The British Olympic Association (BOA) has today announced the 54 athletes selected to represent Team GB at the Skopje 2025 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF).
Running from the 20th – 26th July, Team GB’s young athletes, all aged between 13 and 18, will compete in 10 of the 15 disciplines on the programme: artistic gymnastics, badminton, basketball 3x3, canoe slalom, judo, mountain bike, road cycling, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.
It is the largest squad Team GB have selected for an EYOF since 2009, with the majority of athletes taking to the field-of-play in venues across the North Macedonian capital, while the cyclists will be competing a short distance away in the country’s second largest city Kumanovo and the gymnasts set up in Osijek, Croatia.
EYOFs play an important role in the development of young British athletes, providing crucial multi-sport event experience and guiding them towards realising their Olympic ambitions as they compete alongside over 4,000 athletes from 48 countries.
Basketballer Irene Oboavwoduo was delighted to make the squad: “It’s always an honour to represent Great Britain when competing but being selected for Team GB specifically takes it to another level and that feels amazing.
This year’s British delegation will follow in the footsteps of some of Team GB's most recognisable stars who themselves represented Team GB at youth events before going on to compete at a senior Olympic Games, including Nile Wilson, Dina Asher-Smith, and Duncan Scott, who’s eight Olympic medals make him Britain’s most successful EYOF alumni.
These names provide huge inspiration for many, including 15-year-old swimmer Kaiden Hitchins, who said: “I’m over the moon to be selected for Team GB. I’m sure I could speak for every British athlete when I say it’s one of those things you dream about happening."
Rachel Smith, who captained Team GB’s rhythmic gymnastics team during London 2012 and has now been selected as Chef de Mission for Skopje 2025, said: “It is a genuine honour to be named Chef de Mission for Team GB at the European Youth Olympic Festival in Skopje. For many of our athletes, this will be their first opportunity to wear the Team GB kit and connect with the Olympic Movement. A truly memorable experience and significant milestone in any athlete’s journey.
“The EYOF represents more than just a competition; it is where many of our Olympians began their journey with Team GB. Skopje 2025 will provide our next generation of athletes with a valuable introduction to a multi-sport environment and a platform to continue exploring their own version of extraordinary. I am looking forward to seeing the team in action and hope it proves to be a memorable and rewarding experience for everyone involved.”
Hopkin, gold medallist from Tokyo 2020, said: “I am very proud to be named the Athlete Ambassador for the Skopje European Youth Olympic Winter Festival. I have always been very passionate about sport and Team GB is such an incredibly special team. To have the chance to hopefully inspire and pass on knowledge to the next generation is something that I am really looking forward to.”
“Having been just like our young athletes working hard and dreaming of the future, I know exactly how they are feeling. So, I’ll be looking to give them some useful information to make sure they can best use this opportunity to further their careers.”
Full squad
Artistic Gymnastics
Helena Finc, 14, Bedworth
Lexi Holmes, 14, Cardiff
Jenitha Johnson, 13, Milton Keynes
Uzair Chowdhury, 15, Harpenden
Zakaine Fawzi-Mccaffrey, 17, Nottingham
Evan McPhillips, 17, Bury
Badminton
Ishasriya Mekala, 15, Cardiff
Kalyan Manoj, 15, Milton Keynes
Basketball (3x3)
Bo Guttormsdottir-Frost, 16, East Moseley
Maisie Keyes, 17, Stockport
Irene Oboavwoduo, 17, Manchester
Haley Wright, 17, Valencia
Canoe Slalom
Sophie Forster, 15, Nottingham
Chloe Holmes, 14, Northwich
Jake Mitchell, 15, Hereford
Judo
Taylor Chrisp, 16, Blyth
Sara Coni, 16, London
Coen Gilbert, 16, Bathgate
Vasiliy Menshykov, 17, Inverurie
Jack Milligan, 16, Wallasey
Lenny Tancock, 17, Bishop’s Stortford
Mountain Biking
Orla White, 17, Tavistock
Luke Trafford, 15, Holmfirth
Road Cycling
Peggy Knox, 16, London
Rose Lewis, 16, Birmingham
Melanie Rowe, 16, Banchory
William Coles, 15, Llandovery
Daniel Davies, 16, Penarth
Finlay Storrie, 16, Bridgend
Swimming
Lois Child, 15, Leeds
Lydia Cordle, 14, Derby
Jasmine Hall, 15, Old Harlow
Josephine Lawn, 15, Bromley
Lili Mundell, 15, Galashiels
Olivia Robins, 15, Stourbridge
Gisella Silano, 15, Haslemere
Darcey Smith, 15, Fareham
Benjamin Beale, 15, Durham
Kaiden Hitchins, 15, Smethwick
Austyn Manley, 15, Derby
Patryk Przyczyna, 15, Eastbourne
Nikolai Sisnett, 15, Glasgow
Tyler Stone, 15, Norwich
Xander Tovey, 15, Dunchurch
William Wilson, 14, Leeds
Table Tennis
Sienna Jetha, 16, Watford
Abraham Sellado, 15, Bradford
Taekwondo
Lauren Dunsmore, 17, Cumbernauld
Monika Ilieva, 15, Craigavon
Lily Kingsley, 17, Southampton
Paige Vincent, 15, Poole
Antonio Buonaiuto, 16, London
Max Cartwright, 16, Larbert
Fabio Carvalho, 14, London