Athletics: Lewis-Francis steps into breach

Mark Lewis-Francis will represent Great Britain in the 100 metres at the European Cup final in Florence this weekend. The Birchfield Harrier impressed selectors with a winning time of 10.07 seconds at the Grand Prix meeting in Ostrava on Thursday.

Dwain Chambers had already said he did not wish to be considered for the 100m, although he joins Lewis-Francis, Darren Campbell, Marlon Devonish and Christian Malcolm in the 4x100m relay squad. Malcolm was a late stand-in for Julian Golding in the 200m and the 4x100m after the latter felt exhausted following a meet in Warsaw on Sunday.

The new British shot putt record-holder Carl Myerscough will represent Britain at shot and discus.

Katharine Merry was included in the women's 4x400m squad after a two-year injury lay-off, while Natasha Danvers is involved on three fronts. She will compete in the 110m and 400m hurdles plus the 4x400m relay. Joice Maduaka goes in the 100m and 200m.

The athletes have the incentive of knowing that if they can claim victory in their discipline they will be given a £3,000 bonus by the insurance company Norwich Union, who are the sponsors of the event.

GREAT BRITAIN TEAM (European Cup, Florence, 21-22 June): MEN: 100m: M Lewis-Francis (Birchfield Harriers). 200m: C Malcolm (Cardiff AAC). 400m: D Caines (Birchfield Harriers). 800m: N Speaight (Belgrave Harriers). 1500m: M East (Newham & Essex). 3,000m: J Mayock (Barnsley AC). 5,000m: A Graffin (Belgrave Harriers). 110m hurdles: A Turner (Notts AC). 400m hurdles: C Rawlinson (Belgrave Harriers). 3,000m steeplechase: S Stokes (Sale Harriers). High jump: B Challenger (Belgrave Harriers). Pole vault: N Buckfield (Crawley AC). Long jump: C Tomlinson (Newham & Essex). Triple jump: T Oke (Cambridge Harriers). Shot and discus: C Myerscough (Blackpool & Fylde). Hammer: M Jones (Belgrave Harriers). Javelin: N Nieland (Shaftesbury Barnet). 4x100m relay: D Campbell (Sale Harriers), D Chambers (Belgrave Harriers), M Devonish (Coventry Godiva), M Lewis-Francis (Birchfield Harriers), C Malcolm (Cardiff AAC). 4x400m relay: S Baldock (Belgrave Harriers), J Baulch (Cardiff AAC), T Benjamin (Cardiff AAC), D Caines (Birchfield Harriers), M Elias (Cardiff AAC), C Rawlinson (Belgrave Harriers), I Thomas (Newham & Essex).

WOMEN: 100m and 200m: J Maduaka (Woodford G/Essex L). 400m: L McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet). 800m: S Scott (City of Glasgow AC). 1500m: H Clitheroe (Preston Harriers), 3,000m: H Tullett (Swansea Harriers). 5,000m: J Pavey (Exeter Harriers). 110m hurdles and 400m hurdles: N Danvers (Shaftesbury Barnet). 3,000m steeplechase: T Krzywicki (Charnwood AC). High jump: S Jones (Trafford AC), Pole vault: T Bloomfield (Guildford & Godalming). Long jump: J Johnson (Herne Hill Harriers). Triple jump: R White (Sale Harriers). Shot and discus: P Roles (Sale Harriers). Hammer: L Shaw (Sale Harriers). Javelin: G Sayers (Peterborough AC). 4x100m relay: S Burnside (Edinburgh WM), E Freeman (Wakefield District H & AC), J Kwakye (Woodford G/Essex L), A Oyepitan (Shaftesbury Barnet), M Purkiss (Team Solent), A Spencer (Belgrave Harriers). 4x400m relay: N Danvers (Shaftesbury Barnet), H Karagounis (Birchfield Harriers), L McConnell (Shaftesbury Barnet), J Meadows (Wigan & District), K Merry (Birchfield Harriers), C Murphy (Shaftesbury Barnet).