European Games: Nicola Adams & Jade Jones lead Team GB in Baku

Image source, Getty Images

Image caption, Taekwondo fighter Jade Jones and boxer Nicola Adams both won Olympic gold medals at London 2012.
  • Author, Nick Hope
  • Role, 91热爆 Olympic sports reporter

Olympic champions Nicola Adams, Jade Jones and Ed McKeever will lead Great Britain into the inaugural European Games in Baku, Azerbaijan.

They are part of a 163-strong which will compete across 13 sports and 19 disciplines from 12-28 June.

For 10 disciplines, including boxing and taekwondo, Baku 2015 will form part of the qualification process for the 2016 Rio Olympics.

"It's a great opportunity," said Team GB's Chef de Mission Mark England.

Video caption, World fastest talker vs gold medallist

"Many will test themselves against Europe's best, gain crucial multi-sport Games experience or build on their road to Rio 2016."

The sports Team GB athletes are competing in with Olympic qualification possibilities are: archery, beach volleyball, boxing, judo, shooting, swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon and wrestling.

Baku 2015 is the first attempt to create an elite-level multi-sport continental competition in Europe and is similar to the Pan-American and Asian Games which have been running since 1951.

"I have a very good track record in multi-sports events and I hope this will be useful preparation for the Olympics in Rio next year," said flyweight boxer Adams.

Taekwondo fighter Jones - winner of Olympic and Youth Olympic gold medals - added: "I'm sure that the European Games will prove to be another memorable experience."

Team-mate Lutalo Muhammad, who won taekwondo bronze at London 2012, takes the -80kg berth originally assigned to Aaron Cook before his defection to Moldova earlier this month.

The and additional 10 male boxers, who will be revealed in the coming weeks, form the largest British squad sent to an overseas event since the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Other notable leading British athletes include silver medal-winning judoka Gemma Gibbons, three-time world triathlon champion Helen Jenkins and English Commonwealth gold medallists Nile Wilson (gymnastics) as well as Steven Scott and Charlotte Kerwood (shooting).

Image caption, Baku is the capital of Azerbaijan

Wilson missed the record-breaking European Championships for British Gymnastics this month due to injury, but hopes to challenge for honours in Baku.

"It's massively exciting for me, not just the fact it's a huge multi-sport event, but it's my return from a serious wrist injury," said Wilson.

"I can't wait to get back out in the competition arena."

In addition to the Olympic events, Team GB will also field competitors in the non-Olympic aerobic and acrobatic gymnastics competitions.