BRADFORD on Avon's Olympic gold medallist Ed McKeever will lead a 153-strong Great Britain team into the inaugural European Games in Azerbaijan in June.

K1 200m Olympic champion McKeever is among six London Olympians for Team GB in the canoe sprint events at the multi-sport Games from June 12-28, with boxing champion Nicola Adams and tae kwon-do Olympic champion Jade Jones also leading the British contingent in Baku.

McKeever said: “I am proud to have been selected as part of Team GB again, this time at the European Games.

"This is a key competition for us just eight weeks out from the World Championships, which is a qualification event for Rio.

"Most of the world’s top canoe sprint athletes come from Europe, so I am really looking forward to some fast racing and a chance to see how preparations are going.”

A total of 20 sports will take part in the European Games, including 16 Olympic sports and four non-Olympic sports, with 253 medals to be won.

The canoe sprint event will take place 250km from Baku in Mingachevir, the 'City of Lights' and fourth biggest city in Azerbaijan, over three days of competition from June 14-16.