BRITISH ATHLETICS NAME 31-STRONG TEAM READY TO #REPRESENT AT BIRMINGHAM 2018

British Athletics has today announced a team of 31 athletes selected to #REPRESENT at the IAAF World Indoor Championships on home soil in Birmingham from 1-4 March 2018.

Reigning European indoor champions Laura Muir (coach: Andy Young; club: Dundee Hawkhill), Asha Philip (Steve Fudge; Newham & Essex Beagles) and Andrew Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist; Stratford-upon-Avon) confirmed their places with victory at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships at Arena Birmingham – the same venue as the World Championships – at the weekend.

They will be joined by another champion from last weekend; Olympic, World, European and Commonwealth long jump gold medallist Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff; Marshall Milton Keynes) who has been given a host nation slot to compete at the Championships.

Fellow British indoor champions CJ Ujah (Stuart McMillan; Enfield & Haringey), Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie), Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow), Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh) and Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill) have also had their selection confirmed while Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool Harriers) has accepted an IAAF invite to compete in the pentathlon.

Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne) is one of seven handed their senior British debut having won the national 400m title at the weekend inside the qualifying standard while fellow newcomer Hannah Williams (Colin Gaynor; Herts Phoenix) is the youngest member of the 31-strong team aged 19 after being named as part of the women’s 4x400m squad.

Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo; Shaftesbury Barnet), Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley), Chris O’Hare (Terrence Mahon; Edinburgh) and David King (James Hillier; City of Plymouth) have all also been selected to #REPRESENT Britain again six months after the IAAF World Championships in London.

Other athletes selected by way of the host nation status include Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan; Newham & Essex Beagles) and Morgan Lake (Caan; WSEH) in the high jump and Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield Harriers) in the 800m. Unfortunately, while British Athletics also requested a host nation slot for pole vaulter Adam Hague (Trevor Fox; Sheffield & Dearne) following his personal best of 5.65m on the way to the British title at the weekend, the nomination was declined by the IAAF.

Neil Black, Performance Director at British Athletics, said: “This year is an amazing year for our athletes on the international stage and we are looking forward to seeing how they perform across 2018. We are delighted that the IAAF World Indoor Championships are being held in Birmingham, where we have just successfully hosted our British Championships, and we are certain it will be a great event for those selected – the home crowd will certainly play its part.

“The IAAF World Indoor Championships are the first major event of an exciting year with Commonwealth Games and European Championships also on the horizon and we have selected a British team with a good mixture of experienced international competitors and talented, up-and-coming athletes keen to test themselves against the best in the world.”

The British Athletics team selected to #REPRESENT at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018:

MEN:

60m:

CJ Ujah (Stuart McMillan; Enfield & Haringey)

Andrew Robertson (Sam Robertson; Sale Harriers Manchester)

400m:

Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne)

800m:

Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield Harriers)***

1500m:

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh)

Chris O’Hare (Terrence Mahon; Edinburgh)

3000m:

Jonathan Davies (Luke Gunn; Reading)

60m hurdles:

Andrew Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist; Stratford-upon-Avon)

David King (James Hillier; City of Plymouth)

High jump:

Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan; Newham & Essex Beagles)***

Long jump:

Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff; Marshall Milton Keynes)***

4x400m:

Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne)

Jamal Rhoden-Stevens (Donovan Reid; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Grant Plenderleith (David Lothian; Sheffield & Dearne)

Owen Smith (Matt Elias; Cardiff)

Sebastian Rodger (Stephen King; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Efe Okoro (Tony Hadley; Birchfield Harriers)

WOMEN:

60m:

Asha Philip (Steve Fudge; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo; Shaftesbury Barnet)

400m:

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie)

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley)

800m:

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Mhairi Hendry (William Parker; Victoria Park City of Glasgow)

1500m:

Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill)

Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill)

3000m:

Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill)

Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill)

60m hurdles:

Marilyn Nwawulor (Lloyd Cowan; Harrow)

High jump:

Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)***

Pentathlon:

Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool Harriers)

4x400m relay:

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie)

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley)

Amy Allcock (Glyn Hawkes; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider; Liverpool Harriers)

Meghan Beesley (Michael Baker; Birchfield Harriers)

Hannah Williams (Colin Gaynor; Herts Phoenix)

***Indicates an athlete given a host nation place