Some of Britain’s athletics European Championship medallists are earmarking the Delhi 2010 Commonwealth Games as their next target.
 
Triple jumper Phillips Idowu and sprinter Mark Lewis-Francis both say they are aiming to add to their Barcelona successes in England colours at the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
 
Idowu broke his personal best to win the European crown in Barcelona and has now turned his attention to successfully defending the Commonwealth Games title he won in Melbourne four years ago.
 
"I'm looking forward to going out and defending my title,” he said. “It's great to pull on an England vest. I won my first major championship gold at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne, so the event means a lot to me."
 
Mark Lewis-Francis, who won 100m silver in Barcelona, says he also wants to compete in Delhi – which would be his third Commonwealth Games – as long as he is fit and in good shape.
 
“The Commonwealth Games is my next aim but I am going to take this step by step,” he said. “I’ll only go if I am in shape, can keep form and am fit – but I’d love to go and represent England and do well there.”
 
Meanwhile, the England team for Delhi is set to increase dramatically in size over the next few weeks as further team selections take place.
 
To date 111 athletes have been selected to compete for England in Delhi and further announcements are expected shortly in aquatics, badminton, boxing, cycling, hockey and netball.
 
Commonwealth Games England is set to take a team of around 550 athletes and support staff to Delhi for the 2010 Commonwealth Games, making it the biggest team it has taken to an overseas Commonwealth Games.
 
Craig Hunter, England Chef de Mission, said: “We’ve already got an impressive list of athletes including Olympic and World champions within our team and we’re looking forward to adding further team selections in the near future as the countdown to the Games continues.
 
“As well as providing a platform for some of the country’s top athletes, Delhi will also provide a unique opportunity for some of the country’s most talented teenagers to shine and to experience a multi-sports Games ahead of London 2012.
 
“We’re looking forward to a fantastic Commonwealth Games.”
 
Among the athletes selected to date to compete in Delhi are double Olympic gold medal winning swimmer Rebecca Adlington, as well as swimming World champions Liam Tancock and Gemma Spofforth.
 
The team also includes Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games archery gold medalist Danielle Brown and world squash number one Nick Matthew and women’s number two Jenny Duncalf.
 
The team includes an array of talented teenagers, including 16-year-old weightlifter Zoe Smith, who has already broken more than 300 British records, while another lifter, 18-year-old Zoe Newson, recently won a World Junior Championship crown in Malaysia,

Liam Pitchford is among the teenagers named in England’s table tennis team. Now 17, he was runner-up in the men’s singles at this year’s National Championships aged just 16.
 
Nineteen-year-old marksman James Huckle has already impressed at the 2008 Commonwealth Youth Games in Pune, returning home with three gold medals, while 16-year-old swimmer Achieng Ajulu-Bushell is another talented youngster who will compete for England’s aquatics team in Delhi.
 
The 2010 Commonwealth Games take place in Delhi, India, from 3 to 14 October 2010. They will feature 17 sports - archery, aquatics (swimming, synchronised swimming & diving), athletics, badminton, boxing, cycling, gymnastics, hockey, lawn bowls, netball, rugby 7s, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, weightlifting and wrestling. With the 2012 Olympic Games in London and the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Commonwealth Games England is entering a breath-taking four years of sport.

Commonwealth Games England (GCE) is the organisation responsible for selecting and organising England's team at the Commonwealth Games.   England finished second to Australia on the medal table at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games with 36 golds, 40 silvers and 34 bronzes.

Sport England is responsible for building the foundations of sporting success, by creating a world-leading community sport system of clubs, coaches, facilities and volunteers. Their focus is growing and sustaining the numbers of people taking part in sport and improving talent development to help more people excel.
 

For further information about  Commonwealth Games England please contact the Commonwealth Games England press  office at Matchtight Ltd on 07765 071683 or 07831 755351 or see the CGE’s  website at www.weareengland.org <http://www.weareengland.org