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Preview: England Athletics Open U20/U17/U15 Indoor Championships

World age 15 60m best-holder Divine Iheme (Radley AC, Nkiruka Iheme) and European heptathlon medallist Thea Brown (Sale Harriers Manchester, Ashley Bryant) headline what could be a fantastic weekend of athletics as the top young athletes in the country gather at the EIS in Sheffield this weekend for the England Athletics Open U20/U17/U15 Indoor Championships.

Under-20 men

In the 60m, defending champion and World Athletics U20 finalist Teddy Wilson (Shaftesbury Barnet) looks to build on his excellent start to the season when he climbed to equal fourth on the UK all-time list for the age group with 6.66, improving his best by four hundredths. Joel Masters (BFT Track Academy / Rugby & Northampton, Jon Humphries-Cuff), who set an under-17 championship best of 6.72 12 months ago, is back (pictured below last year).

Joel Masters under 17 men 60m

Welsh long jumper Luca Phillips (Cardiff Archers, Phillip Warwicker), who went to third on the UK under-17 all-time list with 7.36m last winter, steps up an age group, where Sammy Lok (Carol Jackson, Corby AC) is number 1 on paper with 7.45m.

Rudi May (Sheffield & Dearne, Trevor Fox), who won silver outdoors at England under-20 level last summer, heads the entries for the pole vault with his 4.70m PB.

Under-20 women

Combined-events star Thea Brown is set to return to the scene of her England pentathlon win three weeks earlier. She will compete in the 60m hurdles and long jump. The European U18 heptathlon silver medallist is comfortably quickest in the hurdles with her 8.26, so the championships record of 8.19 is under threat. She will be a strong contender in the long jump too, although Daisy Snell (Blackheath & Bromley) is top on paper with 6.16m.

Thea Brown sprint hurdles

Despite being in her first season as an under-20, Isabella Turner (Dacorum) is a good bet in the pole vault to add to her England under-17 title of last year, thanks to her 4.04m PB.

After her silver in these championships last year at under-17 level, Qi-Chi Ukpai (Blackheath & Bromley) is looking to upgrade to under-20 gold. Her 12.36m from 12 months ago put her among the top 10 all-time in her age group and makes her top of the entries here.

Wales’ Nell Desir (Cardiff Archers, Lisa Waddon), who has won at these championships as an under-15 and an under-17, looks to go for the hat-trick as she moves up an age group in the 60m. The athlete who reached the final of the 100m at the European Athletics U18 Championships last summer will be challenging Amelia Gittens (Colin Raynor, Herts Phoenix), who is quickest with 7.48.

Ireland’s Precious Akpe-Moses (Birchfield Harriers, Andy Paul), who with her recent 7.51 would threaten both, limits herself to the 200m, where she leads the way with her PB of 24.13.

Commonwealth Youth 400m hurdles champion Stephanie Okoro (Tony Benton, Havering) is down to compete over the flat and is quickest on PBs with 55.00.

Under-17 men

Potential star of the weekend is Divine Iheme, who has already set a scorching pace this season with a world age-15 best. With that time of 6.71 on his introduction to the under-17 ranks in January, he is just 0.02 seconds outside Mark Lewis-Francis’s 26-year-old UK age-group best. A world age-14 100m best of 10.30 last year, in which he won four England titles, had already established him as one to look out for in the sport. However, he could be at least run close by Farrell Fawusiba (Paul Weston, Croydon), who has clocked 6.75 already this season.

Following his UK under-17 indoor best for 1500m at this venue last month, Evan Grime (Ian Grime, Salford) moves down to 800m. He ran 1:52.11, also in Sheffield, in December, to come within half a second of the national mark for this distance.

Lawson Capes under 17 men shot

In the shot, Lawson Capes (Lewis Capes, Peterborough & Nene Valley) is seeking to add to his three outdoor and two indoor titles over the previous three seasons.

