As the athletics programme at the Olympic Games Paris 2024 is set to get underway, Team Captain Josh Kerr, Amber Anning, Molly Caudery and Zharnel Hughes gathered for the official Team GB Athletics press conference in the Athlete’s Village on Wednesday.
Captain Kerr (pic), the reigning Olympic bronze medallist in the men’s 1500m, is targeting an upgrade this time around after his world title success in 2023. After delivering his captain speech to the squad on Sunday evening, he was in buoyant mood ahead of his 1500m event getting underway during the first morning session at the Stade de France on Friday 2 August.
He said: “I have worked my whole career to be in this position right here, sitting in front of everyone as a world champion before an Olympic Games.
“I am captaining one of the best teams in the world. I am really enjoying my life right now. I want to be involved in the 1500m in one of the best eras of all-time.
“I am here to run fast for 1500m and bring home medals to my country and that is my plan for the next week.” World Indoor pole vault champion, Caudery, arrives in Paris in superb form having broken the British record with a clearance of 4.92m in Toulouse last month. In the form of her life, the 24-year-old is looking forward to representing Team GB, with her qualification round starting on Monday 5 August.
Molly commented: “Over the last year I have been healthy for the first time in many, many years. I think having the consistency in training and to build week in week out has meant everything to me. It has absolutely transformed my career. Going from indoors and continuing my form into the outdoors has been huge for me.
“My goals for Paris are pretty obvious to others here, I would love to go out there and get onto the podium. Who knows what colour that medal could be.”
Hughes was focused ahead of his busy Games schedule as he is set to compete in the men’s 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay over the next 11 days of competition. Last year he won world bronze in the men’s 100m and was fourth in the 200m which followed the Briton breaking the long-standing men’s national records in the 100m and 200m.
Ahead of his first event, the 100m, which starts on Saturday 3 August, he spoke to the media, saying: “My goal for the Games is the same as what everyone is here for; to be on that podium.
“I have been focusing a lot on my start. We were running 19 seconds earlier in the season, so for me we are trying to work on the 100m. As long as we can get the 100m done correctly, then my 200m should be A-ok.”
Anning will make her Olympic debut in Paris and comes into the Games in exceptional form having moved up to third on the UK all-time rankings with a time of 49.51 earlier this year. She sits only behind 2008 Olympic champion Christine Ohuruogu and three-time Olympic medallist Kathy Cook on that list.
Ahead of the individual 400m and the 4x400m relays, Anning said: “The 400m is definitely at an all-time high right now. It is just so fast, so it is really exciting.
“It is nice to see the event pushing out there, and seeing the times get quicker and quicker. Relay wise, I think we have to be really excited going out there, so I am excited for all the girls.
“We have a good history in the relays. Martyn has done a great job with the relay teams, so I am looking forward to seeing what we can all do.”
The athletics action begins today with Callum Wilkinson competing in the men’s 20km Race Walk from 6:30am BST / 7:30am CET. One team update is unfortunately Charlie Carvell has withdrawn from the Games due to injury, so Samuel Reardon has been called up to the men’s 4x400m relay squad.
The Team GB Athletics team for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games:
WOMEN:
100m
Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floreal, Blackheath and Bromley)
Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District)
Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)
200m
Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floreal, Blackheath and Bromley)
Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)
Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley)
400m
Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove)
Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey)
Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham and Essex Beagles)
800m
Phoebe Gill (Deborah Steer, St Albans)
Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh)
Jemma Reekie (Jon Bigg, Kilbarchan)
1500m
Georgia Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave)
Laura Muir (Steve Vernon, Dundee Hawkhill)
Revee Walcott-Nolan (Thomas Dreißigacker; Luton)
10,000m
Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness)
Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall, Dundee Hawkhill)
100m Hurdles
Cindy Sember (Chris Johnson, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
400m Hurdles
Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnet)
3000m Steeplechase
Lizzie Bird (Pat McCurry, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Aimee Pratt (Thomas Dreißigacker, Sale Harriers Manchester)
High Jump
Morgan Lake (Robbie Grabarz, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Pole Vault
Holly Bradshaw (Kate Rooney, Blackburn)
Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley)
Heptathlon
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool Harriers)
Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham & Essex Beagles)
4x100m Relay Squad (At least four to be selected)
Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floreal, Blackheath and Bromley)
Desiree Henry (Steve Fudge, Enfield & Haringey)
Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood)
Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District)
Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers)
Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley)
4x400m Relay Squad (At least four to be selected)
Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove)
Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
Hannah Kelly (Les Hall, Bolton)
Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey)
Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham and Essex Beagles)
Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan, Herts Phoenix)
Nicole Yeargin (Vince Anderson, Pitreavie)
Marathon
Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau, Aldershot Farnham and District)
Rose Harvey (Alistair Cragg, Clapham Chasers)
Calli Hauger-Thackery (Hallamshire)
MEN:
100m
Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff)
Louie Hinchliffe (Carl Lewis, Sheffield & Dearne)
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet)
200m
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet)
400m
Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester)
Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers)
800m
Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers)
Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid-Hants)
Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman, Edinburgh AC)
1500m
Neil Gourley (Stephen Haas, Giffnock North)
Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey, Edinburgh)
George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix)
5000m
Sam Atkin (Mike Collins, Lincoln Wellington)
Patrick Dever (Alistair Cragg, Preston)
George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix)
10,000m
Patrick Dever (Alistair Cragg, Preston)
110m Hurdles
Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
400m Hurdles
Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey)
Long Jump
Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Matt Barton, Leeds City)
Shot Put
Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York)
Discus
Lawrence Okoye (Zane Duquemin, Croydon)
Nicholas Percy (Zane Duquemin, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Men’s 4x100m Relay Squad (At least four to be selected)
Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff)
Louie Hinchliffe (Carl Lewis, Sheffield & Dearne)
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Richard Kilty (Gateshead)
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham & Essex Beagles)
Men’s 4x400m Relay Squad (At least four to be selected)
Lewis Davey (Trevor Painter, Newham & Essex Beagles)
Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester)
Ben Jefferies (Bristol & West)
Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix)
Alex Haydock-Wilson (Earl Herbert, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers)
Samuel Reardon (Nigel Stickings, Blackheath and Bromley)
20km Race Walk
Callum Wilkinson (Robert Heffernan, Enfield & Haringey)
Marathon
Emile Cairess (Renato Canova, Leeds City)
Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton)
Phil Sesemann (Andrew Henderson, Leeds City)
Mixed 4x400m Relay [Men’s and Women’s 4x400m relay athletes eligible for this event]
Team Staff
Team Leader: Paula Dunn
Team Coaches:
Endurance: Jon Bigg, Chris Jones, Mark Pollard [Preparation Camp], Steve Vernon
Sprints, Hurdles and Relays: Leon Baptiste, Darren Campbell, Coral Nourrice [Preparation Camp], Laura Turner-Alleyne, Martyn Rooney
Field and Combined Events: Zane Duquemin, Robbie Grabarz, Aston Moore and Kate Rooney
Team Medical and Sports Science: Paul Brice, James Brown, Nick Card, Sarah Connors, Sarah Hayes, James Hedger, Michael Johnston, Satveer Kang, Becki Knight, Nigel Mitchell, Laura Moss, Milly Pamment, George Polglass, John Rogers, Alison Rose, Jennifer Savage, Andrew Shaw
Team Management and Operations: Lorna Dwyer, Maddy Ibbett, Cerys Miller, Tina Ryan, Tommy Yule
