Kenney keen to be a GB Euro star

LAURA Kenney has been rewarded for her fine start to the outdoor athletics season with a first Great Britain senior vest.

The Royal Sutton Coldfield AC star will represent Great Britain at the inaugural European Team Championships on Sunday.

She will compete in the 5,000m at the event, which is being held in Leiria in Portugal.

It is reward for a positive year so far. She claimed the scalp of Commonwealth champion Lisa Dobriskey over 3,000m at the McCain Loughborough International.

And the Loughborough student also clocked her second fastest ever 5,000m time at the Artur Takac Memorial meeting in Belgrade a fortnight ago.

Kenney said: "It'll be a real honour to line up in the Great Britain squad.

"I have had a good, solid start to my year but I hadn't really thought about a call-up for the European Team Championships.

"This year, as I have always said, is a stepping stone for me – a season of preparation where I have next year's Commonwealth Games in the back of my mind.

"So to get the call to say I had been selected was a bit of a shock but it'll be a terrific experience for me.

"I have watched the European Cup in the past and it's all about the team and picking up as many points as you can.

"There always seems to be a good spirit about the GB side and I'm excited about the fact that I will be in a squad which is captained by Christine Ohuruogu – someone who has been there and done it."

In a change to the previous European Cup format, this year, the men's and women's teams will be united.

There will also be 12 rather than eight countries competing and there will be less attempts in the field events.

The changes will also have an effect on Kenney as there will be a 'devil-take-the-hindmost' format for long distance races.

It means the 5,000m will take the form of an elimination, which means whoever is last at a certain point of the race has to stop running.

"It's not something I have done before," added Kenney. "It will be interesting to see how it affects the race.

"I believe it has been done to make things more exciting for the spectators but as an athlete, it will be a bit of a new experience.

"I think it will probably make things less tactical and, therefore, more of a truer race, with people taking it on earlier.

"We will have to see how it pans out. I haven't set any points target for myself, I will just go out and perform to my best."

Charles van Commenee, UK Athletics head coach, said that squad selection this year had been based on which athletes were performing to their best at present.

He said: "We have some very strong events, some weaker ones and everything in between.

"But that applies to every country. It should be a very interesting weekend.

"We have selected every athlete purely on a performance basis and not on promise or potential.

"It is all about who are the best people for the job. We have selected the strongest possible team from athletes who are fit."