Hans Nmaju (Mick Bond, Cambridge Harriers) is a big favourite in the 60m hurdles after his 8.02 this season to go inside the all-time top-20 for this age group.

Harley Henry (Craig Andrew, Shaftesbury Barnet) went out to 14.51m to go to 12th on the UK all-time triple jump list for this age group. However, School Games champion Sean-Connor Atafo (Newham & Essex Beagles) is next best on the roster with 14.43m.

Under-17 women

Just fifth last year, Scottish sprint hurdler Holly Whittaker began this season with 8.44 to climb to third on the UK all-time list for the under-17s. The age-group best, set by Thea Brown in these championships two years ago, is just 0.05 faster. However, she could be pushed by Izzy Rae (Nathan Standing, Bracknell AC), who ran a PB of 8.48 last month to go equal sixth on those all-time standings.

Wales’ Olivia Schrimshaw is going for a second consecutive horizontal jumps double in these championships. Last year, her triple jump mark was 12.53m, enough for the second on the all-time list indoors and just 10cm short of the UK age-group best.

Wales’ Aliyah Afolabi is back chasing another double after winning both 60m and 200m here last year, the longer with her 24.13 UK age-group best. Over 60m, her recent 7.59 has been bettered by only six athletes in the age group in the UK.

Another Welsh athlete, Darcy Coslett, will line up a big favourite in the 300m, leading the way with her PB of 38.22, which won her the Welsh title last year.

Jasmine Nkoso (Anthony Mayhew, Herne Hill), last year’s England Athletics combined-events champion indoors and outdoors, lines up in the shot having recently gone inside the top 20 indoors for her age group with 14.06m. However, Ellis Thomas (Mark Chapman, Basildon) is top of the entries with her 14.47m outdoors last year.

Nkoso at England Combined Events Champs

Under-15 boys

Piers Spencer-Simms (Blackheath & Bromley) started this season with a 7.00 clocking, a time which only Divine Iheme among Brits has beaten in this age group. His top challenger in the 60m will be Alex Osagie (Woodford Green with Essex Ladies), who is also quickest of the 60m entries.

Shot put Logan Cowling (Lewis Capes, Kingston upon Hull) will be looking to build on his win at the Northern Championships last weekend when he went inside the top 20 indoors in his age group with 14.76m.

Sprint-hurdler Daniel Niewczasinski-Kirkland (Genis Chan, Woodford Green Essex Ladies) is another to watch out for.

Under-15 girls

Annabelle Fasuba (Neal Edwards, City of Plymouth) seeks to continue her rapid rise since her first appearance in the competitive arena less than 12 months ago. The English Schools’ 100m champion has already moved to equal eighth on the UK all-time under-15 list with 7.58.

Serena Deol (Michael Dyer, Reading) heads the entries on paper in both the long jump and triple jump. In the latter, she has already made a great impact this season by moving to 14th on the all-time list for her age group with 10.96m.

In the shot, Adanna Udechuku (Emeka Udechuku, Colchester & Tendring) has thrown 12.04m this season to rank inside the all-time top 25 indoors. However, Atarah Watson (Croydon) is not far behind, having recorded 11.97m this year.

More information

  • We are excited to be working with the Keely Klassic organisers to offer one lane each to an under-20 female and male 60m athlete. The Keely Klassic takes place at the Utilita Arena, Birmingham on Saturday 15th February. Selections will be based on availability of those who make the final in the under-20 men’s and women’s 60m. Coach and Athlete accreditation will be supplied. Athletes will be contacted directly by Shani Palmer and Andy Paul. Tickets available for the Keely Klassic here.
  • View start lists and results as they happen on the Roster Athletics platform and app.
  • We will be sharing updates on Instagram and X.
  • Download the Event programme (PDF 2MB)
  • Buy tickets online.
  • Free entry for licensed coaches - but only if you apply by Friday 7 Feb! (scroll down the bottom of the ticketing site).
  • Day 1 livestream link
  • Day 2 livestream link