Preview: England Athletics U20/Senior Championships and Senior Para Championships.

The first championships of the England Athletics summer championships series brings in a new-look three-day timetable format this weekend - running from Friday 19 July to Sunday 21 July. Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium hosts an event which combines the U20, U23 and senior championships, para championships and the returning CAU Inter-Counties Championships, and acts as the selection for the England Team for the Manchester International.

More than 1500 athletes are set to compete over three days of a super-busy timetable. Hannah Cockroft, Nick Percy and Jade Lally are among the star names entered.

• As well as prestigious titles and medals being at stake in all categories, the U20 section represents the official trial for the World Athletics U20 Championships in Lima. The winner of each event will gain automatic selection, providing they are eligible and have gained the relevant UKA selection standard.
• The historic Inter-Counties will be staged for the first time since 2019. Having started in 1925, the event was held as part of the England Athletics Senior Championships from 2007.
• The championships also incorporate the Senior Para Championships and will be held on the last day of the window to post performances for consideration for the second and final wave of selections for the Paralympics.
  

Senior women

Seven-time Paralympic wheelchair champion Hannah Cockroft (Paul Moseley, Leeds) will hone her preparations for the Paralympics by lining up in the 100m and 800m. The T34-classified athlete is world record-holder at both events. Also on her way to Paris is T54 athlete Sammi Kinghorn (Rodger Harkins, Red Star), who will be wheeling the 100m and 800m.

The shot put has one of the best fields on the women’s side and it includes UK top-five-ranked athletes Adele Nicol (Ryan Spencer-Jones; Birchfield Harriers) and Serena Vincent (Mike Winch; City of Portsmouth). In fact, the throws are packed with quality. For example, UK number and British silver medallist Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson; Reading) lines up in the hammer along with Jess Mayho (Dave Smith; Birchfield Harriers) and Katie Head (Paul Head; Newham & Essex Beagles).

Meanwhile, the discus has GB World Championships and Olympian Jade Lally (Zane Duquemin; Thames Valley), who is comfortably in front of her peers in this event with her PB of 65.10m.
Kadeena Cox (Matt Cullen; Sale Harriers) will compete in the 400m T38, in which she is 2016 Paralympic champion, as well as the 100m.

Also prominent on the entry lists are pole vaulter Jade Ive (Sutton & District) - who is fifth on the UK rankings - and recent Microplus UK Championships long jump runner-up Alice Hopkins (Linford Christie; Oxford City).

Senior men

Nick Percy (Zane Duquemin; Shaftesbury Barnet), who is world-ranked number 18 this year with the 67.73m that puts him second on the UK all-time list, is eyeing the defence of his discus title. In the shot are UK number 2 Youcef Zatat (Scott Rider; Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) and Wales’ Paris-bound three-time Paralympic champion Aled Davies.

The high jump has UK number 2 Joel Clarke-Khan (Robbie Grabarz; Thames Valley), a GB representative at the 2022 World Athletics Championships with a best of 2.27m. Former European junior champion Adam Hague (Trevor Fox; Sheffield & Dearne) stars in the pole vault. In the triple jump, Efe Uwaifo (Daniel Hooker; Harrow) is looking to follow up his recent UK Championships win. He will be challenged by last year’s top two, Jude Bright-Davies (David Johnson; Thames Valley) and Nigerian veteran and Olympian Tosin Oke.

Three of the UK’s top four this year will contest the 400m hurdles: Alex Knibbs (Stewart Marshall; Amber Valley & Erewash), who revised his PB with 48.89 in La Chaux-de-Fonds last Sunday, is joined by Tyri Donovan (Marina Armstrong; Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow) and Josh Faulds (James Wright; Rugby & Northampton) as the sub-50 athletes in one of the best fields of the weekend. Bailey Stickings (Nigel Stickings; Blackheath & Bromley), who has a PB of 50.08, is also there. Paralympic T20 bronze medallist Columba Blango (Chris Zah; Shaftesbury Barnet) heads the ambulant 400m line-up. World relay representative Rio Mitcham (Leon Baptiste; Birchfield) is fastest in the 400m line-up on PBs with his 45.60 from last season, although Olympic relay man Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne) has gone quicker this season with 46.34.

