News

England get set for Loughborough

It is set to be an exciting start to our competitive track and field season this summer with the Loughborough International taking place on Sunday.  Many of the athletes competing for their respective teams (Scotland, Wales, GBNI Juniors, Loughborough students and BUCS) have already shown their form at County championships, the BUCS championships and other early season events. England will hope to defend last year's team win.

Highlight of the day for England is likely to be the Shot Put events, with Sophie Mckinna (Club: Great Yarmouth/Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow, Coach: Mike Winch) representing England after her amazing 18.23m put recently. For the men, Scott Lincoln (Club: City of York/Shaftesbury Barnet, Coach: Paul Wilson) is fresh from breaking Arthur Rowe’s Yorkshire County record which has stood for 29 years.  This was Scott’s first outdoor foray of the year after a number of successful indoor competitions in the England vest.

The female throwers look set to make a big impression at Loughborough; Phoebe Dowson (Club: Bournemouth/University of South Alabama/Southampton, Coach: Mark Chapman) added almost 2 metres onto her discus lifetime best recently as has Jessica Mayho (Club: Birchfield Harriers/Sheffield Hallam Uni) who had thrown the hammer over 63m twice already this year for a new PB. Commonwealth Youth Games javelin gold medallist Emma Hamplett (Club: Birchfield Harriers/Loughborough Students, Coach: Michael McNeill) has already thrown well this year and her male counterpart Harry Hughes (Club: Newham & Essex Beagles/Essex Uni, Coach: Mark Roberson)is in good form with a win at BUCS and two 78m+ throws under his belt already.

Our hurdlers will make England hard to beat; : David King (Club: City of Plymouth, Coach: James Hillier) is the British indoor sprint hurdles champion, while Jessica Hunter (Club: Shaftesbury Barnet/Bedfordshire Uni, Coach: Scott Grace) and Jessie Knight (Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow/Loughborough Students, Coach: Marina Armstrong) are both BUCs champions in the 110mH and 400mH respectively, while Tom Horton (Club: Sheffield & Dearne/Sheffield Uni, Coach: Bashir Hussain), also joins that select group and pulls on the England vest once more after previously competing at the Manchester International.

England’s 100m sprinters are both on form; number 1 ranked U23 Oliver Bromby (Club: Southampton/London Metropolitan Uni) showed his form recently in Bedford at BUCS, and Darcey Kuypers (Club: Medway & Maidstone, Coach: Warren Salter) came 2nd there with a new PB – against Loughborough’s Shannon Malone.

Moving up to the middle distance, England’s Spencer Thomas (Club: Brighton Phoenix, Coach: Jon Bigg), was 3rd at the British indoor champs for 800m and this will be his first outdoor track meeting at the distance. Also the first outdoor meet for Piers Copeland (Club: Wimborne/Cardiff Met Uni/Bournemouth, Coach: Bob Smith) at 1500m – he took 3rd at the British 1500m indoors. Dani Chattenton (Club: Imperial College/Thames Valley, Coach: Kyle Bennett) is also a British indoor medallist who clocked 4.16 for 1500m recently outdoors in Watford.

It’s going to be a great day of action!