The British Olympic Association confirmed its selection for the Minsk 2019 European Games today, with 101 athletes across 11 sports to represent Team GB in Belarus.
Today’s announcement sees 93 athletes confirmed from 10 sports with eight archers expected to be named next weekend.
Minsk 2019 is the second iteration of the European Games and will be held in the Belarussian capital from 21st – 30th June, with the Opening Ceremony on Friday 21st June.
As with the inaugural Games four years ago at Baku 2015, British female athletes will outnumber their male teammates at the Games.
Over 4,000 athletes from 50 countries will compete across 10 days in 200 different medal events with the Opening and Closing Ceremony being held in the Dinamo National Olympic Stadium.
Minsk 2019 represents the last senior multi-sport event prior to next summer’s Olympic Games and will provide invaluable experience for the British athletes hoping to travel to Tokyo. Team GB will compete at Minsk 2019 in archery, badminton, boxing, canoe sprint, cycling, gymnastics, judo, karate, shooting, table tennis and wrestling.
The Games is also an important qualification step on the road to Tokyo 2020 for some sports, with direct qualification of quota places for three sports – archery, shooting and table tennis – and important ranking points for others.
At present, 24 athletes from three sports – equestrian, sailing and shooting – have secured quota places for Team GB at Tokyo 2020. For badminton, boxing – men and judo, the European Games double up as their usual European Championships.
Four years ago, Team GB enjoyed success in the first European Games in Baku, winning 47 medals, including 18 gold medals. Amongst the gold medal winning athletes in Azerbaijan were boxers Nicola Adams and Joe Joyce, swimmer Duncan Scott and Jade Jones in taekwondo.
There will be 18 athletes returning for their second Games, including defending women’s skeet champion Amber Hill and Brinn Bevan in the men’s artistic gymnastics.
Selected in the team are 25 returning Olympians, from the last three summer Olympic Games, including medallists Jason Kenny, Katy Marchant and Sally Conway, as well as athletes from two non-Olympic gymnastics disciplines, aerobic and acrobatic.
The Team GB delegation will be led by Chef de Mission, Paul Ford and supported by Deputy Chef de Mission, Laura Hanna. Ford will act as Deputy Chef de Mission at Tokyo 2020 and Hanna, who has been part of the staff for the last five Games, will also be part of the wider Tokyo 2020 team.
Speaking after the team announcement, Ford said: “Minsk 2019 provides an important pathway towards Tokyo 2020 for sports. With automatic qualification of quota places for some, ranking points for others and three continental championships for sports you can see why Team GB has such a strong delegation going to the Games.
“It is an exciting mix of athletes and I look forward to the second European Games and the performances that I’m sure will impress and excite in equal measure.”
This excitement was matched by athletes following selection as a number commented on being part of Team GB and what the Minsk 2019 European Games hold in store.
Nekoda Davis, judo -57kg, said: “Multi-sport Games are always amazing experiences for athletes, not just in helping us prepare for the Olympic Games, but also special in how they bring numerous sports together to be part of one team at one event. Baku 2015 was really helpful for me as part of my journey to the Rio Olympics the following year and I’m sure Minsk 2019 will have the same impact. The fact that the Games double up as our judo European Championships gives us extra incentive to perform and put a great marker down for the season and our preparations for Tokyo 2020.”
Amber Hill, women’s skeet, said: “I’m really excited to be selected to compete in my second European Games. The last Games in Baku was a special event for me as it was where I secured my place for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and was an unforgettable moment. I feel honoured to represent Team GB and can’t wait to come together with athletes from all different sports in a multi-sport event like this.”
Amy Connell, karate -55kg, said: “I’m proud and excited to be selected for Team GB for the European Games at Minsk 2019. It will provide vital experience for me in a multi-sport environment and also showcase karate as a sport and give people a taste of what to expect of it at Tokyo 2020.”
As with Baku four years previously, BT Sport has secured the UK and Republic of Ireland rights to broadcast action from the European Games this summer and will provide daily, live coverage of the Games throughout each day of the competition.
Coverage across its TV channels will follow all of the Team GB athletes in action, switching between sports as the competition unfolds. Meanwhile its BT Sport Extra red button service and digital platforms will provide live coverage of every discipline and competition.
