{"id":119535,"date":"2026-05-01T15:00:03","date_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/gb-sprinter-expands-girl-group-comparison-ahead-of-world-athletics-relays\/"},"modified":"2026-05-01T15:00:03","modified_gmt":"2026-05-01T15:00:03","slug":"gb-sprinter-expands-girl-group-comparison-ahead-of-world-athletics-relays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/01\/gb-sprinter-expands-girl-group-comparison-ahead-of-world-athletics-relays\/","title":{"rendered":"GB sprinter expands &#8216;girl group&#8217; comparison ahead of World Athletics Relays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<h2 class=\"LeadText_lead-text__wd_PA __className_5f510e\" data-testid=\"leadtext\">Seamus Derbyshire went viral after describing the men\u2019s 4x400m squad as a \u2018girl group\u2019 at the World Championships last year, with the hurdler a surprise inclusion in the team.<\/h2>\n<p><button type=\"button\" class=\"SlideViewerButton_slide-viewer-button__BDJoG\" aria-label=\"Open image viewer\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-controls=\"image-lightbox\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-embed__0T8WX ImageEmbed_image-lead__Ti3qQ\" data-testid=\"leadimage\" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-articleid=\"37097299\">\n<div class=\"ImageEmbed_image-container__2AIQm\">\n<figure class=\"Figure_figure__Uce4f\" style=\"--figure-aspect-ratio:1.5\"><\/figure>\n<\/div><figcaption class=\"ImageCaption_caption__j7HRu\" data-testid=\"image-caption\">\n<p aria-label=\"Seamus Derbyshire competes in the Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles during Day Three of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. \" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-title__ccyQU\" data-testid=\"caption-title\">Seamus Derbyshire competes in the Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles during Day Three of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 15, 2025 in Tokyo, Japan. <cite aria-label=\"Image: UK Athletics \/ Sam Mellish\" class=\"ImageCaption_caption-credit__wlx1W\" data-testid=\"caption-credit\">(Image: UK Athletics \/ Sam Mellish)<\/cite><\/p>\n<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<p><\/button><\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Seamus Derbyshire has christened Great Britain\u2019s much-changed relay team the \u2018Sugababes\u2019 and is backing them to deliver at the World Athletics Relays.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The 26-year-old went viral after describing the men\u2019s 4x400m squad as a \u2018girl group\u2019 at the World Championships last year, with the hurdler a surprise inclusion in the team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Now, he is back as a more permanent member at the World Athletics Relays as they prepare to secure places at September\u2019s World Athletics Ultimate Championships and next year\u2019s World Athletics Championships.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cThe girl group is ever changing, we&#8217;re like the Sugababes,\u201d the Stoke sprinter said. \u201cWe&#8217;re always gaining a new member and losing some but I think that shows how strong we are as a nation.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cWe have so many different people that we can call on. We have definitely got some new boys, including myself, I still consider myself a new member to this team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cWe have also got some boys that are really experienced, we have got some of the guys from the Olympic medal-winning team, so it&#8217;s a really nice mix.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Derbyshire revealed he was given just 45 minutes\u2019 notice before the team bus left for the track ahead of the men\u2019s 4x400m relay heat at the World Championships in Tokyo last September.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">Alongside Lee Thompson, Toby Harries, and Charlie Dobson, all of whom are also in the squad in Botswana for this weekend\u2019s World Relays, Derbyshire helped Great Britain to a season\u2019s best time and a place in the final.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He did not run in the final, as the team finished sixth, but the experience was enough to make him rethink his debut World Championships appearance.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">The Loughborough-based athlete, who works in a cafe in the town, had felt deflated after failing to get out of his heat in the men\u2019s 400m hurdles.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">He added: \u201cThe World Championships overall was a really great experience for me but I think it was also the first time I&#8217;d stepped into a major championship environment and felt some disappointment. I wasn&#8217;t too pleased with my individual event.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cBut then at the back end, I got the surprise opportunity to run in the relay. I was really excited to have made a relay team because it had been an aim of mine for a while.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cIt really allowed me to loop back and think of Tokyo as such a positive experience.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cIt was a real reminder to me of how much I enjoy doing the sport and I really surprised myself at how well I picked myself up after the low to then put my best foot forward in the relay team.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cWe ran well and it was so nice to get to experience being in a team environment at a championships, as I&#8217;d never necessarily had that before.<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\">\u201cNow getting to make the World Relays, as my first major relay competition, where I&#8217;m solely here as a relay runner, I don&#8217;t necessarily know if that would have happened without the experiences that happened at Tokyo last year.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"Paragraph_paragraph-text__PVKlh \" data-tmdatatrack=\"content-unit\" data-tmdatatrack-type=\"paragraph\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><em>Novuna is the Official Finance Partner of British Athletics and proud sponsor of the GB &amp; NI Athletics Team. From everyday goals to world-class dreams, Novuna backs the ambition of millions across the UK \u2014 from supporting British businesses and individuals\u2019 plans, to powering British Athletics on the global stage. Find out more at<\/em> <\/strong><a aria-label=\"[object Object]Link opens in a new tab.\" class=\"TextLink_text-link__dBSS0 TextLink_enabled__dJF3l\" href=\"http:\/\/www.novuna.co.uk\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" tabindex=\"0\" target=\"_blank\"><strong class=\"Strong_strong__e2x35\"><em>www.novuna.co.uk<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.mirror.co.uk\/sport\/other-sports\/athletics\/we-like-sugababes-gb-sprinter-37097276\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Seamus Derbyshire went viral after describing the men\u2019s 4x400m squad as a \u2018girl group\u2019 at the World Championships last year, with the hurdler a surprise inclusion in the team. Seamus Derbyshire competes in the Men\u2019s 400m Hurdles during Day Three of the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 2025 at National Stadium on September 15, 2025 in [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":119536,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3],"tags":[999,1532,1533],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119535"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119535"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119535\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/119536"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119535"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119535"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/basketball.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119535"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}