Hodgkinson And Johnson-Thompson In The GB Squad For The Euros

The British team for the European Athletics Championships in Rome next month includes Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

The 72-person squad also includes world 100m bronze medallist Zharnel Hughes and world 400m silver medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith.

Olympic bronze medallist Holly Bradshaw competes with rising star Molly Caudery, who won the global indoor championship in March.

The European Championships begin eight weeks before to the start of the athletics competition at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris and span six days, from June 7–12.

Paula Dunn, the head coach, said: “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.”

A strong British team includes global indoor 800m silver medallist Jemma Reekie, fellow sprinter Daryll Neita, and former world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith, who is entered in the women’s 100m.

Great Britain won 20 medals at the last European Championships in 2022, six of which were gold.

The current 200-meter champion, Hughes, has opted to race over the 100-meter distance in Rome. Two years prior, he finished second in that event, behind Marcell Jacobs of Italy.

The men’s 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams, as well as Hodgkinson (women’s 800m) and Hudson-Smith (men’s 400m), will aim to retain their European titles.

Nevertheless, world champions in the 1500 metres for men and women Laura Muir and Josh Kerr will not be competing.