Commonwealth Games: England announce athletics team for Birmingham 2022

Dina Asher-Smith, Keely Hodgkinson and Matthew Hudson-Smith are among the big names set to feature in the athletics, which begin on 2 August at Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium

England have named 72 athletes as part of their athletics team for the Birmingham Commonwealth Games this summer.

Current world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith headlines the squad in the women’s 100m and 4x100m, with the 26-year-old defending her gold medal in the latter event from Gold Coast 2018.

While fellow world champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson will defend her heptathlon Commonwealth title from 2018.

Tokyo Olympic 800m silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson and pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw who won bronze at the same Games are also included.

Birmingham will cheer on home-town hero Matthew Hudson-Smith, who will hope to harness the Alexander Stadium crowd and build on his current European 400m crown after smashing Iwan Thomas’ 25-year-old British 400m record at the Eugene Diamond League recently.

“It’s a great honour to be selected,” said the Birchfield Harrier. “It’s my third Commonwealth Games selection and I think this one means the most especially as it’s a home championship. It will mean a lot to be able to compete at home in front of friends and family and represent England again.”

“I’ve been training at the Alexander Stadium since I was ten so it will be quite an emotional rollercoaster for me, but with all the training and the experiences that I’ve gone through I feel like I am a lot more prepared than I’ve ever been. It’s going to be fun, exciting, scary but I am looking forward to it!”

The Games begin on 28 July, with the athletics, hosted by Birmingham’s Alexander Stadium, beginning on 2 August.

Alongside marathon runners Jonny Mellor and Georgina Schwiening, who were confirmed as the first members of England’s athletics team last month, there are 21 para-athletes nominated.

Team England athletes for Birmingham 2022

Women

100m: Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley), Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Stu McMillan, Sutton and District), Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)

200m: Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)

400m: Victoria Ohuruogu (Christine Ohuruogu, Newham and Essex Beagles), Ama Pipi (Marco Airale, Enfield and Haringey), Jodie Williams (Stu McMillan, Herts Phoenix)

800m: Alex Bell (Andrew Henderson, Pudsey and Bramley), Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh)

1500m: Katie Snowden (Herne Hill Harriers)

5000m: Jess Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn Harriers), Amy-Eloise Markovc (Chris Fox, Wakefield Harriers), Calli Thackery (Nick Bideau, Rotherham)

10,000m: Samantha Harrison (Vince Wilson, Charnwood), Jess Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn Harriers), Amy-Eloise Markovc (Chris Fox, Wakefield Harriers)

Marathon: Georgina Schwiening (Cambridge Runners)

3000m steeplechase: Lizzie Bird (Pat McCurry, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), Aimee Pratt (Vincente Modahl, Sale Harriers Manchester)

100m hurdles: Cindy Sember (Jeff Porter, Woodford Green with Essex Ladies)

400m hurdles: Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow), Lina Nielsen (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers)

High Jump: Emily Borthwick (Robbie Grabarz, Wigan & District), Morgan Lake (Robbie Grabarz, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow), Laura Zialor (Julian Reid/Jade Surman, Marshall Milton Keynes)

Long jump: Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman, City of Stoke), Lorraine Ugen (Dwight Phillips, Thames Valley Harriers)

Triple jump: Naomi Metzger (Aston Moore, Trafford)

Pole vault: Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson, Blackburn Harriers) Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley Harriers), Sophie Cook (Scott Simpson, Halesowen)

Shot put: Sophie McKinna (Paul Wilson, Great Yarmouth), Divine Oladipo (Ashley Kovacs, Blackheath and Bromley), Amelia Strickler (Zane Duquemin, Thames Valley Harriers)

Discus: Jade Lally (Zane Duquemin, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), Divine Oladipo (Ashley Kovacs, Blackheath and Bromley)

Hammer: Anna Purchase (Mohamad Saatara, Nottingham AC)

Heptathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool Harriers), Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Andover) Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham and Essex Beagles)

4x100m: Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie, Blackheath and Bromley), Desiree Henry (Mike McFarlane, Enfield and Haringey), Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Stu McMillan, Sutton and District), Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers), Asha Philip (Amy Deem, Newham and Essex Beagles)

4x400m: Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow), Laviai Nielsen (Philipp Unfried, Enfield and Haringey), Lina Nielsen (Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), Victoria Ohuruogu (Christine Ohuruogu, Newham and Essex Beagles), Ama Pipi (Marco Airale, Enfield and Haringey), Jodie Williams (Stu McMillan, Herts Phoenix)

Men

100m: Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham and Essex Beagles), Reece Prescod (Marvin Rowe, Enfield and Haringey)

200m: Adam Gemili (Blackheath and Bromley), Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers)

400m: Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers)

800m: Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers), Ben Pattison (Dave Regan, Basingstoke and Mid Hants)

1500m: Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg, Birchfield Harriers), Matt Stonier (Chris and Sonia McGeorge, Invicta East Kent)

5000m: Sam Atkin (Mike Collins, Lincoln Wellington), Patrick Dever (Alistair Cragg, Preston), Marc Scott (Jerry Schumacher, Richmond and Zetland)

10,000m: Sam Atkin (Mike Collins, Lincoln Wellington), Patrick Dever (Alistair Cragg, Preston), Marc Scott (Jerry Schumacher, Richmond and Zetland)

Marathon: Jonny Mellor (Helen Clitheroe, Liverpool Harriers)

10km race walk: Tom Bosworth (Andy Drake, Tonbridge), Callum Wilkinson (Robert Heffernan, Enfield and Haringey)

3000m steeplechase: Zak Seddon (Jeff Seddon, Bracknell AC)

110m hurdles: Tade Ojora (Joanne Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow), Andrew Pozzi (Stratford-upon-Avon), Joshua Zeller (Steve Rajewsky, Bracknell AC)

400m hurdles: Chris McAlister (Marina Armstrong, Thames Valley Harriers)

High Jump: Joel Clarke-Khan (Robbie Grabarz, Worcester)

Triple jump: Ben Williams (Aston Moore, City of Stoke)

Pole vault: Harry Coppell (Scott Simpson, Wigan and District), Adam Hague (Trevor Fox, Sheffield and Dearne), Owen Heard (Kate Rooney, Harrow)

Shot put: Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York)

Discus: Lawrence Okoye (John Hillier, Croydon)

Hammer: Joseph Ellis (Jerry Clayton/Colin Boevers, Blackheath and Bromley), Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson, Border Harriers), Craig Murch (Lorraine Shaw, Birchfield Harriers)

Decathlon: Harry Kendall (David Hull, Tonbridge)

4x100m: Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist, Sutton and District), Jona Efoloko (Clarence Callender, Sale Harriers Manchester), Adam Gemili (Blackheath and Bromley), Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers), Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham and Essex Beagles), Reece Prescod (Marvin Rowe, Enfield and Haringey)