Performance director Neil Black believes the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for this month’s European Team Championships in Braunschweig will give a glimpse into the future of track and field for the nation.
British Athletics have named a 48-strong team for the fifth edition of the European Team Championships in Germany on June 21-22.
And while Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford and former triple jump world champion Phillips Idowu lead the team, it also includes a number of younger faces.
High jumper Chris Baker, pole vaulter Lucy Bryan and long jumper Jazmin Sawyers have all received senior team selection for the first time.
But performance director Black insists the team, who finished third overall in Gateshead last year, are more than capable of stepping up to the mark.
“We head to Germany with the aim of being competitive and to challenge for as many points as possible,” he said.
“In comparison to last year’s team, this is very much a developmental squad due to the confines of a crowded calendar this summer and the British Championships just a week later.
“It is also great that our senior 400m and 4x400m athletes have wholeheartedly supported the plan to give up-and-coming athletes the opportunity to perform on this stage.
“It will greatly benefit the teams for future major championships and I am really looking forward to seeing how these guys perform. There may be one or two surprises.”
© Sportsbeat 2014