16 March 2010

UKA today announced European Indoor 3000m champion Mo Farah (Ricky Simms) and European Cross Country Champion Hayley Yelling (Conrad Milton) are amongst twenty one athletes selected for the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships to be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March.   

European Indoor 3000m champion Farah, who won the McCain Cross Challenge final and trials event in Cofton Park, Birmingham on 13 March returned to the UK in great shape following a long phase of altitude training in Kenya.  

He heads up the men’s senior team which also includes seasoned cross runner Andy Vernon (Nick Anderson) who finished 78^th at the international event last year. Both athletes competed at the European Cross Country in Dublin last December, an extremely successful campaign for GB&NI.

Yelling, who returned to competitive action last winter to be a surprise, yet convincing, winner at the European Cross Country, leads a team of five women including top three finishers from the trials Freya Murray (Steve Jones), Steph Twell (Mick Woods) and Faye Fullerton (Georgina Fullerton).  

Impressive U17 youngster Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods), who won the European Cross Country trials at Sefton Park in late 2009 but was too young for selection, has the chance to compete for her country this time around, following her birthday in January and another spectacular win at the recent trials in Birmingham.

She will be joined by a strong team, looking for a top five team finish, including Annabel Gummow (Chris Wooldridge) and Hannah Walker (Mike Dunphy) who finished second and third respectively in the trials.

Richard Goodman (Geoff Williams), another athlete competing ahead of his years, also clocked double trials victories pre and post Christmas in the junior age group despite being a year younger than the majority of the field.

International cross country hopefuls Ronnie Sparke (Richard Thurston) and Ben Norris (Andy McNeill) make up the team along with Johnathan Hay (Mick Woods) and Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) who gained valuable experience at the 2009 European Cross Country.

US based Tom Farrell (Andy Farrell), who recently broke the British junior 3k record  with a 7.58.68i performance  in Seattle, USA on the 13 Feb and  has set new personal bests in both the 3000m and 5000m this season was also included in the team. His consistent performances and mature attitude to the sport made him an ideal candidate for selection.  

Junior athletes will attend a preparation camp at Loughborough University prior to competition.

AVIVA GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM

SENIOR MEN

Mo Farah (Ricky Simms) Newham & Essex Beagles

Mike Skinner (Andy Hobdell) Blackheath & Bromley

Andy Vernon (Nick Anderson) AFD

James Wilkinson (Phil Townsend) Leeds City

SENIOR WOMEN

Faye Fullerton (Georgina Fullerton) Havering Mayesbrook

Freya Murray (Steve Jones) Chester Le Street & Dist AC

Stevie Stockton (George Gandy) Vale Royal 

Stephanie Twell (Mick Woods) AFD

Hayley Yelling (Conrad Milton) Windsor Slough, Eton & Hounslow

JUNIOR MEN

Tom Farrell (Andy Farrell) Border

Richard Goodman (Geoff Williams) Shaftesbury Barnet

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) Kilbarchan

Jonathan Hay (Mick Woods) AFD

Ben Norris (Andy McNeill) Notts

Ronnie Sparke (Richard Thurston) Woodford Green and Essex Ladies

JUNIOR WOMEN

Kate Avery (Robert Ashwood) Shildon

Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods) AFD

Annabel Gummow (Chris Wooldridge) Bristol & West

Sarah Inglis (Steve Cottom) Lothian

Beth Potter (John Nuttall) Victoria Park City of Glasgow

Hannah Walker (Mike Dunphy) Dacorum & Tring