Commonwealth champion Emmanuel Oyinbo-Coker (Nat Senior; Newham & Essex Beagles), a T46 classification athlete, is quickest of the para ambulant 100m runners with his PB of 10.94. UK Championships finalist Jake Porter (Andy Paul; Birchfield) is quickest entrant for the 110m hurdles with his PB of 13.68. However, clubmate William Ritchie-Moulin (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Birchfield) has improved to 13.77 this season and will be seeking to step up from silver last year.

Under-20 women

After going to fifth on the UK all-time rankings for her age group with 11.21 and reaching the UK Championships senior final, European youth champion Nia Wedderburn-Goodison (Ryan Freckleton, Harrow) goes after her third successive outdoor title at England level in the 100m. Mabel Akande, who has run 11.27 in her first year in the age group, is her closest challenger. Wedderburn-Goodison is also entered for the 200m, where Kissiwaa Mensah (Prince Duwai, Chelmsford) is quickest in 2024 with 23.33. European junior 100m silver medallist Renee Regis (Darren Braithwaite; Shaftesbury Barnet) is entered for both sprints. Elizabeth Dodds (Shrewsbury) and Bebe Jackson (Alan James; Woodford Green with Essex Ladies) are among the para sprinters. Dodds also goes in the long jump where Commonwealth youth T38 champion Madeline Down (Mike Bennett; Halesowen) competes.

The middle distances are headed by European junior cross-country champion Innes Fitzgerald (Exeter), who heads the 3000m line-up on times with 8:57.32 ahead of Jess Bailey (Matt Long; Leven Valley).

In the shot put, Cleo Agyepong (John Hillier; Blackheath & Bromley) seeks her seventh England title.
Commonwealth youth champion Ayesha Jones (Janina Pownall; Marshall Milton Keynes), with 51.66m, is the sole athlete with the Lima mark in the javelin. Likewise, Scottish hammer thrower Angela McAuslan-Kelly is looking to secure her first major international representation.

Under-20 men

After beating all the seniors to win the 110m hurdles title at the UK Championships earlier this month, Daniel Goriola (Tony Jarrett; Blackheath & Bromley) looks to secure his place on the team for the World Juniors. Following his PB 13.55 at those national senior championships and 13.22 over the junior-height hurdles, the 13.17 UK under-20 best could be the next target. But perhaps not just for him as Britain is blessed with talent in this event in this age group. Recent English Schools' AA winner Noah Hanson (Carl Graham; Newham & Essex Beagles) and Jaiden Dean (Jake Awe; City of Norwich) also have the standard for Lima.

Commonwealth Youth 100m champion Teddy Wilson (Tamunonengiye-Ofori Ossai; Shaftesbury Barnet) set a UK under-17 100m best of 10.26 last summer and clearly leads the rankings here with 10.35. So far in 2024, he is one hundredth short of the qualifying time for Lima as he looks for his fourth consecutive England title at 100m in various age groups. Ebuka Nwokeji (Ty Holden; Shaftesbury Barnet), who was second behind him at the Commonwealths, will be looking to run him close.
Over in the para events will be another Commonwealth youth champion in the form of Wales’ Tomi Roberts-Jones.

Further up in distance, T20 athlete Travis Anderson (Durham) goes in the 400m, in which he ranks fourth in the world in this age group. T54 wheelchair racer Illias Zghoundi (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy) will be competing in the 100m and 400m, as well as defending his title over 800m.

