Preview of England Athletics Combined Events Championships

The England Athletics Senior and Under-20 Combined Events Open Championships will attract several would-be Olympians to the EIS Sheffield on Saturday and Sunday 12 and 13 January (10.30am) – and most of them will have London 2012 in their sights.

Chief among those with Beijing ambitions is Ed Dunford (Birchfield Harriers), who ended last summer sensationally by beating the Beijing Olympics B qualifying standard when winning the UK Challenge decathlon final with 7734 points.

Now he has set his sights so firmly on achieving the A standard of 8000 points early this summer that he says: “I’m not easing my training for indoor competitions. I shall enjoy the indoors but all that matters to me this year is that A standard!”

Dunford is already selected for the Norwich Union Great Britain and Northern Ireland to tackle the Czech Republic, France and Spain in a senior international at the same Sheffield venue on 2 and 3 February and is acutely aware that the competition this weekend will be keen among rivals battling for the other three places in that match plus places in the Under 23 and Under 20 international v France and Spain on 1 and 2 March.

Among his in-form rivals will be the defending champion, Kevin Sempers (Belgrave Harriers). He won last weekend’s South of England Combined Events Indoor Championships, and the Sheffield entry also includes the other two medallists from last weekend’s competition, Kevin Reeks (Bournemouth AC) and Tony Higbee (Basingstoke & Mid Hants AC).

The senior women’s pentathlon entry includes Phylis Agbo (Thames Valley Harriers), who ended last summer by winning the heptathlon at the UK Combined Events Challenge Final; Grace Clements (Dartford Harriers), who won the heptathlon silver medal at last summer’s England Athletics Combined Events Open Championships; Leanne Buxton (Bedford & County AC), who began this winter by winning the South of England title last weekend; Gemma Weetman (Oswestry Olympians), who won the senior women’s bronze medal at last year’s England CE Indoor Championships; and Jenny Lumley (Leeds City AC), stepping into the senior ranks having won the junior women’s title 12 months ago.

The junior men’s heptathlon entry includes Sam Worrall (Derby AC), aiming to add to the silver medal he won 12 months ago. The junior women’s pentathlon competitors include last year’s third- and fourth- placers Meghan Beesley (Tamworth AC) and Amy Hill (City of Sheffield AC).

All of the action will be closely watched by Toni Minichiello, coach of European Combined Events Cup champion Jessica Ennis (City of Sheffield AC and Trafford AC) and Chair of the UKA Combined Events Management Group. He says: “We’ve some good youngsters coming through. This is their time to shine. I know we all have Beijing in mind but for most of this weekend’s competitors, 2012 is the year that will count most. This is the start of their London campaign!”