Good enough for Team GB, but not Wales?

There was no hiding his disappointment after being left out of the Team Wales squad for the Commonwealth Games later this month, but Forden runner Andy Davies received a massive boost last night after being added to Team GB’s squad for August’s European Athletics Championships.

Despite being in the form of his life and easily making the Games’ 2:15.30 standard to qualify, Davies was unbelievably omitted from the Wales squad for Birmingham.

Not to be outdone, he has continued to train hard just in case of a late opportunity, and it has paid off with Team GB calling him up to the Euros being held in Munich from August 15-21.

“I’m absolutely delighted,” he told us. “It was a bit strange at one point training for a marathon without a marathon happening, but I got the call due to an injury of one of the other athletes.

“It is funny how I can’t get into the Welsh team for the Commonwealth Games (2:15:30 standard) but can get into the GB team (2:14:30). But I can’t wait to race in it now.”

Davies replaces the injured Ross Millington in the marathon squad and hopes to improve on his brilliant best of 2:14.20 achieved in Seville earlier this year.

He has represented the British teams on a number of occasions, including at the 2017 World Championships in London and will join nine athletes who were selected back in April 2022.

The Great Britain and Northern Ireland marathon squad:

Senior Women:

Becky Briggs (Geoff Watkin, City of Hull)

Rosie Edwards (Robert Hawkins, Rotherham)

Naomi Mitchell (Nick Anderson, Reading)

Alice Wright (Ben Rosario, Worcester)

Senior men:

Mohamud Aadan (Paul Oppe, Thames Valley)

Luke Caldwell (Dorking & Mole Valley)

Ben Connor (Derby)

Andrew Davies (Stockport)

Andrew Heyes (Mara Yamauchi, Hallamshire)

Philip Sesemann (Andrew Henderson, Leeds City)