Birchfield Harrier Aron Gebremariam heads the 3000m line-up, having run 7:52 and broken a 29-year-old English Schools' AA record last weekend. Scotland’s Corey Campbell, plus European Cross sixth-placer Henry Dover (Shaftesbury Barnet) and Edward Bird (Mark Pauley; Poole AC) look able to push him, all three of them having the standard. William Rabjohns (Mark Pauley; Poole) has the World Junior standard of 1:48.00 and is quickest in the 800m. Likewise, in the 1500m, George Couttie (Joanne Day; Harrogate) will be hoping to cement his place on the team for Lima.

English Schools' AA combined events champion Sam Wright (Simon Hemmings, Chelmsford) heads the long jump line-up with his PB of 7.20m as he bids to add to his 2024 England indoor title in this event.
The hammer looks set to be a close with Jabez Berry (Steve Pearson, Halesowen) and Kai Barham (Paul Head; Dartford H) both over 68m this year, the latter seeking a fourth straight title in England championships.

Under-23 women

A day after she is due to compete in the senior event, Charlotte Payne will start as a big favourite to collect her third successive under-23 hammer title. Her PB of 72.51m is more than 10m to the good of her rivals.

Abigail Pawlett (Ashley Bryant, Trafford), a multiple England champion in combined events, is quickest in the 100m hurdles after her PB of 13.09 this year. Marli Jessop (Scott Grace, Harrow) and Lucy-Jane Matthews (Jon Bigg, Birchfield H) lead the challenge. Meanwhile, up in the 400m hurdles, Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet) is a strong favourite after her 56.85 PB this year.

Likewise, Harriette Mortlock (Basildon), UK number three in the javelin, will be confident on the runway with her lifetime best of 52.11m from this year. Last year’s European U20 fourth-placer Zara Obamakinwa (Mark Chapman; Blackheath & Bromley) headlines the discus line-up after her second place at the UK Championships.

Didi Okoh (Joseph McDonnell; Chelm) won para shot and long jump last year and here she competes in the 100m T42. Having improved her PB this season from 23.66 to 22.98, Rachel Bennett (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester) chases a defence of her 200m title. Brooke Ironside (Zac Kerin, Bournemouth) is next best on paper.

The high jump could be close with three 1.80m jumpers in the field in the shape of Halle Ferguson (Andrew Wood; Trafford), Evelyne Fonteyne (Carol Jackson; Shaftesbury Barnet and Gabrielle Garber (Jessica Taylot-Jemmett; Leeds City). UK pole vault bronze medallist Sophie Ashurst (Kate Dennison; Sale Harriers Manchester) has a decent cushion on PBs over her rivals, having improved to 4.35m in May and will be a good bet to improve on her fourth of last year. In the long jump, Molly Palmer (Lukasz Zawila; Thames Valley) and Cleo Martin-Evans (Julian Reid; Daventry), who were third and fourth respectively at the UK Championships, head the line-up with PBs of 6.46m and 6.36m respectively.

Under-23 men

In the 800m, Reece Sharman-Newell (Dave Ragan; Basingstoke & Mid Hants), who was fifth at the UK Championships and has clocked a PB of 1:45.12 this year, will look to improve on his third last year. Also fifth at those championships was sprint hurdler Tom Wilcock (Jerzy Maciukiewicz; Northampton), who will be seeking to retain his title.

After winning bronze in the UK senior championships, pole vaulter Lazarus Benjamin (Sale Harriers Manchester) will be favourite in that event.

A regular at these championships is T20 Fabio Zamparelli (Greg Beard, Cornwall) and he lines up in the shot following his fourth this summer at the Virtus European Senior Championships. UK javelin number one Ben East is looking to add to his UK senior silver and BUCS title. Meanwhile, Brodie Young (James McMenemy; Glasgow Jaguars) tries to defend his 400m title.

Photos:
Hannah Cockroft by Mark Shearman, Charlotte Payne by Sakura Sports Media
Nick Percy by Mark Shearman, Lee Thompson by Pat Isaacs
Nia Wedderburn-Goodison by Mark Pain, Teddy Wilson by Mark Shearman
Didi Okah by Pat Isaacs, Benjamin Lazarus by Mark Shearman