No Payne, no gain as hammer thrower Charlotte in GB squad

Cold Ash hammer thrower Charlotte Payne has been included in an 11-strong Great Britain and Northern Ireland squad for the European Throwing Cup.

Payne will rub shoulders with the likes of 2022 European and Commonwealth medallist Lawrence Okoye when she jets off to Portugal for the event, which begins on March 11 in Leiria.

The 20-year-old, who is profoundly deaf, will touch down on the Continent full of confidence, having returned from hammer throwing hibernation to start the 2023 season with an impressive win at the UK Winter Long Throws Championships in Loughborough.

“I was so pleased to win last weekend, it was a great start to the season,” she said.

“After winter, the first competition back is a great opportunity to see where you’re at, how successful winter training has been and learn some lessons ahead of the rest of the season.

“I feel so much more confident heading into the rest of 2023.”

Last year was a memorable for one Payne, who became just the third British woman ever to throw more than 70 metres when she won the UK Athletics Championship in June, was part of the GB squad for the European Championships and was nominated for the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year Award.

She also medalled at last year’s under-23 European Throwing Cup and is looking to use the step up to senior level as preparation for a potential assault on August’s World Championships as well as the 2024 Olympics.

She said: “The European Throwing Cup is an amazing event with a great atmosphere, all the best throwers in Europe are in one place.

“Medalling last year was a big achievement for me and I could have chased that again as I’m still under 23, but I wanted to compete against the seniors to prepare me for future championships.

“I’ll enjoy the challenge and I’m looking forward to making my mark on the senior international stage.”

Payne’s deafness means she faces more challenges than most athletes travelling abroad to compete in a major international competition but, having struggled with her confidence when she was younger, holds the deaf world record and hopes to inspire the next generation of deaf athletes.

“Travelling abroad as a deaf athlete on a hearing team can be daunting,” she said.

“In the past I didn't ask as I was so scared people would think my deafness was a weakness, but I’ve learned that people are typically happy to help.”

This year, Payne will compete at the European Under-23 Championships in Espoo, Finland and is hoping to throw as close to the Olympic qualifying standard as possible.

With her current personal best just four metres shy of that mark, the thrower understandably has Paris 2024 on her mind.