UK Athletics can announce the Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GB & NI) throws team for the Halplus Werfertage competition taking place in Halle, Germany, on the 16 and 17 May.
Three-time national hammer throw champion Jake Norris (club:Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, coach:Nick Ridgeon) returns to Germany after a seventh-place finish last year. He will be looking to continue his strong start to the season for a big summer of competition ahead.
The team features multiple Paralympic and World medallist Aled Davies (Cardiff), who will compete in the men’s discus and shot put as he builds towards the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow later this year.
Britain’s number one shot putter, Serena Vincent (City of Portsmouth, Mike Winch), has delivered strong performances across the past 12 months, including retaining her Novuna UK Athletics Indoor Championship title at the start of the year.
Joining her will be 2023 U23 European silver medallist Charlotte Payne (Newbury AC, Ian Payne) in the hammer throw. Payne opened her season with a throw over 70m at the UKA/EA Winter Long Throws Championship, producing her third-best performance to date.
After a successful indoor season, Paris Paralympic and World Para medallist Anna Nicholson (Gateshead, Richard Kaufman) will compete in the shot put. She is joined by para teammates, world para medallist Funmi Oduwaiye (DSW Para Academy, Josh Clark) and Bree Cronin (Cardiff, Josh Clark), who will compete in the discus.
In the Under-23 categories, Michael Jenkins (Swansea Harriers, Ryan Spencer-Jones) and Jabez Berry (Halesowen, Steve Pearson) will compete in the discus and hammer, respectively. Jenkins is an exciting prospect in the discus and has previously won medals at the World Para Athletics Championships across the throwing events.
Following a fourth-place finish in the hammer at the European U20 Championships, Berry will be stepping up into the Under-23 category.
In the women’s Under-23 events, Amy Kennedy (Cumbernauld AAC, Alison Grey, Ryan McAllister) will make her international debut. Kennedy, who will be competing in the shot put, has been gradually progressing through the ranks and threw 15.50m at the UK Combined Events Championship in Glasgow in March.
The Novuna GB & NI throws team for the Halplus Werfertage competition taking place in Halle, Germany, on the 16 & 17 May:
Senior Men
Aled Davies – Shot Put and Discus (Cardiff)
Jake Norris – Hammer (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow, Nick Ridgeon)
Senior Women
Bree Cronin – Discus (Cardiff, Josh Clark)
Anna Nicholson – Shot Put (Gateshead, Richard Kaufman)
Funmi Oduwaiye – Shot Put and Discus (DSW Para Academy, Josh Clark)
Charlotte Payne – Hammer (Newbury AC, Ian Payne)
Serena Vincent – Shot Put (City of Portsmouth, Mike Winch)
U23 Men
Jabez Berry – Hammer (Halesowen, Steve Pearson)
Mike Jenkins – Discus (Swansea Harriers, Ryan Spencer-Jones)
U23 Women
Sophie Hamilton – Javelin (Harrow AC/Loughborough Students, John Trower)
Amy Kennedy – Shot Put (Cumbernauld AAC, Alison Grey / Ryan McAllister)