Athlete Jo Pavey makes Olympic history

Jo Pavey winning the women's 10,000 metres at the European Athletics Championships in 2015. Credit: PA

10,000 metre runner Jo Pavey has made history by earning a call-up to represent Great Britain at a fifth consecutive Olympics. >She will become the first British track athlete to achieve that feat.>A few weeks ago Pavey's hopes of making it to Rio appeared to have slipped when she finished well down the field at the British trials, while suffering from a serious chest infection, and then struggled to get back to her best.

But the 42 year-old mother of two defied the odds and came roaring back to finish 5th at the European Athletics Championships in Amsterdam last week. The Devon-based athlete clocked a time almost 40 seconds inside the Olympic qualifying standard.

Great Britain's Jo Pavey during the Women's 10,000m Final during day one of the 2016 European Athletic Championships at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam. Credit: PA

Pavey's West Country connection extends to Bristol, where she studied and became a lifetime member of Bristol & West Athletics Club.>She will be joined in the Team GB track and field squad by a clutch of athletes based in Bath.>Hurdlers Eilidh Doyle and Andrew Pozzi – both trained by Malcolm Arnold at the city university's Sports Training Village – will be going to their second Games.

As will 400m runner Emily Diamond, while long jumper Jazmin Sawyers will make her Olympic debut.

Great Britain's Jazmin Sawyers celebrates after winning the silver medal in the Women's Long Jump during day three of the 2016 European Athletic Championships at the Olympic Stadium, Amsterdam - she trains in Bath. Credit: PA

Doyle will contest the 400m hurdles and 4x400m relay – she was European Champion in the former in 2014 and won gold with Diamond in the 4x400m relay at this year’s championships, which took place in Amsterdam last week.>Sawyers last week she added European Championships long jump silver to the medal of the same colour she won at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. >Also on the plane to Rio will be University of Bath graduates Lawrence Clarke, who finished fourth in the 110m hurdles final at London 2012, and 200m runner Danny Talbot, who was part of the 4x100m relay squad four years ago.