Commonwealth Games England Athletics squad for 2018 Games announced
Adam Gemili, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Greg Rutherford and Dina Asher-Smith are among the 75 names announced for Team England’s athletics squad for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The team, which consists of England’s top athletes, already has 18 Commonwealth medals and 46 Commonwealth Games appearances between them, while a number of the chosen athletes will be competing at their very first multi-sport Games.
Team England Athletics Team Leader Martin Rush said, “We at England Athletics are delighted to be sending this team to the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The team is a real blend of experience and youth, featuring a number of athletes who performed well at last summer’s IAAF World Championships, as well as some who are making their senior international championships debuts.
“With just 75 places available, selection was always going to be a difficult task given the number of high-performing English athletes, but we are happy that we are taking a team that will be ready to perform at their best in Australia.”
Commonwealth 100m silver medallist and European 200m champion, Adam Gemili, said, “It’s such a proud moment for me to be selected to compete at my second Commonwealth Games. Winning two silver medals in Glasgow 2014 was an incredible experience for me and I’m really excited to get back out there.
“The Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games was a fantastic event. It was the first time I won a senior international medal so it’s great to be going back to where it all started.
"I’m looking forward to competing for Team England again and can’t wait to get out to Australia.”
British 100m and 200m record holder, Dina Asher-Smith, said, “Being selected to compete for Team England is so special and having had an amazing experience at the Commonwealth Youth Games in 2011 I’m excited to be racing on that stage again.
“I won two gold medals at that Youth Games and so adding a senior medal on the Gold Coast is now the goal.”
World and European indoor medallist, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, had to withdraw from Glasgow 2014 but is looking forward to her first Commonwealth Games. She said, “It’s always a great feeling to represent your country on the international stage and I’m really excited to get to compete for Team England. Every international I do, I feel more prepared and each one motivates me more to be the best I can be.
“I was so gutted to get an injury just before Glasgow 2014 and miss out so I’m really looking forward to competing at my first Commonwealth Games in Australia next year.”
Team England will send a team of around 600 athletes and staff in what will be England’s largest ever team to represent the nation in an overseas sporting event. The team will compete in 18 sports, including 38 para medal events. (The process for allocation of places for athletes in the para athletics events was announced by the Commonwealth Games Federation -please click here for details
Sarah Winckless, Chef de Mission for Commonwealth Games England, said, “We’re incredibly proud to be announcing such a strong athletics team for the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. We’re putting forward some of the best athletes in the world and we’re confident that we will be sending the most prepared English team to Australia next April.
“We look forward to the high-level of competition the Commonwealth Games will provide and with our excellent team of staff focussingtheir efforts to ensure that when we get out there, Team England will have everything set up for a world-class performance environment.”
The team announced today is as follows:
Men
Adam Gemili - 100m + relay - Club: Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC, Coach: Rana Reider
Adam Hague - Pole Vault - Club: Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: Trevor Fox
Andrew Osagie - 800m - Club: Harlow AC, Coach: Mark Rowland
Andy Pozzi - 110m Hurdles - Club: Stratford-upon-Avon AC, Coach: Benke Blomkvist
Andy Vernon - 10,000m - Club: Aldershot, Farnham & District AC, Coach: Nic Bideau
Ashley Bryant - Decathlon - Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Aston Moore
Ben Williams - Triple Jump - Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: John Crotty
Callum Wilkinson - 20k Race Walk - Club: Enfield & Haringey, Coach: Andi Drake
Charlie Grice - 1500m - Club: Brighton Phoenix, Coach: Jon Bigg
Chris Baker - High Jump - Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Sharon Heveran
Dan Bramble - Long Jump - Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Frank Attoh
Danny Talbot - 200m + relay - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Benke Blomkvist
Dave King - 110m Hurdles - Club: City of Plymouth AC, Coach: James Hillier
Dwayne Cowan - 4x400 relay - Club: Hercules Wimbledon AC, Coach: Lloyd Cowan
Elliot Giles - 800m - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Jon Bigg
George Caddick - 4x400 relay - Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Clyde Hart
Greg Rutherford - Long Jump - Club: Marshall Milton Keynes AC, Coach: Dan Pfaff
Harry Aikines-Aryeetey - 4x100 relay - Club: Sutton & District AC, Coach: Benke Blomkvist
Jack Green - 400m Hurdles - Club: Kent AC, Coach: Self
James Dasaolu - 100m + relay - Club: Croydon Harriers, Coach: Lloyd Cowan
John Lane - Decathlon - Club: Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: Antonio Minichiello
Kyle Langford - 800m - Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Jon Bigg
Luke Cutts - Pole Vault - Club: Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: Trevor Fox
