Ace Elise gets GB call-up

Elise Lovell has been selected to represent Great Britain for the first time

The Hastings Athletic Club talent is part of the GB & Northern Ireland team which will compete in the European Cup Combined Events Super League next month.

She said: “I’m so happy, it’s everything that I’ve aimed for. I knew there was a possibility (of being selected), I knew it wouldn’t be easy though.”

Lovell is one of four women’s heptathletes chosen to represent GB at the two-day event, which is taking place in the French city of Aubagne on July 4-5.

Also included are Jess Taylor and Jess Tappin, both of whom competed in the 2014 Commonwealth Games, Taylor winning a bronze medal. The line-up is completed by Jo Rowland, who Lovell knows well from competing higher claim with Crawley AC.

GB & NI - whose team also includes four men’s decathletes - will take on defending champions Russia, Netherlands, Belarus, Estonia, Czech Republic and Ukraine.

The scores of each athlete from the same country will be added together to create a total score. Medals will be awarded in the individual competitions. In 2014, GB & NI finished sixth overall.

“I’m not going there aiming for any medals because it’s the top people in Europe and it’s my first GB appearance,” Lovell continued. “My aim is to get another PB and get as many points as I can for the team.”

The 23-year-old’s selection comes off the back of her stunning performance in winning the senior women’s heptathlon at the England Athletics Combined Events Championships.

Hastings-based Lovell achieved a huge score of 5,197 points at Bedford International Stadium last month, smashing her previous best of 4,978.

“Winning the National Combined Events put me in a brilliant position to be selected,” added Lovell, who represented England at junior level five years ago but has never previously competed overseas.

“I definitely think there’s more to come as well. Some of the performances were a little bit down and I’m feeling the best I ever have in my athletics career.”

Lovell, who is coached by Steve King, will be hoping to lead Hastings AC to a third Southern Athletics League Division Three South West victory out of three on home soil tomorrow (Saturday).

Lovell’s GB selection comes shortly after fellow local athlete Grace Baker earned automatic qualification for the European Junior Championships in the 5,000m.

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