Jade Surman of Great Britain (© Getty Images)
Team BiographiesBoys
Harry AIKINES AYREETEY 100m/200m
Born: 29 August 1988 Club: Sutton
Personal Bests:
100m 10.44 200m 21.25
Career Summary
Last years leading under 17 winning AAA double at 100 and 200, Harry took silver in the Commonwealth Youth games in December and has continued his relentless progress in 2005 to be ranked as world number two under 18 in both sprints. Second in Mannheim and the Southern Under 20's he has taken his 200m best down from 21.76.
Alex NELSON 100m
Born: 21 March 1988 Club: City of Stoke
Personal Best:
100m 10.31.
Career Summary
Twice English schools champion, Alex missed most of 2004 through injury. However he has been simply sensational in 2005 and in so doing has become Britain's second fastest ever 17 year old (behind MLF) and a match for most of Europe's best seniors. Staffs champion, he then improved to an eye catching 10.39 for 2nd behind Pato Bangura at Loughborough before further Pb's of 10.35 and 10.31 in Mannheim. Alex's sister Ashleigh (14) is far and away the best 100m runner for her age in GB.
Daniel HAQUE 200m
Born: 26 July 1988 Club: Blackheath & Bromley
Personal Best:
200m 21.6.
Career Summary
A convert from Triple Jump at which he won AAA U15 silver, Daniel won English Schools silver in his first season and has improved from 22.0 to 21.6 in 2005. Kent champion, he won the Southern Championship at Portsmouth in May. This will be Daniels first competition Overseas.
James BREWER 800m
Born: 18 June 1988 Club: Cheltenham & Co.
Personal Best:
800m 1:50.48
Career Summary
James seemed to "come from nowhere" last year to win English schools silver, improving almost five seconds and moving up to 4th on the all time Under 17 list. He has had a quiet 2005 to date winning Gloucester and Midland Junior champs.
Mark MITCHELL 800m
Born: 23 May 1988 Club: Forres
Personal Best:
800m 1:50.90
Career Summary
Mark is the Scottish under 17 record holder and caused a sensation when he defeated the hitherto unrivalled Grant baker to win the AAA U17 title last august. Fourth in Commonwealth youth games in Bendigo and Scottish Under 20 winner last month, Mark is rounding into form with a 1:51.5 clocking at Solihull two weeks ago.
Laurence COX 1500m
Born: 15 March 1988 Club: AFD
Personal Best:
1500m 3:50.41
Career Summary
Laurence is a versatile performer who won the AAA Under 17 title last year and was highly ranked at 800m and 3000m. He began the 2005 season with a fast 2000m Steeplechase at Twickenham but switched back to the metric mile and took 3.5 seconds from his PB at Solihull on June 25.
Gianni FRANKIS 110 m Hurdles
Born: 16 April 1988 Club: Basildon
Personal Best:
110m Hurdles 13.86w
Career Summary
Gianni only started in athletics in 2004 and took high rank as an under 17 last year with a AAA silver and a 14.3 clocking. This year he has won the southern juniors comfortably and then was highly impressive at Crystal palace clocking 13.85 in his first attempt at the World youth hurdle height.
Nick BALL 10km Walk
Born: 29 April 1988 Club: Steyning WC
Personal Best:
44:05 (Road)
Career Summary
Nick is used to success having won AAA senior bronze in 2003 (the youngest ever senior medallist). He was 18th in the European cup (under 20) in Miskolc, Hungary in May 2005 and was winner of AAA titles at U15, U17 and U20.
James CAMPBELL Javelin
Born: 1 April 1988 Club: Cheltenham & Co.
Personal Best:
Javelin 72.19m
Career Summary
Another Commonwealth youth games winner fro last December, James broke the Scottish record by more than eight metres in 2004. As the AAA under 17 winner he began 2005 well with a PB of 72.19 at Eton in April.
Alex SMITH Hammer
Born: 6 March 1988 Club: Hull Achilles
Personal Best:
Hammer 76.52m
Career Summary
The most outstanding British prospect in this event for generations, Alex, already a terrific performer on the International stage, has a fine chance of a first GB medal in an international championship in the men's Hammer since 1946. Commonwealth youth games winner in Australia and with PBs in Croatia and Germany, Alex is hitting peak form after an early season back injury. He is the UK Under 17 record holder and won the AAA U20 title aged 16.
Lewis ROBSON Octathlon
Born: 9 January 1988 Club: Gateshead
Personal Best:
Octathlon 5726
Career Summary
Lewis was the AAA U20 400m Hurdles champion in 2004 but it seems his best disciplines are the multi events. He is currently ranked 8th in the IAAF rankings and features in the 400m, long jump, triple jump and pentathlon U15 all time UK lists.
Guy STROUD Octathlon
Born: 9 August 1988 Club: Exeter Harriers
Personal Best:
Octathlon 5802
Career Summary
Guy is currently ranked 8th in the IAAF rankings (just ahead of Lewis but with a windy mark) and holds the British age group records for Octathlon at Ages 14 and 16. A multi talented athlete, Guy has been in the UK 110m Hurdles rankings and won the U18 Schools International in 2004.
Team Biographies - Girls
Joscelynn HOPESON 100m
Born: 18 May 1988 Club: Unattached
Personal Best:
100m 11.70
Career Summary
The Archbishop Tenison schoolgirl has been rounding nicely into form in 2005 and ran her second fastest time--11.71-- for second in Mannheim last month. The reigning Commonwealth Youth games champion, AAA Under 17 winner from 2004 and twice English schools champion; Joscelynn runs 200m less frequently but also won the AAA Under 17 at that distance last year (PB 24.22).
