Dwain Chambers wins fifth British 100m title in a row

Dwain Chambers saw off the challenge of Britain's promising young sprinters to win his fifth successive 100m title at the British Championships at the Birmingham Alexandra Stadium. Victory in a season's best of 10.12 seconds guaranteed him a place in the British team for August's European Championships in Zurich.  Aikines-Aryeetey, 25 crossed the line in second in 10.14 seconds with Chijindu Ujah third in 10.18.
 

 Dwain Chambers, Mens 60m sprint, UK Indoor Championships, EIS Sheffield, Feb 2014

The result leaves Britain's selectors with the difficult decision of having to choose between James Dasaolu - the second fastest Briton in history - and Ujah for the third 100m spot on the team to go to Switzerland.  Dasaolu, who was scheduled to make his comeback at this weekend's trials, had been given special dispensation to miss the event after struggling with injury for most of the year.

 James Dasaolu pulls up at the end of the Mens 60m sprint at  the Birmingham Grand Prix, Feb 2014

Wiggins returns to track for Team England

Team England in conjunction with British Cycling has today confirmed that Sir Bradley Wiggins will join the track squad for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

 

Team England Chef de Mission Jan Paterson MBE said: " We are delighted that Sir Bradley will be returning to the track for Team England in Glasgow. It's hugely exciting for the Team, the sport and spectators that they'll be able to see one of our finest athletes back in the Velodrome for the first time in a number of years."

First wave of GB athletes selected for the World Junior Championships

British Athletics has today announced the 18 automatic selections for the IAAF World Junior Championships to be held in Eugene, Oregon on 22nd-27th July.

Yasmin Miller (Derby AC), UK Indoor Championships, EIS Sheffield, 2013

GREAT BRITAIN & N. IRELAND TEAM - IAAF WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS:

MEN:

100m: Reuben Arthur (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)
200m: Thomas Somers (Geoffrey Barraclough)
400m: Elliot Rutter (Dan Cossins)
800m: Kyle Langford (George Harrison)
1500m: Shaun Wyllie (Geoff Seddon)
110mH: David Omoregie (Mike Guest)
400mH: Jacob Paul (Marina Armstrong)
High Jump: Chris Kandu (John Herbert)
Pole Vault: Adam Hague (Trevor Fox)
Long Jump: Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Matt Barton)
Hammer: Taylor Campbell (Paul Dickenson)
Decathlon: David Hall (Ian Grant)

WOMEN:

100m: Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)
200m: Asher-Smith (Blackie)
1500m: Amy Griffiths (Mick Woods)
100mH: Yasmin Miller (Lloyd Cowan)
400mH: Shona Richards (Armstrong)
3000m S/C: Katie Ingle (Margaret Riley)
Hammer: Kimberley Reed (Scott Reed)

Two weeks to go until Le Tour hits Sheffield

Was out this morning checking likely spots for Sunday 6th July 2014 when the Tour de France hits Sheffield.  I was looking at access, backdrops etc and was pleased to see so many cyclists out and about who helped me see what shots could look like.

It's going to be massive - traffic jams all round so will head out on the bike.

Victoria Vincent added to Team England Diving squad

Victoria Vincent has been included in the Team England Diving squad following confirmation from the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) that she is eligible to compete.

The 13-year old diver was not included in the original team announcement due to a lack of clarity in the  international rules on the age at which divers can compete at the Commonwealth Games.

Vincent, who won gold in the 10m Platform at the qualification event, has now been added to the 16-strong squad and will take part in her first senior international competition as the youngest member of Team England.

Victoria Vincent (Plymouth Diving) on her way to winning the Women's 10m National Final at Ponds Forge, Sheffield on 7th June 2014.  (See more at: www.peverilphoto.com)

The Plymouth-based diver will be competing alongside world class divers like England’s Tonia Couch and Sarah Barrow and Canada’s Roseline Filion and Meaghan Benfeito.

Team England Chef de Mission Jan Paterson said: "I am delighted that Victoria has been included in our diving squad and I'd like to thank the CGF for their support in this matter. Victoria will be our youngest member of Team England and a welcome addition to our diving team."

Team England reveal Boxing squad for Commonwealth Games

Nicola Adams looks to make history for a second time as female boxing makes its debut in the Commonwealth Games

Commonwealth Games England have today announced the boxing team that will compete for England at the XX Commonwealth Games in Glasgow (23 July – 3 August 2014).

The team is made-up of eight men and three women who will make history by competing in the first ever Commonwealth Games to feature female boxing.

The three female selections are 2012 Olympic flyweight (51kg) champion, Nicola Adams, 2014 European championship silver medallist, Natasha Jonas, who will box at lightweight (60kg), and the 2012 world champion, Savannah Marshall, at middleweight (75kg).

The male picks include the 2013 world championship bronze medallist, Antony Fowler, at middleweight and two European championship bronze medallists in Charlie Edwards at flyweight (52kg) and Joe Joyce at super-heavyweight (91kg).

The team is completed by bantamweight (56kg), Qais Ashfaq, lightweight (60kg), Pat McCormack, light-welterweight (64kg), Sam Maxwell, welterweight (69kg), Scott Fitzgerald and heavyweight (91kg), Warren Baister.

