Copson, Clare Elms, Irie Hill and Virginia Mitchell among GB medal hopes at European Masters Champs in Vienna as we preview the women’s events

The European Masters Championships kicks off in Italy this week with British athletes with British athletes going for gold en masse.

A look at contenders for the men’s events can be found here whereas below is a look at the likely stars of the women’s competition.

The championships takes place at three different track venues at Jesolo, Eraclea and Caorle on the outskirts of Venice, plus separate venues for the cross-country, road races and walks from September 5-15.

W35 age group

World masters champion Fiona de Mauny from Britain has good medal chances but will be up against Poland’s world indoor champion Aneta Lemiesz at 800m and 400m. She also runs the 1500m where she could face more strong Polish opposition.

Newly turned veteran Nisha Desai, a British senior championship finalist from a few years ago, looks to have an excellent chance in the 400m hurdles.

Former Scottish Commonwealth Games representative Gill Cooke goes in the long jump while Lucy Marshall looks likely to win medals at shot, weight, hammer and the weight pentathlon.

W40 age group

World masters 400m champion Susie McCloughlin should win medals in all three sprints as she did in Malaga.

Zoe Doyle won Toruń gold at 1500m and 3000m and here goes in the 1500m, 5000m and 800m although in the latter Ireland’s Denise Toner will start as a big favourite.

Elizabeth Renondeau and Lisa Palmer-Blount also have medal possibilities at 5000m and tackle the road 10km.

Andrea Jenkins could win a medal in the weight and weight pentathlon.

W45 age group

Michelle Thomas heads the British challenge in the sprints but will be up against her Torun conqueror Joanna Balcerzak of Poland in the 200m.

Nina Anderson was down to defend her 400m title but has yet to compete in 2019 but will still be favourite based on her past record.

Ana Ramos-Villaverde will hope to go one place better than her Malaga runner-up spot in the steeplechase but no medals look likely in the field based on the rankings.

W50 age group

World record-holder Irie Hill looks a class apart in the pole vault and should easily add to her many titles.

Esther Colas of Spain should win the 400m but Torun runner-up Jo Flowers should be among the medals again.

Germany’s multiple world champion Eva Trost will win the 800m and 1500m but Lucy Elliott is likely to win a medal there although probably has a better chance in the cross-country.

Lisa Thomas has set multiple British records this summer in the steeplechase and will start as favourite there.

In the 300m hurdles, Janet Dickenson is unlikely to challenge Italian Maria Moroni but looks the best of the rest and should also win a medal in the heptathlon.

Multiple Commonwealth Games medallist Lisa Kehler should make the podium in the 10km walk.

W55 age group

Clare Elms won world indoor titles at 1500m, 3000m and cross-country and here instead of the 3000m she also tackles the 5000m, 10,000m and 10km road race and is easily top ranked in all five events.

Esther Pedroso, a 2:37 marathoner at her peak, followed her home in all her Torun wins and is likely to do so again.

Elms is unlikely to run the 800m as she would have to run the 5000m final at a different venue a few hours earlier.

That should mean she will not be able to challenge Virginia Mitchell (pictured below), who is the reigning world indoor and outdoor 400m and 800m champion and tackles the two events again.

Multiple steeplechase medallist Jane Pidgeon should also add to her collection while Julie Rogers will be expected to medal in both hurdles races.

World indoor champion Wendy Laing should win the high jump while Joanne Willoughby and Melanie Garland look the best of the long jumpers and could also dominate the triple jump too in what is probably GB’s strongest age group overall.

W60 age group

Jane Horder looks a good medal bet in both the hurdles and will also be in contention at 400m.

Louise Jeffries heads the 800 rankings and she also goes at 1500m.

Cath Duhig could win medals in all three of the walks.

W65 and above

Caroline Powell looks favourite in all three W65 sprints and Joylyn Saunders-Mullins could also make the podium in several sprints events.

Sue Yeomans will be in contention again in the pole vault.

Alison Bourgeois, who dominated the track in Torun, focuses on the half-marathon while Dorothy Kesterton has an excellent chance at 10km.

In the W70s, Angela Copson (main image above) has cut down on her usual number of events but will still be favourite at 800m, 1500m and half-marathon.

Ros Tabor is new to the age group and had beaten Copson in the past but probably has her best chance at 400m.

The 1976 Olympian Penny Forse takes on Copson at her Montreal event of 1500m as well as the half-marathon, while Tabor and Forse also clash at cross-country.

Noel Blatchford heads the rankings in the 10km walk and should also win medals at the 20km event.

In the W80 events, Evaun Williams should add to her many titles in the shot, discus, javelin, hammer and throws pentathlon.

The 97 year-old Nora Kutti of Estonia should win all the W95 throws but even older is Austrian 1920 born Elfriede Fuchs, who goes in the shot.