UK Athletics has names 42-strong squad for the European Athletics U23 Championships in Ostrava, Czech Republic, next month and the contingent includes four European leaders of their events for the age group.
Among the quartet is 400m hurdler Nathan Woodward who recorded a new lifetime best and British under 23 record of 49.06 at the British trials in Bedford on Sunday.
He just edged out 19-year-old Jack Green, who was given the same time but finished a few thousandths of a second in arrears after the photo-finish picture was examined.
The pair are joined by Niall Flannery, the third ranked 400m hurdler in Europe, raising the possibility that Britain could take a clean sweep of the medals as well as carrying on a winning streak that extends back to 2005, with Rhys Williams (2005), David Greene (2007) and Lloyd Gumbs (2009) having all won at the Championships in the last six years.
Similarly, Europe’s current top two will be wearing British vests when they go head-to-head in the discus.
Brett Morse who recorded a UK age group record of 64.49m earlier this season will face British trials winner and European number two Lawrence Okoye as they bid to become Britain’s first ever men’s medallists in this event at the European Athletics U23 Championships.
In the 400m, the 2009 silver medallist Nigel Levine will be looking to move up one place on the podium while the 2010 World Junior Championships pole vault bronze medallist Holly Bleasdale leads the European under 23 rankings with a UK age group record of 4.53m and is bidding to become Britain’s first ever pole vault winner at the Championships of either sex.
”The European Under-23 Championships is a valuable opportunity and great career stepping stone for our athletes. We’ve selected a strong, quality team, and we believe that every athlete is capable of achieving a top five performance,” said Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team Leader John Herbert, the former top class triple jumper.
“We have an excellent record at this Championships and our expectation is that we can continue to deliver podium level performances, matching or exceeding 2009’s record breaking total of 18 medals where we finished second in the medal table overall.”
Britain has traditionally battled with Russia and Germany for the top three places in the medal table
Other potential British medal contenders include sprinters James Alaka and Danny Talbot as well as women’s distance runners Emma Pallent, Stevie Stockton and 2010 SPAR European Cross Country Championships junior women’s winner Charlotte Purdue.
The complete Aviva Great Britain and Northern Ireland team is:
MEN -
100m: James Alaka, Andrew Robertson; 200m: Alaka; Danny Talbot; 400m: Luke Lennon-Ford, Nigel Levine; 800m: Mukhtar Mohammed; 1500m: Dan Clorley, James Shane; 5000m: Adam Bitchell, John McDonnell, Ross Millington; 110m hurdles: Lawrence Clarke; 400m hurdles: Niall Flannery, Jack Green, Nathan Woodward; 4x100m: Alaka; Richard Kilty, Robertson; Kieran Showler-Davis, Talbot; Deji Tobais; 4x400m: Jamie-Kerr Bowie, Harry Doran, Lennon-Ford, Levine, Louis Persent, Thomas Phillips; high jump: David Smith; discus: Brett Morse, Lawrence Okoye.
WOMEN
200m: Emily Diamond; 800m: Lynsey Sharp; 1500m: Stacey Smith; 5000m: Emma Pallant, Stevie Stockton; Hannah Walker; 10000m: Charlotte Purdue; 400m hurdlers: Meghan Beesley; 3000m steeplechase: Eilish McColgan; 4x100m: Diamond; Annabelle Lewis, Ashleigh Nelson, Elaine O’Neill, Asha Philip, Torema Thompson; pole vault: Holly Bleasdale; long jump: Lorraine Ugen; hammer: Sophie Hitchon.