 Antony Fowler, Liverpool, 75kg

 Charlie Edwards, Croydon, 52kg

 Joe Joyce, London, 91+kg

Natasha Jonas, Liverpool, 60kg

 Nicola Adams, Leeds, 51kg

 Pat McCormack, Washington, 60kg

 Qais Ashfaq, Leeds, 56kg

 Sam Maxwell, Liverpool, 64kg

 Savannah Marshall, Hartlepool, 75kg

 Scott Fitzgerald, Preston, 69kg

 Warren Baister, Sunderland, 91kg

More from the British Gas Diving Championships

A few more pictures from last weekend's British Gas Diving Championships:

 James Denny (City of Leeds Diving, middle) winner of the Mens 3m final with a score of 434.45, flanked by Oliver Dingley (Southend Diving, right) second with 423.10 and Yona Knight-Wisdom (Jamaica) 381.55

 Lauren Grinstead (Southampton Diving Academy) practicing for the Womens 10m Final.

Womens 10m Champion Victoria Vincent (Plymouth Diving) with Olympian Leon Taylor.

Victoria Vincent wins Womens 10m Final at British Gas Diving Championships

Victoria Vincent (Plymouth Diving) won the Womens 10m Championship at Ponds Forge, Sheffield today with a score of 310.70.  The 13 year old from Plymouth was following up her recent success in the Platform Girls’ Group B Final at the International Youth Diving Meet in Dresden, Germany in April.  

 

With second placed Georgia Ward (Crystal Palace Diving Club) and Shanice Lobb (Plymouth  Diving) who came third.

With coach Andy Banks.

See more at: Andy Chubb Photography

British Gas Diving Championships 2014

Held at Ponds Forge, Sheffield from 6th-8th June 2014.

 Jack Haslam and Ross Haslam (City of Sheffield Diving) in the Mens 3m Synchro.

Freddie Woodward (City of Sheffield Diving) during warm-up for the Mens 3m Synchro.

 Nick Robinson-Baker and Freddie Woodward (City of Sheffield Diving) won the Mens 3m Synchro with a score of 405.63

Rebecca Gallantree and Lois Toulson (City of Leeds Diving) in the Womens 10m Synchro.

Robyn Birch and Shanice Lobb (City of Plymouth Diving) on their way to winning the Womens 10m Synchro with a score of 270.78. 

 Robyn Birch and Shanice Lobb (City of Plymouth Diving) and Rebecca Gallantree and Lois Toulson (City of Leeds Diving) in the Womens 10m Synchro.

Team England confirm table tennis players for XX Commonwealth Games

Team England’s table tennis players for the Commonwealth Games have been revealed today.

Among the team of ten is double Commonwealth Games gold medallist Andrew Baggaley, world number 56 Liam Pitchford, plus London 2012 Olympians Paul and Joanna Drinkhall and Kelly Sibley. Delhi 2010 competitors Hannah Hicks, Karina Le Fevre and Daniel Reed return whilst Tin-Tin Ho and Sam Walker both make their Commonwealth debuts.

Joanna Drinkhall, the women’s national champion who won bronze in the mixed doubles event in Delhi, makes her third appearance at the Commonwealth Games.

Kelly Sibley said: “I am really happy and excited to be selected to represent Team England at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, the fact that the Games are on home soil makes it even more exciting as family and friends will be coming to watch and support us."

Men’s national champion Liam Pitchford has two medals from Delhi 2010, silver and bronze, and last month in Tokyo helped England win the Challenge Division at the World Team Table Tennis Championships. 

Paul Drinkhall said: “I am very happy to be part of Team England for the Commonwealth Games again!  “I think the team is in a great place to be fighting for medals in every event, and for me personally I am really looking forward to the whole experience and hopefully coming away with lots of medals"!

Tin-Tin Ho said: “I am so excited and overjoyed that I have been selected and have received the opportunity to represent my country in the Commonwealth Games.

“As it is my first Games, I am really looking forward to the experience, learning from all the athletes and hopefully winning a medal with the team!"

Queen's Baton relay visits Sheffield

The Queen's Baton relay of the XX Commonwealth Games visited Sheffield on Sunday for a host of events around the city.

Tricia Memmott at Concord Park.

England Junior Netball at EIS.

Elizabeth Sorsby and Nick Matthew at High Bradfield.

Olympic swimmer James Kirton at Concord Park.

Joanne Strong at Low Bradfield.

 Paul Hudson, General Manager of EIS Sheffield welcomes and updated Nick Matthew board to the Hall of Champions.

Morgan Lake equals European Youth Hepathlon Record in Gotzis

Seventeen year old Morgan Lake who recently smashed Katarina Johnson-Thompson’s British youth heptathlon best with 5896 points at the age of 16 to become the youngest ever winner of the Multistars event in Florence has followed this up with an impressive performance in Austria.

 Lake broke the 6000 points barrier for the first time to finish overall 17th with 6081 points to equal the European youth best and go second in the world junior list for 2014. Her results included big PBs in the shot (14.85m), 200m (24.59) and javelin (39.74m).

Following her first ever senior heptathlon, she then also went on to break the UK junior high jump record with a clearance of 1.93m in Loughborough.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson wins Götzis heptathlon with javelin best

Katarina Johnson-Thompson won gold in the prestigious Hypo-Meeting in Götzis, Austria this weekend, as Great Britain’s latest heptathlon star laid down a marker with yet another personal best this year before the Commonwealth Games.

 Victory in the 800 metres saw the 21-year-old Liverpudlian pip Canada’s Brianne Theisen-Eaton to gold by 41 points (6,682 to 6,641) and the pair are expected to be favourites in Glasgow this summer in the absence of Jessica Ennis-Hill.

Johnson-Thompson lay second overnight in this event – the annual IAAF World Combined Events Challenge, which had a field far stronger than that expected at the Commonwealths – but moved into first by winning the long jump in the first of Sunday’s events, jumping 6.70 metres to Theisen-Eaton’s 6.59.

The Canadian reclaimed top spot in the javelin but Johnson-Thompson’s new personal best of 41.44m in the event left her primed before her favoured 800m and she duly delivered.