2023 European Indoor Championships - British Team

[philipo]

Perhaps the super shoes are even better than acknowledged.

[carterhatch]

Exactly MysteryBrick, as Ian Hodge notes overnight from US, with others like Marcia Sey, Louie Hinchcliffe and Adam Clayton, all achieving notable PBs,
it would be quite an interesting group. Perhaps one rule being they can't have performed in the UK this indoor season, to make it a little more challenging

... and almost as I have written this comment loop-guru notes, via Ian Hodge, of Zharnel Hughes going 3rd all time on UK 60m list [Blimey!] and Yemi Mary John with a 400 PB ... the women's 4 x400 alone from this 'US Based only' quartet is impressive!

[MysteryBrick]

Anning, Yeargin, Jodie Williams, Bizimana with 1:46.6 indoors, Josh Kerr, Neil Gourley and Jake Heyward in the 1500m, Sam Atkin. It would be a pretty good team!

[carterhatch]

.Ian Hodge reports a 50.68 for Amber Anning. An outright PB by almost a full second.

Following this welcome performance one does wonder what young Anning might have done at the Europeans. With a lot of British athletes based in the US, and some other very promising marks [Nicole Yeargin for example], as a thought exercise, what sort of British team could be cobbled together from states-based only athletes ...

[philipo]

German talent which under went the usual home town thing last year , ,as you rightly point out was poor at the WC. A rich country with a tradition of sports excellence in the past cannot produce male sprinters, consistent middle and long distance runners, no top quality hurdlers is a mystery. Mihambo, Klosterhalfen yes for sure; not much else convinces.So many sport clubs, not too much talent. Not even much to shout about with their national soccer team.

[Ladyloz]

Germany had a pretty decent home Europeans last summer but rather underwhelming in Eugene.

And less than 18 Months out from a Home Olympics it still looks slim pickings for France.

[philipo]

What is interesting to me, apart from the general depression about GB lack of quality and numbers in field events, is the awful standards in track in two large European countries, namely France and Germany. A mere handful of genuine elite on the track in the last few years. I wonder which european countries will excel this year. Some Italians,poles?, norwegians, swiss ,dutch, British hopefully.

[CAML]

The men's jumps are more of a concern than the throws. This indoors our Junior men have had 1 athlete over 15m in the TJ, 2 over 7m in the LJ, 1 over 2.10m in the HJ and no pole vaulters over 5m. There seems to be neither the numbers nor the talent coming through.

[MysteryBrick]

Sam Atkin being a prime example.

[MysteryBrick]

Yeah, it is reasonable of course. I just wonder about a few who would likely have got a medal here making the decision to pass up silverware for the slim chance of greater honours.

[RunUnlimited]

jjimbojames raises a great point. As much as some of us are disappointed by the lack of some athletes who probably would be in Istanbul, it must be remembered that we've come off a pretty unique year where many of the GB athletes competed at 3 major championships within the space of a month and a half (and also attended the WIC during the winter season too). It would be understandable if some of them decided to give this winter season a miss, or only did a few competitions without wanting to go to the EIC and focusing on the outdoor season this year.

[jjimbojames]

The selectors have pretty much taken everyone they could - if athletes don’t want to compete after a busy 2022, it’s not that surprising. Those who don’t like teams where athletes get selected but won’t final/medal should be happier, at least!

[Runner88]

All the athletes mentioned above could well one day be regulars in GB teams, but this indoor season the truth is we haven’t seen the field eventers kick on and even threaten to come near to selection standards.

Now I don’t expect to see us sending full compliments in all the events, no country is doing that, but gut feeling suggests this is one our thinnest teams being sent to the Euro indoors in some years.

Muir, Hodgkinson, Neita and a few others will make sure we leave with a respectable medal haul I’m sure.

[RunUnlimited]

@Occasional Hope

Yep, Omeregie too.

[Occasional Hope]

In shot add in Sarah Omoregie who threw over 17m for the first time at the weekend.