Reigning British Cycling Road Race Champion Ben Swift heads the list of tier two athlete selections for the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
The nine names announced overnight by Commonwealth Games Association of the Isle of Man (CGA) are in addition to the initial 12 provisionally named in mid-September last year.
A final nine are to be added in April for a total line-up of 30 for what is the 22nd edition of the Games, which will open in Birmingham on Thursday, July 28, and close on Monday, August 8.
The main athletics action will be based at Alexander Stadium, with most of the sports involving more than 5,000 competitors also based within the Birmingham area, although track cycling will be at the 2012 Olympic Games venue in London.
Swift, now aged 34, has been one of the top riders in the country for the past decade.
He currently rides for UCI World Team Ineos Grenadiers (formerly Sky), having rode alongside Mark Cavendish and Peter Kennaugh in London Olympics year in 2012.
Born and raised in Rotherham, he has lived in the Isle of Man for approximately 10 years. He won the scratch race at the 2012 UCI Track Cycling World Championships and has won the men’s elite road race at the 2019 and 2021 British National Road Race Championships (2020 was not held).
He is also the current Isle of Man Road Race Champion.
Swift was selected to ride for England in the 2010 Commonwealth Games at Delhi alongside another former Isle of Man resident Ian Stannard, but they, Geraint Thomas of Wales and Manxman Kennaugh all pulled out of their respective teams because of health and safety-based fears in the lead up to the event in India.
The names of Tom Mazzone and Becky Storrie have also been added to the provisional list of cyclists for 2022 alongside Mark Cavendish, Mark Christian, Matt Bostock, Sam Brand, Max Walker and the original three women Anna Christian, Lizzie Holden and Amelia Sharpe.
Swimmers Emma Hodgson and Alex Bregaz have been added to Laura Kinley and Joel Watterson in the aquatics team.
Javelin thrower Joe Harris will be going to his second Commonwealth Games, while Leeds Beckett University student David Mullarkey is named for the first time. Sarah Astin and Ollie Lockley were in the tier one grouping.
Tara Donnelly is to date the only gymnast to be named for the 2022 Games. She previously represented the Isle of Man at the 2014 Games in Glasgow, but has also recently competed for Ireland in the European Games in Baku.
The final name on the latest list released yesterday is that of triathlete Niall Caley, who is studying at Bath University.
He finished runner-up in the 2021 British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Duathlon Championships and 18th in the elite category of the National Sprint Triathlon Championships.
In 2017 he was fourth in the 16-19 age group of the European Aquathon Championships.
The one surprising omission at this stage is that of Will Draper who has competed with considerable success in triathlon at domestic, national and international level over the past two or three years.
Commenting on the latest selections president of the CGA, Basil Bielich, said: ’We are delighted to have been able to select nine additional athletes to join the 12 selected at tier one.
’This is a new process of selection which is designed to enable the chosen athletes to plan their preparation and training programme with more certainty and confidence.
’A number of athletes have been nominated by their respective local sports bodies for consideration. The CGA and Isle of Man Sport are working closely together to give our
athletes as much support as possible with their preparations for the Games.
’This is to ensure that the strongest possible team represents the Isle of Man in Birmingham later this year.’