa (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) while the top two ranked athletes in the men’s 5,000m are also British. Following his time of 13:46.62 at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham on Sunday, Tom Farrell (Dave Smith) will join Luke Caldwell (Robert Russell), who leads the way with his time of 13:29.94 from April.

In the women’s sprints, Jodie Williams (Stanley Madiri) will also double up in the 100m and 200m as well as leading the GB & NI 4x100m team. The 19 year old is ranked fifth in Europe for 100m and third for 200m and will be joined in the 100m by Rachel Johncock (Afilaka) while Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan) and Ashleigh Nelson (Afilaka) will compete in the 200m.

After running an IAAF World Championships B qualifying standard of 4:07.76 at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham on Sunday, Laura Muir (Andy Young) is ranked sixth in Europe over 1500m and will also hope to challenge for a medal at the Under 23 Championships.

World junior long jump champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Mike Holmes) will compete in the heptathlon in Finland. The 20 year old, who finished 15th at the Olympic Games in London last summer, has a personal best of 6267 from 2012 which has been bettered by only one under 23 woman in Europe this year.

Holly Bleasdale (Scott Simpson) has withdrawn from the GB & NI team with an injury and will now focus on regaining fitness for the IAAF World Championships.

Full GB & NI team for the European U23 Championships (additions underlined):

MEN:

100m: Adam Gemili (Michael Afilaka), Deji Tobais (Jonas Tawiah Dodoo), Samuel Osewa (Clarence Callender); 200m: Gemili, David Bolarinwa (Tawiah-Dodoo), Danny Talbot (Daniel Cossins); 1500m: Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg); 5,000m: Luke Caldwell (Robert Russell), Tom Farrell (Dave Smith); 110mH: James Gladman (James Hillier); 400mH: Sebastian Rodger (Stephen King), Niall Flannery (Nick Dakin), Jack Green (Malcolm Arnold); 4x100m relay: Bolarinwa, Gemili, Osewa, Talbot, Tobais, Dannish Walker-Khan (Linford Christie); High jump: Chris Baker (Aston Moore) Allan Smith (Bryan Roy); Pole vault: Jax Thoirs (Pat Licari); Long jump: James McLachlan (Denis Costello), Shot put: Zane Duquemin (John Hillier); Discus: Duquemin; Hammer: Nick Miller (John Baumann); Decathlon: Ashley Bryant (Ian Grant)

WOMEN:

100m: Jodie Williams (Stanley Madiri), Rachel Johncock (Afilaka); 200m: Jodie Williams, Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan), Ashleigh Nelson (Afilaka); 1500m: Laura Muir (Andy Young); 5,000m: Kate Avery (Tony Simmons), Beth Potter (Mick Woods); 10,000m: Rhona Auckland (Joyce Hogg); 4x100m relay: Johncock, Nelson, Annie Tagoe (Afilaka), Bianca Williams, Jodie Williams, Corinne Humphreys (Darren Braithwaite); High jump: Isobel Pooley (Fayyaz Ahmed); Pole vault: Katie Byres (Julien Raffalli-Ebezant); Long jump: Lorraine Ugen (Frank Attoh); Javelin: Isabelle Jeffs (David Parker); Hammer: Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson); Heptathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Mike Holmes)