British Orienteering is delighted to announce the athletes being offered places in the Development Squad and Performance Squad for the 2022 international season.
The upper end of the new squad structure being implemented for 2022 under the Performance Pathway Review has three levels: “Talent” (age 15 upwards), “Development” (age 19 upwards), and “Performance”. The Talent groups have previously been announced.
The Development and Performance Squads aim to support athletes as they plan and prepare for international competitions from the Junior World Championships upwards, through to the European Championships, World Games, and World Championships.
Development Squad |
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Performance Squad |
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Jim Bailey Rachel Brown Fiona Bunn* Eilidh Campbell Alex Carcas Pippa Carcas Rachel Duckworth Joshua Dudley Mairi Eades Matthew Gooch Flurry Grierson Joe Hudd Finlay Johnson |
Megan Keith* Laura King Nathan Lawson* Peter Molloy Eddie Narbett Alasdair Pedley Chloe Potter Lizzie Stansfield Joe Sunley Alastair Thomas Oliver Tonge Alice Wilson |
Cecilie Andersen Peter Bray Megan Carter-Davies Alexander Chepelin Jonathan Crickmore William Gardner Hector Haines Peter Hodkinson |
Kristian Jones Alice Leake Ben Mitchell Grace Molloy Joanna Shepherd Christopher Smithard Ralph Street Charlotte Ward |
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* will also work with the Performance Squad sprint coach
The three roles of Performance Pathway Director, Development Squad Manager, Performance Squad Manager have all recently been advertised. Ahead of appointments being made, the roles are being filled on an interim basis by Paul Murgatroyd, Jonathan Molloy, and Jon Cross respectively.
We are also delighted that Emil Wingstedt has extended his coaching agreement with us and will provide specialist sprint support to the Performance group in the run-up to the first-ever Sprint-only World Championships (Denmark in June). Emil will be supported by Murray Strain.
The senior team has represented British Orienteering very strongly in 2021, with podium finishes in three different disciplines at the World Championships (WOC) in the Czech Republic.
We saw other strong individual performances through the year (including the best debut performance at WOC ever by a British athlete), the final international race of 2021 at the Mixed Sprint Relay at World Cup 3 in Italy rounded off the season with the GBR team once more on the podium and in medal contention right to the end.
As we head into the new year there are plenty of reasons to be excited for what the international season can bring – congratulations and good luck for the 2022 competitions to all athletes named today into both squads!