Lucy SARGENT 100m
Born: 13 September 1988 Club: Havering Mayesbrook Coach: Roger Walters
Personal Best:
100m 11.70
Career Summary
A semi finalist at last year’s World Junior Championships, Lucy has won the southern juniors and the Mannheim meet this year. Quite brilliant winner of AAA U20 indoor title over 200m she has also shown talent as a jumper and 300m runner. Lucy's mum Ann was Britain's number two pentathlete behind Mary Peters and won four Commonwealth medals.
Joey DUCK 200m
Born: 14 April 1989 Club: Milton Keynes
Personal Best:
200m 23.80
Career Summary
Long regarded as a great future prospect, Joey has already won six national titles and a bronze in last years commonwealth youth games. A close rival of Lucy Sargent since 2003, Joey has also shown exciting potential over 200m and 300m. She won the AAA U20 100m title last year just two months past her fifteenth birthday.
Emma JACKSON 800m
Born: 7 June 1988 Club: City of Stoke
Personal Best:
800m 2:06.50
Career Summary
Runner up in the AAA U17's in 2003 and last years English Schools, Emma is part of a very strong British quartet of 800m runners, two of whom represent GB & NI in Marrakech. The Stafford champion in May when she improved her best from 2:09.56 to 2:07.3, Emma was senior Inter Counties bronze medallist that same month before a further PB at the Watford BMC in June.
Carolyn PLATEAU 800m
Born: 22 August 1988 Club: Radley Ladies
Personal Best:
800m 2:06.06
Career Summary
The English schools junior winner at 800m in 2002, Carolyn is highly ranked at 400m and 1500m indicating both speed and endurance. She broke through last winter to win the AAA U20 title with an age 16 best indoors. Outdoors she ran for GB Juniors at Loughborough and set her PB in the Watford BMC race.
Emma PALLANT 1500m
Born: 4 June 1989 Club: AFD
Personal Best:
1500m 4:25.39
Career Summary
Emma has improved her best by over seven seconds this year with her latest PB (4:25.39) at the Solihull BMC Grand Prix last month.
Sian EDWARDS 3000m
Born: 24 November 1988 Club: Kettering
Personal Best:
3000m 9:27.69
Career Summary
The most improved athlete in the team based on results in 2005. Just third in the English Schools in 2004, Sian has improved by 35 seconds this year to rank only behind the two Chinese entrants in Marrakech. Having taken eleven seconds off her 1500m best to win the Northants title, she then placed fifth for GB Juniors in Loughborough's 3000m and set another PB to win the Midlands U17 title at Birmingham.
Rebecca MERSH 5km Walk
Born: 28 January 1989 Club: Sheffield WC
Personal Best:
5km Walk 24:06.6
Career Summary
AAA senior bronze medallist in 2004, Rebecca is a precocious talent who won her first AAA title at the age of 12. Three time English schools winner she won the AAA Under 20 indoor title over 3000m earlier this year.
Vikki HUBBARD High Jump
Born: 13 July 1989 Club: Grantham
Personal Best:
High Jump 1.80m
Career Summary
Vikki was the AAA indoor champion at Under 20 and Under 17 level in February and then finished second to Britain's number one Julia Bennett at the Bedford games and Loughborough International. She has been highly consistent in the big senior competitions in 2005 and has beaten Natalie Clark, Michele Dunkley and Kelly Sotherton.
Charis O'CONNOR High Jump
Born: 17 August 1988 Club: Guildford
Personal Best:
High Jump 1.78m
Career Summary
The AAA Under 17 champion last august, Charis was Under 20 runner up indoors this year. She won the Southern Juniors in May at Portsmouth and then matched her PB to win Southern seniors at Ashford in June.
Alexandra RUSSELL Long Jump
Born: 27 March 1990 Club: Wirral
Personal Best:
Long Jump 6.02m
Career Summary
The reigning AAA Under 15 and English schools Junior champion, Alex has improved 31cms this year and made her GB Junior debut in the Loughborough match. Subsequently she was the winner of the Northern Under 20 and Under 17 titles. She is the youngest athlete in the team and the only one eligible to compete in the world youths of 2007.
Eden FRANCIS Shot/Discus
Born: 19 October 1988 Club: Leicester Cor.
Personal Best:
Shot 14.13n Discus 45.48m
Career Summary
Eden is a great talent who has already won AAA Under 15 and Under 17 titles at both shot and discus. The AAA senior indoor bronze medallist in February at Sheffield; Eden has set four PB's at the Shot this year culminating with 14.13 at the Bedford games. She improved her discus PB to 45.48 at Solihull at the end of June.
Jade SURMAN Heptathlon
Born: 27 March 1989 Club: Birchfield
Personal Best:
Heptathlon 5251 points
Career Summary
Jade has contested two combined events this year and set UK Under 17 bests each time; indoors in the pentathlon in Valencia (a winning GB debut) and at the Woodford Heptathlon in May where her 5251 points leads the World among under 18's. The AAA Under 17 winner in 2004, Jade's best events are the Hurdles (PB 14.26) and Long Jump at which she has won the English schools and the AAA U20 indoor title at the age of fifteen
UK Athletics for the IAAF
