Peter’s delight at senior GB squad call-up
Local orienteers dominated the team selections for the final internationals of the 2021 season, with eight picks for events across Europe.
Chris Smithard and Grace Molloy keep their places in the GB team for the final round of the World Cup, in northern Italy, and are joined in the squad for Euromeeting in Switzerland by Peter Molloy, who will make his senior GB debut.
Peter said:“I’m both surprised and delighted to have received this selection. My focus for this year was on the Junior World Championships in Turkey, and I was disappointed that Great Britain withdrew from the championships because of the Covid situation in Turkey.
“The selectors have named what would have been the JWOC team to go to Euromeeting, with a few additions, and it’s great to have an outlet for a hard summer of training.”
There’s added spice in that the World University Championships, where many of the youthful Euromeeting squad would expect to feature, will be held in Switzerland next year, and this gives the team an early chance for a look at the Swiss terrain.
The Scotland teams for the Junior Home Internationals in Surrey and Junior InterRegional Championships in north Yorkshire have also been announced, and there are five Forth Valley athletes included across the two squads.
James Hammond is named in both teams, as he heads the British Under 16 rankings, and is joined on the JHI team by younger sister Rebecca, who makes her debut in the Under 14 team at the first time of asking.
The JIRCS team, where Scotland competes as a region against the nine English areas, as well as Northern Ireland and Wales, sees James joined by Jamie Connor (M14), Sam Hunt (M16) and Jamie Goddard (M18) in a strong-looking selection. For Jamie Goddard, it’s a sixth consecutive selection to the event, in his final year of eligibility, and he’s yet to feature in a losing team, as Scotland’s winning record at JIRCS stretches back to 2012.