wld championships

BritishAthletics has today announced a team of nine which will head to Premana, Italyon the 6 August for the World Long Distance Mountain Running Championships.
Leadingthe strong women’s quartet is last year’s gold medallist Annie Conway, who willbe striving for a successful title defence in the Italian mountains. Thetriumph was her career highlight to date, and she will be looking to recapturethat form at the 2017 edition.
Trialswinner Victoria Wilkinson, who placed 14^th at last year’s edition,once again earned selection after her course record at the Three Peaks in NorthYorkshire last weekend. Preston’s Nichola Jackson was the second femalefinisher at the event, and it was a successful first foray into long distancemountain running, as she also achieved a maiden call-up to the British team.Another debutant will be Carnethy’s Charlotte Morgan who completes the women’squartet.
Surprisewinner at the Trials, Murray Strain, leads the men’s team venturing to Italylater in the year. He will be joined by Tom Owens, who was narrowly outside themedals in fourth place at last year’s world championships. He will be seekingredemption as he targets a potential podium place at the 2017 edition of thechampionships.
CalderValley’s Karl Grey, Clayton-le-Moor’s Christopher Holdsworth (Chris Singleton)and Ilkley’s Jack Wood all earn selection to the British team; the latter tworeceiving an international call-up for the first time.
TeamLeader Sarah Rowell commented on the squad selection:
“I’mdelighted to welcome back our world champion Annie Conway to the team alongsideathletes who performed strongly at the Trials last weekend. VictoriaWilkinson’s course record at the Three Peaks was great to see and I am lookingforward to seeing how she fares against the world’s best in Italy later thisyear.
“Wehave a number of debutants also making the team after they stepped up at theTrials event which is always good to see. Competing for a British team is ahuge honour and we have two teams which should both be challenging for team andindividual medals in Italy.”
The British Athletics Team for the WorldLong Distance Mountain Running Championships to be held in Premana, Italy onSunday 6 August 2017:
Senior men
Karl Grey
Chris Holdsworth (ChrisSingleton)
Tom Owens
Murray Strain
Jack Wood

Senior women
Annie Conway*
Nichola Jackson
Charlotte Morgan
Victoria Wilkinson

*Subject to proving fitness