Martyn Rooney - 4x400 relay - Club: Croydon Harriers, Coach: Graham Hedman
Matthew Hudson-Smith - 400m + relay - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Lance Brauman
Nathan Douglas - Triple Jump - Club: Oxford City AC, Coach: Aston Moore
Nathan Fox - Triple Jump - Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Tosin Oke
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake - 200m + relay - Club: Newham & Essex Beagles AC, Coach: Dennis Shaver
Nick Miller - Hammer - Club: Border Harriers, Coach: Tore Gustafsson
Rabah Yousif - 4x400 relay - Club: Newham & Essex Beagles AC, Coach: Carol Williams
Robbie Grabarz - High Jump - Club: Newham & Essex Beagles AC, Coach: Fuzz Caan
Taylor Campbell - Hammer - Club: Sheffield & Dearne AC, Coach: John Pearson
Tom Bosworth - 20k Race Walk - Club: Tonbridge AC, Coach: Andi Drake
Tom Gale - High Jump - Club: Team Bath AC, Coach: Denis Doyle
Zharnel Hughes - 200m + relay - Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Patrick Dawson
Women
Adelle Tracey - 800m - Club: Guildford & Godalming , Coach: Craig Winrow
Alyson Dixon - Marathon - Club: Sunderland Strollers, Coach: Self
Amelia Strickler - Shotput - Club: Thames Valley Harriers, Coach: Steve Manz
Anyika Onuora - 4x400 relay - Club: Liverpool Harriers, Coach: Rana Reider
Asha Philip - 100m + relay - Club: Newham & Essex Beagles, Coach: Steve Fudge
Ashleigh Nelson - 4x100 relay - Club: City of Stoke AC, Coach: Michael Afilaka
Bethan Partridge - High Jump - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Fuzz Caan
Bianca Williams - 200m + relay - Club: Enfield & Haringey, Coach: Lloyd Cowan
Cheriece Hylton - 4x400 relay - Club: Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC, Coach: Ryan Freckleton
Corinne Humphreys - 4x100 relay - Club: Orion Harriers, Coach: Darren Braithwaite
Desiree Henry - 100m + relay - Club: Enfield & Haringey AC, Coach: Rana Reider
Dina Asher-Smith - 200m + relay - Club: Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC, Coach: John Blackie
Emily Diamond - 4x400 relay - Club: Bristol & West AC, Coach: Jared Deacon
Finette Agyapong - 4x400 relay - Club: Newham & Essex Beagles AC, Coach: Coral Nourrice
Gemma Bridge - 20k Race Walk - Club: Oxford City AC, Coach: Mark Wall
Holly Bradshaw - Pole Vault - Club: Blackburn Harriers & AC, Coach: Scott Simpson
Iona Lake - 3,000m Steeple - Club: City of Norwich AC, Coach: Pauline Ash
Jade Lally - Discus - Club: Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers, Coach: Andrew Neal
Jazmin Sawyers - Long Jump - Club: City of Stoke AC, Coach: Lance Brauman
Jessica Judd - 1500m - Club: Chelmsford AC, Coach: Mick Judd
Katarina Johnson-Thompson - Heptathlon - Club: Liverpool Harriers, Coach: Bertrand Valcin
Katie Snowden - 1500m - Club: Herne Hill Harriers, Coach: Rob Denmark
Katie Stainton - Heptathlon - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Kelly Sotherton
Laura Weightman - 5,000m - Club: Morpeth Harriers, Caoch: Steve Cram
Lorraine Ugen - Long Jump - Club: Thames Valley Harriers, Coach: Shawn Jackson
Lucy Bryan - Pole Vault - Club: Bristol & West AC, Coach: Alan Richardson
Margaret Adeoye - 4x400 relay - Club: Enfield & Haringey, Coach: Linford Christie
Meghan Beesley - 400m Hurdles - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Michael Baker
Molly Caudery - Pole Vault - Club: Cornwall AC, Coach: Stuart Caudery
Morgan Lake - High Jump - Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Aston Moore, Fuzz Caan
Niamh Emerson - Heptathlon - Club: Amber Valley & Erewash AC, Coach: David Feeney
Perri Shakes-Drayton - 4x400 relay - Club: Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets AC, Coach: Chris Zah
Rachel Wallader - Shotput - Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Richard Woodhall
Rosie Clarke - 3,000m Steeplechase - Club: Epsom & Ewell Harriers, Coach: David Harmer
Sarah McDonald - 1500m - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: David Harmer
Shara Proctor - Long Jump - Club: Birchfield Harriers, Coach: Rana Reider
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke - 800m - Club: Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow AC, Coach: Jon Bigg
Sonia Samuels - Marathon - Club: Sale Harriers Manchester, Coach: Self
Sophie Hitchon - Hammer - Club: Blackburn Harriers & AC, Coach: Tore Gustafsson
Tiffany Porter - 100m Hurdles - Club: Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies, Coach: Jeff Porter
Note: As per the published selection policy (section 3.4.8), athletes already selected will be considered to double up in other events if, in the Head Coach’s opinion, this will not detract from their performance in other events, including the relays. Selections will be made in due course.
As part of its plans to send the best prepared team to the Gold Coast, Commonwealth Games England will hold a 10-day preparation camp in Brisbane, create a dedicated performance centre inside the Commonwealth Games Village, and offer a full programme of support services.
Team England’s preparation camp for the Gold Coast will include a number of specially selected high-performance sports and support facilities that will enable athletes to continue training and complete their final preparations prior to entering the Commonwealth Games Village.
The dedicated performance centre will be at the heart of Team England’s headquarters inside the Commonwealth Games Village. It will provide an enhanced environment in the Village for athletes, coaches and support staff, where the team will have access to dedicated doctors, physios and a full range of clinical, rehabilitation, preparation services, kit, equipment, stretching and R&R areas.