TWO East Lancashire athletes have been officially named members of the GB squad for the Olympic Games.

The British Olympic Association has announced today 71 track and field athletes, including East Lancashire hammer-thrower Sophie Hitchon and pole vaulter Holly Bleasdale.

With an increase on the Beijing Olympic Games squad size of 68, UK Athletics Head Coach Charles Van Commenee has made clear a target of eight medals - including at least one gold - has always been the aim for the Team GB athletics squad at London 2012.

The 2011 World Championships saw Britain’s largest medal haul since 1993, with gold medal winning performances from Mo Farah and Dai Greene and the World Indoor Championships followed suit with a record medal tally, including another two gold medals.

Both reigning outdoor World Champions will represent Team GB in London this summer. They will be joined by former World Champion and current double world silver medallist Jessica Ennis who will be making her first appearance as a member of Team GB, one of 47 Olympic debutants in the squad.

Beijing silver medallist Philips Idowu will be attending his fourth Olympic Games along with Commonwealth bronze medallist Christian Malcolm, who captained Team GB to their most successful World Championships in 2011. Whilst reigning Olympic 400m Champion Christine Ohuruogu will be making her third Olympic appearance.

Olympic debutant Robbie Grabarz catapulted onto the world high jump scene this year with an impressive European title in Helsinki last week, other first time Olympians include Jack Green, Lawrence Clark, Holly Bleasdale, Sophie Hitchon and Andrew Pozzi.

the gb athletics team

  • Adam Gemili – 100m and 4 x 100m
  • Dwain Chambers – 100m and 4 x 100m
  • James Dasaolu - 100 and 4x100m
  • Christian Malcolm - 200m and 4x100m
  • James Ellington - 200m and 4x100m
  • Martyn Rooney - 400m and 4x400m
  • Conrad Williams - 400m and 4x400m
  • Nigel Levine - 400m* and 4x400m
  • Andrew Osagie - 800m
  • Michael Rimmer – 800m
  • Ross Murray - 1500m
  • Andrew Baddeley - 1500m
  • Nick McCormick - 5000m
  • Mo Farah - 5,000m and 10,000m
  • Chris Thompson – 10,000m
  • Stuart Stokes – 3000mSC
  • Lawrence Clarke - 110mh
  • Andrew Pozzi - 110mh
  • Andy Turner - 110mh
  • Dai Greene - 400mh and 4x400m
  • Jack Green - 400mh and 4x400m
  • Rhys Williams – 400mh
  • Robbie Grabarz- high jump
  • Steve Lewis - pole vault
  • Greg Rutherford - long jump
  • Chris Tomlinson - long jump
  • Philips Idowu - triple jump
  • Mervyn Luckwell – javelin
  • Lawrence Okoye- discus
  • Brett Morse – discus
  • Abdul Buhari – discus
  • Carl Myerscough – Shotput
  • Alex Smith – Hammer
  • Daniel Awde – Decathlon
  • Dominic King – 50k Walk
  • Danny Talbot – 4x100m
  • Simeon Williamson – 4x100m
  • Mark Lewis-Francis – 4x100m
  • Richard Buck - 4x400m
  • Luke Lennon-Ford – 4x400m
  • Rob Tobin - 4x400m
  • Abi Oyepitan – 100m and 200m
  • Anyika Onuora - 100m* and 200m
  • Margaret Adeoye - 200m
  • Christine Ohuruogu - 400m and 4x400m
  • Shana Cox - 400m and 4x400m
  • Lee McConnell – 400m* and 4x400m
  • Lynsey Sharp – 800m
  • Laura Weightman - 1500m
  • Lisa Dobriskey - 1500m
  • Hannah England - 1500m
  • Jo Pavey - 5000m and 10,000m
  • Julia Bleasdale – 5000m* and 10,000m
  • Barbara Parker - 5000m and 3000mSC
  • Eilish McColgan - 3000mSC
  • Johanna Jackson - 20km walk
  • Tiffany Porter - 100mh
  • Perri Shakes-Drayton - 400mh
  • Eilidh Child - 400mh
  • Holly Bleasdale - pole vault
  • Kate Dennison - pole vault
  • Shara Proctor - long jump
  • Yamile Aldama – triple jump
  • Sophie Hitchon - hammer
  • Goldie Sayers - javelin
  • Jessica Ennis - heptathlon and 100mh
  • Katarina Johnson -Thompson – heptathlon
  • Louise Hazel - heptathlon – heptathlon
  • Marilyn Okoro - 4x400m
  • Nicola Sanders - 4x400m
  • Emily Diamond – 4x400m