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Combined Events athletes ready for a demanding competition weekend

This weekend sees our senior and under 20 athletes compete for heptathlon and decathlon honours at the England Athletics Combined Events Championships in Bedford.

Entry is by programme purchase on the door, but if you can't come and watch, we'll have an online round up and results following the conclusion of competition each day.

Combined Events

Senior Men Decathlon
(100m, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin, 1500m)

With last year's winner of the decathlon and this year's bronze medallist for the indoor heptathlon, Ben Gregory (Aston Moore, Birchfield Harriers/Loughborough Students) entered, as well as Commonwealth Games athletes John Lane (Toni Minichiello Sheffield & Dearne/Leeds Beckett Uni) and Ashley Bryant (Aston Moore, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), and former winner Liam Ramsey (Mike Corden, Sheffield & Dearne) the competition should provide plenty of action. Also entered are former champion Liam Ramsey and . Lewis Church (David Hull, Tonbridge) who won silver last year in the Home Countries International and bronze in the England U20 competition) is also in the line up, as is Aiden Davies (Sam Stanislaus, Doncaster/Leeds Beckett Uni) who took 4th in the indoor heptathlon - they are all likely to be battling for podium places.

Senior Women Heptathlon
(100m hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m, Long Jump, Javelin, 800m)

A number of the senior women who are entered have already completed an outdoor heptathlon this year abroad, including u23 Ellen Barber (David Feeney, Yeovil) who took silver indoors in January as well. Last August's Home Countries International champion and indoor bronze medallist Lucy Turner (Sam Stanislaus, Gateshead/Northumbria Uni/Wigan & District) is also on the entry list, as is last year's SEAA heptathlon champion Alice Hopkins (Marcia Marriott, Oxford City) who was 4th indoors at the England pentathlon championships.

U20 Women Heptathlon
(100m hurdles, High Jump, Shot Put, 200m, Long Jump, Javelin, 800m)

Both Isabel Wakefield (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Harrow) and Olivia Jones (Paul Harrison, Birchfield Harriers) have scored personal bests this yesr at events in the USA, and 2018 and 2019 indoor pentathlon winner Holly Mills (James Coney, Andover) will also be looking for an outdoor heptathlon medal but her fellow indoor medallists Amaya Scott (Matthew Watson, Southampton) and Jenna Blundell (Julie Alexander, Team Bath) also entered.

Under 20 Men Decathlon
(100m, Long Jump, Shot Put, High Jump, 400m, 110m hurdles, Discus, Pole Vault, Javelin, 1500m)

The top seven ranked athletes for this year's indoor heptathlon including medallists Jack Turner (Kevin Skinner, Exeter), Scott Brindley (Mark Stringer, North Ayrshire) and Joel McFarlane (Central AC) are entered for what looks set to be a close and exciting competition.

Disability Open

England Athletics are also hosting a Disability event open in conjunction with the championships. The following events will take place:

100m (ambulant and wheelchair)
200m (ambulant)
400m (ambulant and wheelchair)
800m (wheelchair)
Long Jump (ambulant)

The long jump entries include Martina Barber (Stevenage & North Herts, T20) who placed 4th last year in the World Para Athletics European Championships and 2nd ranked Karim Chan (Femi Akinsanya, Charnwood, T20) and op of the T38 rankings Barney Corrall (Charnwood AC). The wheelchair races see the likes of Dan Bramall (Peter Wyman, Kirkby AC, T33) and Zien Zhou (Job King,Coventry, T34) entered over multiple distances, and the ambulant races have a good number of entries - ensuring most athletes will have others within their classification to compete against.

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