Olympian Chris Bennett and British indoor shot put champions Scott Lincoln and Rachel Wallader headline the British team for the European Throwing Cup to be staged in Gran Canaria across the weekend 11-12 March. Bennett enjoyed one of the best seasons of his hammer throwing career in 2016, reaching the European final in Amsterdam before earning selection for the Olympic Games in Rio last summer.
After setting a personal best of 76.45m in Budapest last June, he will be looking for an encouraging start to the season in Spain.
Wallader finished twelfth at the European Championships in Amsterdam last summer and will be looking for a similar result at the Indoors equivalent in Belgrade later this week. The Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow athlete will also have a chance to shine outdoors in this opening throws event in the European calendar.
City of York’s Lincoln has seen continuous progression over the last few years, and will compete in the shot put alongside compatriot Youcef Zatat, the latter throwing a personal best of 18.22m at the Indoor Team Trials in Sheffield earlier in February.
Rachel Hunter threw a lifetime best of 66.46m at a winter throws competition held in Loughborough last weekend, and will be one of four athletes making their senior debuts for the British team.
There will be four U23 athletes featuring alongside the senior squad, with British Athletics Futures programme athlete Taylor Campbell (John Pearson) lining-up in the hammer.
Head of Field and Combined Events, Peter Stanley commented:
“After a great year for the throws in 2016, I am pleased we are able to pick a competitive team at the European Throwing Cup. We have the likes of Chris Bennett in the team who enjoyed his best season to date in 2016, and he will be targeting a strong start to his campaign.
“It is great to also have athletes making their senior debuts at this event; Rachel Hunter really stepped up to the mark last Sunday when she threw a personal best in the hammer, and this is an encouraging sign at the start of 2017.”
