Rediff.com« Back to articlePrint this article

Mo Farah leads 100-strong England CWG athletics team

August 23, 2010 18:32 IST

Double European gold medallist Mo Farah along with defending champions Phillips Idowu, Lisa Dobriskey and Christine Ohuruogu highlight England's 100-strong athletics team for the Commonwealth Games in Delhi from October 3 to 14.

Idowu and Farah, who recently broke the 28-year-old British 5000m record, are among 13 medallists from the European Championships in Barcelona who join a new medal campaign in the Indian capital just two months after helping to record the best ever medal tally of 19 medals for Britain, Athletics England said in a statement.

"I'm really looking forward to the Commonwealth Games in Delhi. After an amazing season, two gold medals in the European Championships and a new British 5000m record, I hope to finish a fantastic summer season with another good performance in India," Farah said.

Marlon Devonish, Andy Turner, Chris Tomlinson and Goldie Sayers add more experience to the team having featured in eight previous Games among them, while Andy Baddeley, Chris Thompson and William Sharman present new medal opportunities.

Recently crowned European 110m hurdles champion Turner said, "I'm extremely happy about my Commonwealth Games selection, it's been a great season so far and I look to go to India and win another gold medal. The Commonwealth Games in Melbourne was a fantastic competition so I'm very excited to finish my season -- hopefully on a high -- in Delhi."

After losing their 2010 season to injury, Ohuruogu and British long jump record holder Greg Rutherford will return to international competition in Delhi.

"I'm delighted to welcome such a strong group of track and field athletes into the England team for Delhi and look forward to their performances there, especially after such a stunning European Championships. I wish them every success in their final preparations for the Games and when they are in Delhi," said Craig Hunter, Chef de Mission for England.

"We are confident that we have assembled an accomplished athletics team which is well- balanced, extremely competitive and comprises an exciting blend of experience with the talent of youth," Commonwealth Games England Athletics Team Leader John Brierley added.

Talented youngsters named in the team for the 2010 campaign are 2009 European Junior 110m hurdles gold medallist Lawrence Clarke, recent World Junior triple jump silver medallist Laura Samuel and young middle distance talent Niall Brooks, the 2009 European Junior 800m silver medallist.

England won six gold, four silver and eight bronze medals at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, with Christine Ohuruogu (400m), Kelly Sotherton (heptathlon), Lisa Dobriskey (1500m), Phillips Idowu (triple jump), Dean Macey (decathlon) and Nick Nieland (javelin) bringing home titles.

English athletes have won 177 golds, 173 silvers and 157 bronzes to top the all-time medal table.

There are 46 athletics events taking place at the Delhi Games, including track and field events, marathon, 20km walk and disability events.

England's athletics team for the Commonwealth Games:

MEN

100m: Mark Lewis-Francis

100m (T46): Ola Abidogun

200m: Leon Baptiste, Marlon Devonish, Jeffrey Lawal Balogun

400m: Richard Buck, Robert Tobin, Conrad Williams

800m: Niall Brooks, Andrew Osagie, Darren St Clair

1500m: Andy Baddeley, Tom Lancashire, Colin McCourt

5000m: Mo Farah, Chris Thompson

10,000m: Mo Farah, Chris Thompson, Andrew Vernon

Marathon: Andi Jones, Ben Moreau

3000m sc: Luke Gunn, Stuart Stokes

110mH: Lawrence Clarke, William Sharman, Andy Turner

400mH: David Hughes, Nathan Woodward, Richard Yates

20k Race Walk: Thomas Bosworth, Luke Finch, Alex Wright

High Jump: Martyn Bernard, Samson Oni, Tom Parsons

Long Jump: Greg Rutherford, Chris Tomlinson

Triple Jump: Larry Achike, Nathan Douglas, Phillips Idowu

Pole Vault: Luke Cutts, Max Eaves, Steve Lewis

Shot: Mark Edwards, Carl Myerscough, Scott Rider

Shot F32/34/52: Daniel West

Discus: Carl Myerscough, Chris Scott, Emeka Udechuku

Hammer: Mike Floyd, Matthew Lambley, Alex Smith

Decathlon: Martin Brockman, Ben Hazell, Kevin Sempers

4x100m: Leon Baptiste, Marlon Devonish Jeffery Lawal Balogun, Mark Lewis- Francis, Ryan Scott, Andy Turner

4x400m: Richard Buck, Graham Hedman, Darren St Clair, Rob Tobin, Conrad Williams

WOMEN

100m: Montell Douglas, Katherine Endacott, Laura Turner

100m T37: Katrina Hart, Bethany Woodward

200m: Abi Oyepitan, Joyce Maduaka

400m: Victoria Barr, Christine Ohuruogu, Nadine Okyere

800m: Lisa Dobriskey, Emma Jackson, Marilyn Okoro

1500m: Helen Clitheroe, Lisa Dobriskey, Hannah England

10,000m: Charlotte Purdue, Hayley Yelling

Marathon: Helen Decker, Michelle Ross-Cope, Holly Rush

3000mSC: Tina Brown

100mH: Louise Hazel

400mH: Meghan Beesley

20k Race Walk: Johanna Jackson, Lisa Kehler

High Jump: Stephanie Pywell, Vikki Hubbard

Pole Vault: Kate Dennison, Emma Lyons

Triple Jump: Yasmin Regis, Laura Samuel, Nadia Williams

Shot Put: Eden Francis, Eleanor Gatrell, Rebecca Peake

Shot F32, 33,34/42/53: Gemma Prescott

Discus: Eden Francis, Jade Nicholls

Hammer: Zoe Derham, Sarah Holt

Javelin: Goldie Sayers, Laura Whittingham

Heptathlon: Phyllis Agbo, Grace Clements, Louise Hazel

4x100m: Montell Douglas, Katherine Endacott, Hayley Jones, Abi Oyepitan, Laura Turner

4x400m: Victoria Barr, Meghan Beesley, Hayley Jones, Kelly Massey, Christine Ohuruogu, Marilyn Okoro, Nadine Okyere, Joyce Maduaka.

Brief classification guide: prefixing F for field athletes or T for track athletes. F or T 11-13 are visually impaired, F or T 20 are learning difficulty, F or T 31-38 are cerebral palsy, F or T 41- 46 amputee and les autre, T 51- 54 wheelchair track athletes and F51- 58 wheelchair field athletes.

© Copyright 2024 PTI. All rights reserved. Republication or redistribution of PTI content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent.