By Ian Gordon
Jeremiah Azu will be gunning for glory at the European Champions in Rome in June.
The Cardiff sprinter’s spot in the GB team was confirmed just days after he became the first Welshman in history to legally break the 10 seconds barrier.
Azu clocked 9.97 secs at the True Athletes Classic in Leverkusen, Germany to also become the first European to break the 10-secs barrier in 2024.
“I’m really pleased and it’s amazing to run sub-10 seconds for the first time,” said Azu, who won European 100m bronze in Munich two years ago.
Jeremiah Azu Looking To Make More History After Breaking 10-Second Barrier
“A big shout out to my coach, my family and my girlfriend and everyone else who has helped and supported me.
“I use my speed to have moments like this where I can impact maybe just one person to realise there is a god out there, who can help you find true happiness in life. It’s great running fast, but, ultimately, there is so much more to life.”
And fellow Welsh ace Clara Evans has also been called up with a spot in the half marathon in the Italian capital.
The Pontypridd Roadents runner sharpened up for the event as she clocked a new 10,000m track pb of 32:02.08 at the Ninth of the 10,000m PBs earlier in May.
At the Berlin half marathon in April, Evans clocked 70:11 to put her fourth on the Welsh all-time list.
The championships runs from June 7-12 and for many athletes will be a vital part of the build-up to the Olympics in Paris the following month.
The team includes reigning 2023 World Heptathlon Champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson and World Silver medallists Keely Hodgkinson who looked so impressive in Eugene last weekend.
“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.,” said head coach Paula Dunn.
“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.”
Ready for #Roma2024
Our team heading to the @EuroAthletics Championships in Rome is official
Click here to see who made the squad ➡️ https://t.co/4PTSSHNeIT#WhereItStarts pic.twitter.com/BXeu0Gfl5P
— British Athletics (@BritAthletics) May 28, 2024
GB & NI Team:
Women
100m
Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floréal, Blackheath & Bromley)
Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District)
Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)
200m
Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)
400m
Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey)
Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles)
800m
Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson, Leeds)
Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh)
Erin Wallace (Trevor Painter, Giffnock North)
1500m
Georgia Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave)
Jemma Reekie (Jon Bigg, Kilbarchan)
Katie Snowden (Stephen Haas, Herne Hill)
5000m
Izzy Fry (Sonia McGeorge, Newbury)
Amy-Eloise Neale (Rob Denmark, Wakefield)
Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood)
10000m
Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness)
Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall, Dundee Hawkhill)
Jessica Warner-Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn)
100mH
Cindy Sember (Chris Johnson, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
400mH
Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnet)
3000m SC
Lizzie Bird (Pat McCurry, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Pole Vault
Holly Bradshaw (Kate Rooney, Blackburn)
Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley)
High Jump
Morgan Lake (Robbie Grabarz, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Hammer
Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading)
Anna Purchase (Mohamed Ali Saatara, Notts)
Heptathlon
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool)
Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham & Essex Beagles) – selection subject to confirmation of Road To Rome rankings eligibility.
4 x 100m
Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floréal, Blackheath & Bromley)
Desiree Henry (Steve Fudge, Enfield & Haringey)
Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood)
Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District)
Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)
Asha Phillip (Amy Deem, Newham and Essex Beagles)
Mixed 4x400m – In addition to athletes selected for Men’s 4x400m
Hannah Kelly (Les Hall, Bolton)
Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Half Marathon
Abbie Donnelly (Rob Lewis, Lincoln Wellington)
Clara Evans (Chris Jones, Pontypridd)
Calli Hauger-Thackery (Hallamshire)
Lauren McNeil (Hallamshire)
Men
100m
Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff)
Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon)
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet)
200m
Jona Efoloko (Ryan Freckleton, Sale Harriers Manchester)
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham and Essex Beagles)
Jeriel Quainoo (Ryan Freckleton, Blackheath & Bromley)
400m
Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester)
Alex Haydock-Wilson (Earl Herbert, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)
Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield)
800m
Callum Dodds (Matthew Yates, Enfield & Haringey)
Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg, Birchfield)
Thomas Randolph (Craig Winrow, Tamworth)
1500m
Adam Fogg (Cory Leslie, Coventry)
Neil Gourley (Stephen Haas, Giffnock North)
5000m
George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix)
Jack Rowe (Tim Eglen, Aldershot Farnham and District)
James West (Helen Clitheroe, Tonbridge)
10000m
Patrick Dever (Andy Bibby, Preston)
Rory Leonard (Andrew Hobdell, Morpeth)
Zakariya Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton)
20k Race Walk
Callum Wilkinson (Robert Heffernan, Enfield & Haringey)
110mH
Andrew Pozzi (Stratford-upon-Avon)
Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
400mH
Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey)
3000mSC
Mark Pearce (Luke Gunn, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Zak Seddon (Geoff Wightman, Bracknell)
Long Jump
Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Matt Barton, Leeds)
Discus
Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon)
Hammer
Jake Norris (Paul Dickenson, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)
Shot Put
Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York)
4 x 100m
Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff)
Jona Efoloko (Ryan Freckleton, Sale Harriers Manchester)
Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon)
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Richard Kilty (Gateshead)
Jeriel Quainoo (Ryan Freckleton, Blackheath & Bromley)
4 x 400m
Charlie Carvell (Stewart Marshall, Telford AC)
Lewis Davey (Trevor Painter, Newham & Essex Beagles)
Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix)
Alex Haydock-Wilson (Earl Herbert, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)
Michael Ohioze (Craig Cox, Shaftesbury Barnet)