From 7th to 10th August, the Finnish city of Tampere will play host to the continent’s finest U20 athletes as they gather for the 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships. The British team, which boasts a proud history at this level, including topping the medal table in two of the last three editions will be sending a strong delegation of 59 athletes this time around, five of whom currently lead the European rankings in their respective events.
At the previous edition in 2023, despite securing the second-highest overall medal haul, all athletes proudly representing the United Kingdom only managed a fourth-place finish in the final standings, largely due to a shortage of gold medals—just two. This time, the expectations are considerably higher. In no fewer than 11 events, British athletes arrive ranked within the top three in Europe, suggesting that the potential for podium-topping performances is far from unlikely.
Among the top medal hopes are William Rabjohns (800m), Noah Hanson (110m hurdles), Lyla Belshaw (1500m), and Innes FitzGerald, who tops the European rankings in both the 3000m and 5000m. FitzGerald, in particular, will start as the overwhelming favourite over 5000m, where her season’s best time is over a minute faster than that of her nearest rival, Sweden’s Carmen Cernjul.
The men’s sprint events are another area where Britain will look to make their mark. While Jake Odey Jordan leads the way in the 200m, despite his personnal best being from last year, Teddy Wilson is looking increasingly like the man to beat over 100m. He’s clocked 10.24 seconds this season, just 0.02 behind France’s Lenny Chanteur, but Wilson’s consistency, six sub-10.35 performances this year compared to Chanteur’s one makes him the more reliable threat when it comes to reaching the top of the podium.
In field events which is a domain where British athletes have traditionally been less dominant compared to the track, there are signs of a changing tide. Jacob Foord currently sits seventh in the European rankings for the discus throw, while Jabez Berry holds the third-best performance of the year in the hammer. In the jumps, Daniel Emegbor made headlines recently by winning the U18 English Championships on 11 July with a leap of 7.80m, propelling him to sixth in an extremely tight European leaderboard.
Meanwhile, Otis Poole, who claimed the British indoor high jump title earlier this year with a clearance of 2.20m, comes in as the second-best jumper among those entered. His outdoor season has also been promising, with a recent outdoor personal best of 2.12m.
Both 4x100m relay squads are also in strong contention for gold. The women’s team made up of Nell Desir, Lucy Tallon, Mabel Akande, and Kaya Slater were the only European quartet to break the 44-second barrier this year, doing so impressively at the London Diamond League meet. As for the men, the depth of talent is such that even sprinters with 10.4-second PBs didn’t make the final cut. The squad will consist of the selected 100m and 200m runners, potentially bolstered by Dean Patterson and Fabian Powell, who will focus solely on the relay event.
The full British team for the 2025 European Athletics U20 Championships in Tampere :
Women
100m
- Mabel Akande (Coach: Denise Timmins, Club: Lincoln Wellington)
- Kaya Slater (Roddy Slater, Reading AC)
- Jess Mantle (Helen James, Cardiff)
200m
- Lucy Tallon (Nigel Stickings, Tonbridge)
400m
- Charlotte Henrich (Nigel Stickings, Invicta East Kent)
800m
- Shaikira King (John Skevington, Wreake & Soar Valley)
- Alice Bennett (Luke Gunn, Kettering)
- Bethany Trow (Shrewsbury)
1500m
- Lyla Belshaw (David Smith, Colchester)
- Eleanor Strevens (Dean Miller, Eastbourne)
- Isobelle Jones (Wolverhampton & Bilston)
3000m
- Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter)
- Isla McGowan (Ros Kelling, Banbury)
- Zoe Gilbody (Sarah Benson, Telford AC)
5000m
- Katie Pye (Mike Woods, Aldershot, Farnham & District)
- Innes FitzGerald (Gavin Pavey, Exeter)
- Freya Bradley (Anthony Glover, Yate)
3000m Steeplechase
- Olivia McGhee (Michael Lewis, Rugby & Northampton)
- Millie Gold (Mark Gold, Swansea)
400m Hurdles
- Arabella Wilson (Andrew Fisher, Thames Valley)
- Stephanie Okoro (Laura Turner-Alleyne, Havering)
Heptathlon
- Eden Robinson (Cardiff Archers)
High Jump
- Isla Pain (Cheltenham)
Long Jump
- Daisy Snell (Guy Spencer, Blackheath & Bromley)
- Thea Brown (Ashley Bryant, Sale Harriers Manchester)*
Pole Vault
- Isabella Turner (Andy Jackson, Dacorum & Tring AC)
Javelin
- Harriet Court (Mark Roberson, Thames Valley)
Shot Put
- Alani Dumbuya (Simon Forster, Leigh)
4x100m Relay
Will be made up of individually selected athletes, including:
- Phoebe Clayton (Julie Dodoo, Notts)
- Nell Desir (Lisa Waddon, Cardiff Archers)
Men
100m
- Teddy Wilson (Marvin Rowe, Shaftesbury Barnet)
- Dylan Williams (TJ Ossai, BFT Track Academy)
- George Warburton (Andy Paul)
200m
- Jake Odey Jordan (Victor Blackett, BFT Track Academy)
- Ethan Franklin (Gladys Bird, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
- Ebuka Nwokeji (Ty Holden, Shaftesbury Barnet)
400m
- Stan Chevous (Lee Bowker, Ipswich)*
800m
- Rafferty Mirfin (Gordon Agar, Skyrac)
- Will Rabjohns (Mark Pauley, Poole AC)
- Tom Waterworth (Derek Darnell, Huntingdonshire)
1500m
- Zachary Dunne (Jane Clark, City of Norwich)
- Oliver Patton (Robert Hawkins, Kilbarchan)
3000m
- Oliver MacDonald (Dudley Walker, Giffnock North)
- Luke Dunham (Andrew Hobdell, Herts Phoenix)
5000m
- Michael Clark (Jane Clark, City of Norwich)
- Reiss Marshall (Steven Doig, Fife)
3000m Steeplechase
- Dillon Millard (Dave Lee, Taunton AC)
110m Hurdles
- Noah Hanson (Tony Jarrett, Newham & Essex Beagles)
- Charlie Staddon (Julie Alexander, Bristol & West)
- Toby Wright (Steve Shaw, Taunton)
400m Hurdles
- Oliver Parker (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton)
- Rayhan Mourtada (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley)
High Jump
- Otis Poole (Joy Bray, Yate)
Long Jump
- Daniel Emegbor (Rohan Samuel, Harrow)
Triple Jump
- Harley Henry (Craig Andrew, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Discus
- Mikun Adeniran (Ben Hazell, Basingstoke & Mid Hants)
- Jacob Foord (Taunton AC)
Hammer
- Jabez Berry (Steve Pearson, Halesowen)
4x100m Relay
Will be made up of individually selected athletes, including:
- Dean Patterson (Dave Watson, Glasgow Jaguars)
- Fabian Powell (James Wright, Rugby & Northampton)
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