Speaking about the Games, Head of BT Sport, Simon Green, said: “The European Games will provide BT Sport viewers an early insight into Team GB stars’ prospects for the Tokyo 2020 summer Olympic Games. With Minsk 2019 offering qualification opportunities for numerous disciplines in Tokyo, and acting as the official European championships for a range of other sports, the European Games will provide a competitive edge to the sporting summer across a wide range of sports.”
*Athletes will be available for media interviews at Kitting Out at Birmingham NEC from Friday 31st May to Thursday 6th June. For all media requests during Kitting Out please email Laura.Craig@TeamGB.com*
The full athlete delegation for Minsk 2019 is below and for further information about Team GB at the Minsk 2019 European Games, please contact Thomas Rowland: thomas.rowland@teamgb.com or +44 (0) 20 7842 5719:
ARCHERY
TBC on May 26th following final qualifiers – a possible eight athletes to qualify.
BADMINTON
Christopher ADCOCK
Gabrielle ADCOCK
Chloe BIRCH
Marcus ELLIS
Kirsty GILMOUR
Chris LANGRIDGE
Toby PENTY
Lauren SMITH
BOXING
Men’s
Aqeel AHMED (-49kg)
Galal YAFAI (-52kg)
Peter McGRAIL (-56kg)
Calum FRENCH (-60kg)
Luke McCORMACK (-64kg)
Pat McCORMACK (-69kg)
Mark DICKINSON (-75kg)
Ben WHITTAKER (-81kg)
Cheavon CLARKE (-91kg)
Frazer CLARKE (+91kg)
Women’s
Rosie ECCLES (-69kg)
Lauren PRICE (-75kg)
CANOE SPRINT
Men’s K1
Thomas LUSTY
Women’s C1
Afton FITZHENRY
Women’s C2
Chloe BRACEWELL
Katie REID
CYCLING
Women’s Track Endurance
Megan BARKER
Anna DOCHERTY
Jenny HOLL
Rebecca RAYBOULD
Jess ROBERTS
Men’s Track Sprint
Jack CARLIN
Jason KENNY
Ryan OWENS
Joseph TRUMAN
Women’s Track Sprint
Sophie CAPEWELL
Katy MARCHANT
Men’s Road
Jim BROWN
Charley CALVERT
Gabriel CULLAIGH
Scott THWAITES
Ethan VERNON
Women’s Road & TT
Alice BARNES
Rhona CALLANDER
Anna HENDERSON
Nicola JUNIPER
Hayley SIMMONDS
GYMNASTICS
Acrobatics
Erin HENDERSON
Sacha MUIR
Chloe ROWLANDS
Aerobics
Renee AUGIER
Kate DONNELLY
Niamh KEANE
Isidora VUCICEVIC
Rhys WILLIAMS
Men’s Artistic
Brinn BEVAN
Jake JARMAN
Giarnni REGINI-MORAN
Women’s Artistic
Becky DOWNIE
Georgia-Mae FENTON
Trampoline
Isabelle SONGHURST
Corey WALKES
JUDO
Men’s
Ashley McKENZIE (-60kg)
Stuart McWATT (-81kg)
Frazer CHAMBERLAIN (-90kg)
Max STEWART (-90kg)
Women’s
Chelsie GILES (-52kg)
Nekoda DAVIS (-57kg)
Lucy RENSHALL (-63kg)
Alice SCHLESINGER (-63kg)
Sally CONWAY (-70kg)
Gemma HOWELL (-70kg)
Natalie POWELL (-78kg)
Jemima YEATS-BROWN (-78kg)
Sarah ADLINGTON (+78kg)
KARATE
Amy CONNELL (-55kg)
Joe KELLAWAY(-75kg)
SHOOTING
Olympic Trap
Kirsty BARR
Matthew COWARD-HOLLEY
Aaron HEADING
Abbey LING
Olympic Skeet
Elena ALLEN
Jeremy BIRD
Amber HILL
Ben LLEWELLIN
Rifle
Katie GLEESON
Seonaid McINTOSH
Pistol
Kristian CALLAGHAN
Sam GOWIN
TABLE TENNIS
Charlotte CAREY
Paul DRINKHALL
Tin-Tin HO
Liam PITCHFORD
Samuel WALKER
WRESTLING
Freestyle
Georgina NELTHORPE
Courtesy of Team GB
