UKA today announced the Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team to compete at the SPAR European Championships in Barcelona from the 27th July- 1st August 2010 under the captaincy of World Heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis.
Ennis, who has a World indoor and outdoor title to her name, will begin her European medal hunt alongside a team of 72 British athletes who were named today.
She said: “I am really honoured to have been asked to Captain the Aviva GB&NI team for the European’s. I hope I will be able to offer advice and encouragement to everyone.”
“My team talk will be very short, but geared towards encouraging everyone to give it their all - if we all go out there and do our best we should have some great results.”
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Among those selected all have genuine potential to medal at the forthcoming competition including world indoor and outdoor medallist Jenny Meadows and European indoor 3000m champion Mo Farah.
Athletes tipped for breakthrough championships at the iconic Olympic stadium include; Hannah England over 1500m, 400m hurdles head to head Perri Shakes- Drayton and Eilidh Child, 800m hopeful Jemma Simpson and Laura Turner who set a personal best of 11.11 in Switzerland on the weekend.
UKA Head Coach Charles van Commenee said: “The start of the European Championships coincides with the mark of two years to 2012 and this event provides us with a great marker of how far we have progressed and how far we still have to go.
“We have a number of strong medal contenders in the squad and I am looking forward to witnessing some outstanding performances in British vests.”
AVIVA GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND WOMEN’S TEAM
100m: Laura Turner (Harrow)
200m: Emily Freeman (Wakefield)
400m: Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet)
800m: Jenny Meadows (Wiagn), Marilyn Okoro (Shaftesbury), Jemma Simpson (Newquay & Par)
1500m: Hannah England (Bud Baldaro), Lisa Dobriskey (Ashford), Stephanie Twell (AFD)
5000m: Jo Pavey (Exeter)
10,000m: Jo Pavey (Exeter)
3000mSC: Hatti Dean (Hallamshire), Barbara Parker (City of Norwich)
Marathon: Helen Decker (Ipswich), Susan Partridge (Leeds City), Michelle Ross- Cope (City of Stoke), Rebecca Robinson (Kendal), Holly Rush (Team Bath), Jo Wilkinson (Bedford & County)
20k Race Walk: Joanna Jackson (Redcar)
400mH: Eilidh Child (Pitreavie), Perri Shakes- Drayton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets);
Pole Vault: Kate Dennison (Sale);
4×100m: Montell Douglas (Blackheath & Bromley), Katherine Endacott (City of Plymouth), Emily Freeman (Wakefield), Hayley Jones (Wigan & District), Joice Maduaka (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Elaine O’Neill (Woodford Green & Essex Ladies), Laura Turner (Harrow AC)
4×400m: Victoria Barr (Rugby & Northampton), Lee McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet), Marilyn Okoro (Shaftesbury Barnet), Nadine Okyere (Birchfield), Nicola Sanders (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), Perri Shakes- Drayton (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets) , Kim Wall (Basildon)
Heptathlon: Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield)
Jennifer Tippett, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
