Hayley Yelling takes the senior women's title at the 2009 European XC Champs (© Hans Sjögren)
European Indoor 3000m champion Mo Farah and European Cross Country Champion Hayley Yelling are amongst 21 athletes selected for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the IAAF World Cross Country Championships to be held in Bydgoszcz, Poland on 28 March.
Farah, who won the McCain Cross Challenge final and trials event in Cofton Park, Birmingham on 13 March returned to the UK in great shape following a long phase of altitude training in Kenya.
He heads up the men’s senior team which also includes seasoned cross runner Andy Vernon who finished 78th at the international event last year. Both athletes competed at the European Cross Country in Dublin last December, an extremely successful campaign for GB&NI.
Yelling, who returned to competitive action last winter to be a surprise, yet convincing, winner at the European Cross Country, leads a team of five women including top three finishers from the trials Freya Murray, Steph Twell and Fay Fullerton.
U17 youngster Emelia Gorecka, who won the European Cross Country trials at Sefton Park in late 2009 but was too young for selection, has the chance to compete for her country this time around, following her birthday in January and another spectacular win at the recent trials in Birmingham.
She will be joined by a strong team, looking for a top five team finish, including Hannah Walker and Annabel Gummow who finished second and third respectively in the trials.
Richard Goodman, another athlete competing ahead of his years, also clocked double trials victories pre and post Christmas in the junior age group despite being a year younger than the majority of the field.
International cross country hopefuls Ronnie Sparke and Ben Norris make up the team along with Johnathan Hay and Callum Hawkins who gained valuable experience at the 2009 European Cross Country.
US based Tom Farrell, who recently broke the British junior 3k record with a 7.58.68i performance in Seattle, USA on the 13 Feb and has set new personal bests in both the 3000m and 5000m this season was also included in the team. His consistent performances and mature attitude to the sport made him an ideal candidate for selection.
UK Athletics for the IAAF
GREAT BRITAIN AND NORTHERN IRELAND TEAM
SENIOR MEN
Mo Farah (Ricky Simms) Newham & Essex Beagles
Mike Skinner (Andy Hobdale) Blackheath & Bromley
Andy Vernon (Nick Anderson) AFD
James Wilkinson (Phil Wilkinson) Leeds City
SENIOR WOMEN
Faye Fullerton (Georgina Fullerton) Havering Mayesbrook
Freya Murray (Steve Jones) Chester Le Street & Dist AC
Stevie Stockton (George Gandy) Vale Royal
Stephanie Twell (Mick Woods) AFD
Hayley Yelling (Conrad Milton) Windsor Slough, Eton & Hounslow
JUNIOR MEN
Tom Farrell (Andy Farrell) Border
Richard Goodman () Shaftesbury Barnet
Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) Kilbarchan
Jonathan Hay (Mick Woods) AFD
Ben Norris (Andy McNeill) Notts
Ronnie Sparke (Richard Thurston) Woodford Green and Essex Ladies
JUNIOR WOMEN
Kate Avery (Robert Ashwood) Shildon
Emelia Gorecka (Mick Woods) AFD
Annabel Gummow (Chris Wooldridge) Bristol & West
Sarah Inglis (Steve Cottom) Lothian
Beth Potter (John Nuttall) Victoria Park City of Glasgow
Hannah Walker (Mike Dunphy) Dacorum & Tring
