Newyddion

31/07/2025 00:00, I Mewn Blog /

More than 50 Welsh athletes are due to compete at this weekend’s Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

As well as medal glory, many will have an eye on September’s World Athletics Championships in Tokyo as the two-day event incorporates the Great Britain selection trials.

Others will focus on impressing ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships in New Delhi, which start at the end of September.

And, of course, next year’s Commonwealth Games are looming on the horizon. The high quality domestic fields at this weekend’s championships provide an ideal opportunity to chase Team Wales nomination standards.

Among those lining up at the Alexander Stadium will be recent European Under-23 Championships silver medallists Abi Pawlett (Trafford) and Justin Davies (Team Bath) – both members of the Welsh Athletics Performance Programme.

At the time of writing, Pawlett, who took silver in the heptathlon in Bergen earlier this month, is entered in the 200m, long jump and the 100m hurdles.

The UK indoor 60m hurdles champion has the heptathlon B standard for the World Athletics Championships and is due to be joined in the 100m hurdles by Commonwealth Games multi-eventer Lauren Evans (Cardiff Athletics) and Grace Morgan (Cardiff Archers).

Meanwhile, Davies, who was second in the 800m in Norway, once again toes the line over two laps at the weekend and has the qualifying standard for Japan. David Locke (Cardiff Athletics) and promising National Development Programme (NDP) athlete Jack Organ (Brecon AC) also feature.

A number of Welsh Olympic and Paralympic stars feature across the start lists, including Paris Olympic 4x100m relay bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics).

Azu, a former UK 100m champion, has been in outstanding form this year winning the Welsh, British, European and World indoor 60m championship titles. However, he doesn’t yet have the individual qualifying standard for Tokyo.

Wales’ fastest man over 100m lines up over that distance alongside brother Alex Azu and Cardiff Athletics team mates Sam Gordon, Dewi Hammond and Transition Programme athlete Lewis Stephens.

Fresh from a 100m PB at the English Athletics Under-20 championships, another Cardiff Athletics sprinter and NDP prospect Jessica Mantle takes to the blocks in the women’s event

The Azu brothers are also entered in the 200m where they will be joined by another Olympian Joe Brier (Swansea Harriers), who competed at the Tokyo Games in 2021.

Brier is also scheduled to run in the 400m where he will be joined by Evan Blackman (Corby). Both recently impressed at the London Diamond League Meeting.

Another Paris Olympian who will be taking to the track is Clara Evans-Graham (Pontypridd Roadents), who is entered in the 5,000m.

The performance programme athlete is joined on the provisional start list by Commonwealth Games competitor Jenny Nesbitt (Pontypridd Roadents), new Welsh steeplechase record holder Cari Hughes (Cardiff Athletics) and Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Poole AC).

Courtney-Bryant, a multiple Welsh record holder, has the 5,000m and 1500m qualifying standards for the World Championships, so will be looking for a top two place to clinch an automatic place in Japan.

The Commonwealth Games bronze medallist is also amongst the entries for 1500m, where Cari Hughes is named. However, Hughes may line-up in the 3,000m steeplechase having broken the Welsh record last weekend. Former steeple record holder Kate Seary (Cardiff Athletics) has also accepted an invitation.

The Paralympians heading for Birmingham include legendary javelin thrower Hollie Arnold (Blackheath and Bromley). Also on the javelin start-list is Welsh record holder Freya Jones (Harrow), who is one of the athletes chasing the Commonwealth Games nomination.

Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AC) who won gold at the Paris Paralympics, contests the shot put alongside fellow Paris competitor Funmi Oduwayie (Cardiff Athletics), who will also feature in the discus with NDP athlete Bree Cronin (Cardiff Athletics).

The Welsh contingent in the women’s shot put is completed by two-time British Champion Adele Nicoll (Birchfield Harriers). Nicoll currently leads the UK rankings despite her current training regime being targeted at competing at next February’s Winter Olympics in the bobsleigh.

The men’s discus features Paris Paralympian Harrison Walsh (Swansea Harriers), who will be joined by fellow Great Britain internationals James Tomlinson (Birchfield Harriers) and Mike Jenkins (Swansea Harriers).

World Para Athletics Championships hopeful Jenkins also features in the line-up for the men’s shot put competition. Entries there include UK Championships medallists Patrick Swan (Swansea Harriers/Cornwall AC) and Gareth Winter (Woodford Green Essex Ladies).

The list of Paris para stars in Birmingham is completed by Olivia Breen (City of Portsmouth) who competes in the long jump and the para 100m. The men’s para 100m includes Commonwealth Games T11 competitor James Ledger (Swansea Harriers). Meanwhile, NDP athlete Owain Terrell (Newport Harriers) will hope to shine in the men’s 1500m wheelchair race.

One of the largest Welsh contingents features in the women’s 400m, led by Transition Programme sprinter Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers).

The two-time Commonwealth Games athlete who is eyeing a hat-trick of selections at next year’s Glasgow Games will be joined by Tess McHugh (Sale Harriers Manchester), Sian Harry (Belgrave Harriers) and Ffion Mair Roberts (Menai Track and Field).

The women’s two-lap distance features another would-be Commonwealth Games representative, Issy Boffey (Enfield and Haringey).

The Performance Programme athlete, who will be hoping to dip under two minutes, is joined by Rachel McClay-Thomas (Bracknell AC).

Two former Commonwealth Games athletes will be looking to continue their comebacks in the midlands.

Multiple UK champion Bethan Davies (Cardiff Athletics), who has returned to competition after the birth of her daughter, lines up in the 5,000m walk, where Fraser Higginson (Bridgend AC) goes in the men’s event.

Meanwhile, Gold Coast games competitor Caryl Granville-Moore (Swansea Harriers) who has overcome serious injury and illness in recent years tackles the 400m hurdles.

Joining the current Welsh champion over one lap is NDP hurdler Sophie Lisk (Cardiff Archers). Another promising NDP athlete, Osian Parry (Cardiff Archers) goes in the men’s event.

Birmingham Commonwealth Games competitor Amber Simpson (Wrexham AC) will be hoping for a successful return to the Alexander Stadium in the women’s hammer.

In the men's 1500m, Ben Reynolds (Cardiff Athletics) will be taking to the track.

There will be Welsh duos aiming to clear obstacles in the men’s 110m hurdles, the 3,000m steeplechase and pole vault.

Hurdler Evan Cole (Swansea Harriers) will face the hurdles, Tom Chaston (Belgrave Harriers) and Oliver James (Bournemouth) tackle the water jumps, while UK indoor medallist Mark Mellor (Cardiff Athletics) and Tom Walley (Wrexham AC) will aim high in the pole vault.

Another UK indoor medallist, Hannah Lake (Cardiff Athletics) will be among the challengers in the women’s high jump, while Seb Clatworthy (Chelmsford AC) and Sam Davies (Swansea Harriers) contest the men’s event. Another Swansea Harrier, Carys Jones features in the women’s pole vault.

The BBC will be covering Saturday and Sunday’s events live on the Red Button.

Latest start lists, schedules and ticket information can be found on the British Athletics website.