A look ahead to Sunday’s match at the Paula Radcliffe Athletics Stadium

Goldie Sayers (pictured), Eilidh Child, Dina Asher-Smith and Rhys Williams are among the athletes heading to the Paula Radcliffe Athletics Stadium on Sunday for the Loughborough International Athletics (LIA) match.

Returning for a 56th year, the match between Loughborough students, England, Scotland, Wales, GB & NI Juniors and British Universities is sure to provide some pointers as to who to watch out for during the season ahead.

Sayers is due to compete for the first time since the London 2012 Olympic Games having missed 2013 with injury. The 2008 Olympic fourth-place javelin thrower and UK record-holder will head England s team and go up against the likes of Loughborough’s Izzy Jeffs, fresh from throwing a 58.63m PB at the Loughborough Students Trials last month before going on to win her third consecutive BUCS title in Bedford.

In the men’s event, Scotland’s James Campbell continues his comeback following shoulder problems that required surgery. Having only thrown once since 2011, Campbell just missed the 70.00m Scotland qualifying mark for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games with 69.55m in Cheltenham two weeks ago in what was his first competition since last summer. Throwing for Wales, Lee Doran opens his season.

Another national record-holder in action will be Luke Cutts for England as he aims to build on his 5.83m indoors and takes on Gregor MacLean, recently announced as part of Scotland s Commonwealth Games team. Max Eaves, second behind Cutts at the British Indoor Championships, competes for Loughborough, while promising athlete Adam Hague is in action for GB Juniors.

Sophie Hitchon is another top thrower appearing, the British hammer record-holder having made a positive start with 69.08m at Mt Sac in April. Like Scottish hammer thrower Mark Dry, she will be hoping to get over 70 metres. High jumper Tom Parsons will be seeking a positive start to his season as he jumps for England and takes on the likes of BUCS champion David Smith, competing for the British Universities team. Morgan Lake, who won her first ever senior heptathlon with 5896 points earlier this month, competes in both the women’s high jump and long jump events for GB Juniors.

In the sprints, former world junior champion Jodie Williams goes for England in both the 100m and 200m, with Scotland’s Kathryn Christie also doing the double. World relay bronze medallist Asher-Smith runs the shorter event for GB Juniors, as her Blackheath & Bromley training partner Shannon Hylton, who claimed British indoor 200m silver behind Asher-Smith in February, runs that distance in Loughborough for the same team.

Sean Safo-Antwi, who set a 60m PB of 6.59 earlier this year, runs the 100m for England, while the Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo-coached European Under-23 100m silver medallist Deji Tobais steps up to the 200m. His training partner Ojie Edoburun, the world youth 100m silver medallist, has clocked personal bests over both sprint distances already this year and runs the 100m for GB Juniors. Ryan Oswald competes in both events for Scotland. Olympian Christian Malcolm has been selected for the Wales 4x100m relay squad.

Daniel Awde has recently switched from the decathlon to focus on the 400m and will run the one-lap event for England in Loughborough. Commonwealth Games relay medallist Kelly Massey joins him in running that distance for England and will face the likes of European indoor 400m champion Child who appears at the event for the 10th time and has been selected for both the 400m flat, rather than over the barriers, and the 4x400m relay squad. Child will be looking to build on her strongest ever season opener after clocking 55.43 in the hurdles in Doha last weekend.

Lawrence Clarke is another Olympic hurdler in action, Competing for England he will face the likes of Wales’ rising star David Omoregie, selected for the GB Junior team. Heptathlete Karla Drew will contest the 100m hurdles for the BUCS team, lining up alongside Serita Solomon for England and fellow Lloyd Cowan-coached Yasmin Miller for GB Juniors.

One of last year’s winners, Williams returns to run the 400m hurdles for Loughborough as Megan Beasley joins him on the team in the women’s event. They will face the likes of European Under-23 silver medallist Seb Rodger and European junior champion Hayley McLean for England respectively.

Claire Tarplee and Laura Whittle run the 1500m and 3000m respectively for Loughborough, as team-mate Jake Wightman, the European junior 1500m champion and recently crowned BUCS 800m champ, contests the 800m.

Gates open at 10am with the first event beginning at 11.30am. See loughboroughsport.com for ticket details.

Team lists for each team can be found via the below links:

Loughborough students

England

Wales

Scotland

GB & NI Juniors

British Universities

See next week’s AW, out May 22, for Loughborough International Athletics (LIA) coverage

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