European medallists set for IAAF World Mountain Running Championships
Georgia Malir (handicap 2.0 ) and Robbie Simpson (handicap MINUS 4.6) headline a strong Great Britain & Northern Ireland team that will travel to Italy next month for the IAAF World Mountain Running Championships.
Malir took gold in the junior women’s race at the European Mountain Running Championships in Gap, France last month, whilst Simpson won silver in the senior men’s race, the first medal by a British athlete in this category in over a decade.
In that senior men’s race, Simpson is joined by trials winner Andrew Douglas (handicap MINUS 4.1) who secured a top ten finish on his GB & NI debut in Gap, as well as seasoned GB & NI internationals James Walsh (handicap MINUS 3.6), Nick Swinburn (handicap MINUS 4.8) and Orlando Edwards
(handicap MINUS 1.8)
The senior women’s team includes 2013 IAAF World Championship silver medallist Emma Clayton (Handicap 5.6), although that performance did come over the up and down format, as opposed to the mainly uphill format that will be contested this year.
Mixing marathons with mountain running, Rebecca Robinson (handicap MINUS 0.5)secured a dominant victory at the trial race in Sedbergh at the weekend, and she and Clayton will be joined in Casette Di Massa, Italy on Saturday 14 September by experienced duo Katie Walshaw (handicap 2.5) and Mary Wilkinson (handicap 14.2).
Trials winners Catriona Graves (handicap 4.6) and Andrew Lawler (handicap MINUS 1.7) lead the junior teams, with six of the seven junior athletes selected already having GB & NI experience.
On the strength of the GB & NI squad heading for Italy, Team Leader Sarah Rowell commented:
“Only one of the seventeen athletes selected will be making their Great Britain & Northern Ireland debut, plus most of the others know what it takes to win medals at this level having done so already, so it’s a strong team. Whilst we are traditionally stronger over the up and down format, there has been a growing confidence within Britain that we can succeed in the predominantly uphill only races, and so I fully anticipate another good medal haul in Italy.”
Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Mountain Running Championships:
Junior Women
Catriona Graves (handicap 4.6)
Heidi Davies (handicap 2.9)
Georgia Malir (handicap 2.0)
Junior Men
Andrew Lawler (handicap MINUS 1.7)
Max Nicholls (handicap MINUS 2.3)
Jacob Adkin (handicap 1.2)
Max Wharton (handicap MINUS 4.7)
Senior Women
Rebecca Robinson (handicap MINUS 0.5)
Emma Clayton (Handicap 5.6)
Katie Walshaw (handicap 2.5)
Mary Wilkinson (handicap 14.2)
Senior Men
Andrew Douglas (handicap MINUS 4.1)
Nick Swinburn (handicap MINUS 4.8)
Orlando Edwards handicap MINUS 1.8)
Tom Addison (handicap 2.1)
James Walsh (handicap MINUS 3.6)
Robbie Simpson (handicap MINUS 4.6)