Scots selected for GB and NI vests at Euro Cross Champs in Ireland

Tuesday 30th November 2021

British Athletics website team announcement

Six Scottish athletes have been selected by British Athletics for the Euro Cross.

Teams from GB and NI head for Dublin to compete in the SPAR Euro Cross Champs event on Sunday 12 December.

And the Scottish cohort will mark our best representation for this international event for seven years since six athletes were also picked back in 2014.

Andrew Butchart makes his fifth appearance in a Euro Cross team and his Central AC team-mate, Jamie Crowe, is picked for his first GB and NI vest.

Eloise Walker and Megan Keith are picked in the Women’s division and there are further Junior Men’s places for Hamish Armitt and Lewis Hannigan.

Here are the Scottish selections . . .

Senior Men: Andrew Butchart and Jamie Crowe (both Central AC)

U23 Women: Eloise Walker (Edinburgh AC/Glasgow Uni)

U20 Women: Megan Keith (Inverness Harriers/Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds)

U20 Men: Hamish Armitt (Giffnock North) and Lewis Hannigan (Kilbarchan AAC)

Everyone at scottishathletics and in athletics in Scotland will want to congratulate these athletes and their coaches: Derek Easton (Jamie); Andy Young (Eloise); Ross Cairns (Megan); Crawford Whyte (Hamish) and Robert Hawkins (Lewis).

Butchart fifth as four Scots land team medals in Lisbon (2019)

Like Jamie, it a first GB vest for Lewis, who clocked what is understand to be a Scottish U20 best in the Leeds 10k a few weeks ago.

Butchart, who won bronze in 2017, was fifth in the Senior Men’s race at the Euro Cross two years ago in Lisbon when five Scots were selected. Hamish and Megan were in that team, too.

Looking back over the past 15 years or so, six have been picked in 2014 and 2011 but it is back to 2009 for that figure to be topped when seven Scots were involved including the likes of Andrew Lemoncello and Steph Twell.

Team Leader, Chris Jones, said: ‘Following very competitive trial races in Liverpool, we are delighted to select these strong teams for Fingal-Dublin next month.

‘We have several athletes who have competed in senior and junior teams at international level before, combined with nine debutants, so I am sure they will all support one another to deliver good team and individual performances at the European Cross Country Championships.’