Hannah England expressed her delight after being chosen as captain of the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team for this weekend’s European Athletics Team Championships in Braunschweig, Germany.
The 27-year-old has long been a leader for Team GB by her performances on the track, winning 1500m silver at the 2011 World Championships in Daegu.
England went on to represent Team GB at the London Olympics the following year but failed to reach the final.
She bounced back in style last year to finish just shy of the podium in fourth at the World Championships in Moscow, and she is set for another milestone in her career as she will lead the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team at the Eintracht Stadium on June 21 and 22.
“It’s amazing to be captain and it’s not something I had on my to do list, but when Neil asked me, it was a real honour,” said England.
“Even my mum who’s not particularly into athletics was really proud and it’s a really standalone thing to captain my country.
"I’m quite nervous about giving a speech, but I take inspiration from some of the ones I’ve been a part of. It takes a lot to stand up in front of peers like that and it’s quite a personal thing.”
British Athletics performance director Neil Black added: “Hannah was the stand out name when I was selecting a captain for these championships and I knew she would be excited to take the captaincy.
“Hannah is a proven championship performer and the team will respond well to her captaincy. She has many great attributes that make a good captain and I know she is looking forward to the role.”
© Sportsbeat 2014