Max Burgin and Louie Hinchliffe given chance to earn Commonwealth Games breakthrough
Max Burgin has the chance this summer to secure the first major medal of his career after being selected as one of the headline names in England’s athletics squad for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
The potential of the 24-year-old 800m runner from Halifax has never been in doubt and when he has been able to run injury free, the performances have been encouraging. He was eighth in the Olympic final in Paris two years ago and sixth in a world championship final last September in which all eight finalists broke the 1m43s barrier.
Burgin earned his first Diamond League win in Rabat in May when he beat world champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi of Kenya with a world-leading time of 1m42.98s.
But a medal at a major championships has so far eluded him. This he can put right this summer, with his selection for the Commonwealth Games from July 23 to August 2 swiftly followed by the European Championships in Birmingham, starting eight days later.
He is one of the three 800m runners selected by England for the Commonwealths, alongside his familiar opponent Ben Pattison, and Alex Botterill of the City of York. Botterill, 26, was a bronze medallist in the recent UK Championships at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham.
City of York has three athletes headed to the Commonwealth Games. Scott Lincoln, who has dominated the British shot putt scene for over a decade, won his first senior international medal at the Commonwealth Games four years ago, when he claimed bronze. Now based in Australia, he will be looking to figure in the medals again.
And 26-year-old long jumper Lucy Hadaway is headed to her first Games on the back of a stellar domestic season in which she won the national title in both the indoor and outdoor UK Championships.
Louie Hinchliffe won an Olympic bronze medal in the 4x100m in Paris two years ago in what was a breakout summer for the Sheffield sprinter.
He is now back under the tutelage of Olympic legend Carl Lewis at the University of Houston, and is England’s sole representative in the men’s 100m in Glasgow.
British record holder Zharnel Hughes will look to upgrade his 200m silver from four years ago.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson headlines the England squad. The 33-year-old double world champion won heptathlon gold at the last two Commonwealth Games.