Team GB Olympic preparations continue with European track championships

Great Britain & Northern Ireland’s bid for track and field success at the Olympics will see a 70-strong team, spearheaded by Keely Hodgkinson and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, head to Rome for the European Championships.

With peaking in August the plan for Team GB the championships will be a good yardstick for athletes ahead of the Olympic Games in Paris this summer.

Britain will send just one 200m runner in the women’s event – Daryll Neita – with top athletes required to request their interest in competing without a qualification event.

The likes of Dina Asher-Smith, Jemma Reekie, Eilish McColgan, Jeremiah Azu, Matthew Hudson-Smith and Zharnel Hughes are among those also selected.

Team GB on the march

Next month’s championships come just two months out of the Olympic Games, where Team GB are looking to improve upon a generally poor Tokyo 2020 showing.

Head coach Paula Dunn said: “I am really pleased with the team we have announced today that will compete in the European Athletics Championships. It is incredibly strong with a high number of athletes feeling that Rome will form an important part of their preparations for Paris.

“For some athletes, winning a medal in Rome will be the perfect preparation for the Olympics, for others competing here will provide a benchmark as to where they are knowing that their peak performance needs to come at the start of August.

“There is also a good blend of athletes who can use this championship to step up and fuel their aims of qualifying for Paris and onto Tokyo World Championships in 2025.”