ATHLETES VOTE OSKAN-CLARKE AND POZZI AS CO-CAPTAINS FOR IAAF WORLD INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (coach: Jon Bigg; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) and Andrew Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist; Stratford-upon-Avon) have been voted Co-Captains by their British Athletics teammates for the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Birmingham from 1-4 March.

Oskan-Clarke and Pozzi, who both secured their places with victory at the SPAR British Indoor Championships earlier this month, received the exact same number of votes after all 32 members of the team were given the chance to nominate who they would like to be captain.

Both enjoyed a successful European Indoor Championships in Belgrade in 2017 with Oskan-Clarke claiming silver in the 800m and Pozzi taking gold in the 60m hurdles. Both will open their campaign in Birmingham on day three of the Championships, Saturday 3 March.

The pair follow in the footsteps of Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie) who was the first British captain to be chosen by teammates for the IAAF World Championships in London in 2017. Like Doyle, Oskan-Clarke and Pozzi will deliver a pre-Championships speech at the British team meeting.

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke said: “I am really looking forward to competing at the World Indoor Championships in Birmingham. I was not expecting to be captain of the team and am overwhelmed and thrilled to be voted in by my peers and will do my utmost to support them and lead by example. It is great to have another home championships following on from the World Championships in London last years. This is my first World Indoor Championships, which I am looking forward to after my silver medal at Europeans last year.”

Andrew Pozzi said: “It is a great privilege to be voted as captain and it is nice that other people on the team feel that you can offer them something more than just your performance. I have been going to that exact stadium in Birmingham since I was 12, maybe younger, so my ties are really long-standing and I was really pleased to get the call. I have been on teams with some great captains and they have the qualities you respect. It is great to know that the team think of you in that way and that spurs you on more to make a particular effort and to try and justify that faith.”

Neil Black, Performance Director at British Athletics, said: “I am delighted for both Shelayna and Andrew that they have been voted as Co-Captains for the World Indoor Championships. It is a great testament to the hard work, effort and manner in which they carry themselves on and off the track and within the team that their peers have chosen them for such an honour. Both are fantastic role models and have had great success competing indoors, they know what it takes to win and we know they will strive to achieve the very best in Birmingham this week.”