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England Athletics announces 2022/23 Talent Pathway cohort

England Athletics is delighted to announce the cohort of athletes on its youth, junior, senior, and paralympic talent programmes for 2022/23.

The programmes are key steps along the England Athletics talent pathway, the purpose of which is to identify, develop, and support athletes and para-athletes from age 16 and over who have the potential to represent England and Great Britain at domestic and international championships, including Olympics and Paralympics.

The programmes, each unique yet perfectly aligned, provide the smooth transition from youth to junior to senior level for the athletes and para-athletes, via the Paralympic Talent Programme, and their coaches.

The talent pathway is tailored to meet the specific developmental, educational, and employability needs of the athletes and para-athletes to help them reach their full potential, both inside and outside of the sport.

Sarah Benson, Head of Talent Development at England Athletics, said:

“Firstly, we offer our huge congratulations to all the athletes and para-athletes who have been selected along with their coaches onto our talent programmes as part of our progressive and inclusive Talent Pathway. At England Athletics, we are making it our mission to connect and support developing athletes and para-athletes along their journey towards success, both inside and outside of the sport. We know that helping to enhance the education and opportunities for our athletes and para-athletes whilst at the same time nurturing their sporting ability at each stage of their development is a huge positive step towards them reaching their full potential.”

Alan Richardson, Youth Talent Programme Manager at England Athletics, said:

“The Youth Talent Programme is the start point of the England Athletics Talent Pathway and a big congratulations to all those athletes and coaches who have been selected to the programme this year. Each year the programme grows in strength and is a great opportunity for the development of skills in the technical, physical, and lifestyle areas that will support their journey throughout the pathway. We know that the athletes at this stage of development require support for athlete, coach, and parents and the Youth Talent Programme aims to support all three components of the support network.”

Darren Ritchie, Event Group Lead for Jumps and Combined Events at England Athletics, said:

“The Junior Talent Programme will provide athletes and coaches with the opportunity to train in performance development environments as they work towards achieving their goals and reaching their potential, whether that is competing in the Olympics, Commonwealth Games, England team internationals or representing and performing for their club to a high level. Each year, the standard is very high and it’s great to see the athletes progress through the talent pathway.”

England Athletics works closely with its official kit partner Kukri, with the sports brand being a key supporter of the Youth Talent Programme, including parents and coaches having access to discounted Kukri Talent Programme kit.

View the full cohort

What is the Talent Pathway?

The England Athletics Talent Pathway is designed to provide a progressive support structure for athletes, para-athletes and their coaches so they can develop the skills, knowledge, and competencies needed to reach their full potential and go on to represent England and Great Britain at national and international level.

The below diagram illustrates the athlete pathway from national age group to Olympic and World Championship level.

A diagram illustrating the pathway from club to Olympic and World Championship level through the various talent programmes

How is it structured?

The Talent Pathway is broken down into age-specific, progressive programmes, each tailored to meet the needs of the athlete in terms of where they are on their sport and life journeys. Each of the programmes also provide support for the athlete’s coach, again, relative to the age of the athlete and their specific needs.

Which programme comes first?

The Youth Talent Programme, or YTP, is a two-year programme and the first step on the England Athletics Talent Pathway. It is designed to meet the needs of English athletes aged between 16 and 18 years of age who are displaying early potential for future success.

The YTP focuses on supporting the athletes in developing a dual career through fulfilling their potential within the sport and in their education and employability.

The programme aims to complement provision within clubs and is delivered through a series of technical event-specific training camps and education workshops. Personal coaches are invited to attend with their athletes and offered coach development opportunities throughout the year.

For those athletes in full-time education, the YTP enables them to gain an academic qualification. Those athletes not in full-time education will be able to access YTP content and use skills gained from their training to support their personal development and progression without qualifications.

There is also the opportunity for coaches to access qualifications, and mentoring delivered through England Athletics coaches.

Which programme comes next?

The Junior Talent Programme, or JTP, is a three-year programme and the next step on the England Athletics Talent Pathway. It is designed to meet the needs of athletes who have either completed the YTP and demonstrated their potential to progress onto the next stage of the Talent Pathway or been directly selected.

The JTP is delivered through a series of technical event training camps in the UK and overseas. It focuses on supporting, developing, and preparing athletes for competition and the next stage of the pathway through sharing knowledge and best practice. Like the YTP, personal coaches are invited to attend with their athletes and offered coach development opportunities throughout the year.

Which is the final programme on the pathway?

The Senior Programme is the ultimate step on the England Athletics Talent Pathway and splits into the Commonwealth Games Programme, which is for athletes who have or are likely to medal at the Commonwealth Games; and the Senior Talent Programme, which is for athletes who have or are likely to be selected for the Commonwealth Games.

Places on the Senior Programme are limited hence the need for athletes to demonstrate to selectors that they have the performance characteristics, skills, competencies, knowledge, and resilience needed to succeed at the highest level.

What is the Paralympic Talent Programme?

The Paralympic Talent Programme, or PTP, is a three-year programme for nationally classified para-athletes. It is delivered via a series of technical event training camps as well as education workshops to support athletic development in young para-athletes displaying early potential for future success. Personal coaches are invited to attend with the para-athlete and offered coach development opportunities throughout the year.

Talent Hubs

Central to the success of the Talent Pathway are the Talent Hub partnerships between England Athletics and some of the country’s leading elite-sport universities, together providing world-class support to the hundreds of athletes and their coaches on the different Talent Programmes.

Through these university partnerships with Loughborough, St Mary’s (Twickenham), Birmingham, and Leeds, a network of industry-leading elite and community-linked environments has been established with investment from England Athletics, London Marathon, TASS, and UK Athletics.

The aim of the Hub network is to create a training and educational environment for pathway athletes and their coaches and, over time, develop links to local clubs to become an integrated part of the England Athletics structure. The Hubs provide training facilities, coaching, physiotherapy, strength and conditioning, psychology, and performance lifestyle.

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