Teuten takes UK Inter County silver but is denied GB selection

Alex Teuten on his way to second place in the UK Inter County Championships. Picture: Mark Hookway

The 25-year-old followed his Hampshire team-mate Andy Vernon to the finish as they collected gold and silver for the county on Saturday in Loughborough.

Teuten was in second place most of the way and held off Surrey’s Andy Maud in the closing stages.

But unfortunately for the former City of Portsmouth athlete, the Great Britain selectors have decided not to send a senior men’s team to the World Cross County Championships in Uganda.

Teuten hoped he had done enough to sway them with the fantastic set of winter results he has achieved.

He said: ‘Looking back at my season and in particular 2017 I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve done.

‘First at BUCS (British Universities and Colleges Sport Cross Country Championships) and county champs, third in my three international races for England and second in the national and UK championships in a podium streak running for over three months.

‘That would usually be enough to warrant a place on the GB team at the World Cross Country.

‘But frustratingly UK Athletics have decided to not send a senior team.

‘I can, however, take comfort in knowing I would have been one of the first to be considered for the team and it gives me the opportunity to gain selection for the World Student Games in August by running at Reading Half this weekend (selection standard is 65mins).

‘I am determined to secure my first GB vest soon.’

Proving to be the main challenger to Great Britain international Vernon was a big step forward for Teuten.

He added: ‘I was incredibly happy with my race at the UK champs, although the absence of the three home nations champions in Ben Connor, Dewi Griffiths and Callum Hawkins was a little telling.

‘However, you have to face the field you are presented with, and it was really encouraging to be so close to Andy Vernon who has competed for GB at multiple Olympics and is one of our best athletes.

‘It’s great for Hampshire to complete a one, two in the race, it puts us on the map even though we narrowly missed out on a team medal in fourth position.

‘While Andy was in a league of his own at the front I was able to use the hilly back part of the course to break the rest of the field.’