Having come together for the first time as a squad in October last year, the England Next Generation (ENG) squad are preparing for the 2022 season which will be full of training camps and domestic and international racing.

This year, the squad welcomes a number of new athletes for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.

In total, 23 young athletes were selected off the back of strong performances in the 2021 Youth and Junior Super Series to join nine returning ENG members to make up the 2022 squad. The programme also welcomes talent transfer athlete, Hugo Milner, a recent graduate of Harvard University, who competed on an athletics scholarship as part of their track and field and cross-country teams.

The ENG programme brings together the top Youth, Junior and U23 athletes from across England, and aims to take a holistic approach to development.

Alongside striving to guide athletes in their training, the ENG programme will also act to encourage personal development and the building of effective relationships with other athletes, coaches and support staff.

The ENG programme has recently undergone significant operational change to enable much greater levels of coaching support and ENG Athlete Leads will work closely with each athlete individually to ensure they are fully supported in all aspects of their development.

The squad will come together for several national training camps over the course of the season, which started with the relaunch weekend back in October. On camps in 2022, ENG athletes will be joined by the top Youths and Juniors from both Scotland and Wales, preparing for the next step on the British Triathlon Pathway and representing Great Britain.

The camps create a challenging but supportive training environment for the athletes, enabling them to build on the potential that saw them selected for the squad, whilst also creating memories and friendships that will stay with them throughout their triathlon careers.

With the unfortunate cancellation of their winter camp due to the Covid-19 climate prior to Christmas, the squad is even more motivated and excited to work towards the Easter camp and will look to carry this momentum into the 2022 Super Series and their summer camp.

Many members of the squad will also be targeting selection for 2022 Youth and Junior European and World Championships.

Dan Salcedo, British Triathlon Olympic Pathway Manager, said: “The ENG programme operates to bring together young athletes from across England who have demonstrated the commitment and potential to develop along the triathlon pathway.

“The unique opportunities available through being part of the ENG squad will build on their existing skills in a fun and supportive environment, but one in which they will be challenged to grow and develop as people and athletes.

“I’m really looking forward to 2022 and to seeing the impact of the changes we have made to the programme and to hopefully see selected athletes step forward through a full programme of activity for the first time in two years "