WORLD FINALISTS RECOGNISED ON BRITISH ATHLETICS WORLD CLASS PROGRAMME 2020

British Athletics have today announced that 68 athletes have been offered membership to the Olympic World Class Programme (WCP) for 2020.

Jake Wightman (coach: Geoff Wightman; club: Edinburgh) and Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge), who finished fifth and seventh in the 1500m and 20km race walk respectively at this year’s World Championships in Doha, have been recognised for their performances by being moved from Olympic Podium Potential to Olympic Podium level.

Following his fourth in the 200m in Qatar, Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley), who also claimed 4x100m relay silver, has been added to Olympic Podium as an individual while long jumper Abigail Irozuru (Self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester) has been welcomed onto the WCP as a new member at the highest level having finished seventh at the World Championships.

There are ten new additions to the WCP in total with seven athletes being offered membership at Olympic Podium Potential including world 1500m finalist and British champion Neil Gourley (Mark Rowland; Giffnock North) and triple jumper Ben Williams (Aston Moore; City of Stoke), who added 54cm onto his lifetime best across the course of the season to end 2019 seventh on the UK all-time list with 17.27m.

Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb; Liverpool) is also added having won a superb European indoor silver in March and finished 2019 as the British No.1 in the 800m while Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan; Herts Phoenix) and Jessica Turner (Nick Dakin; Amber Valley & Erewash) join at Olympic Relays following their contribution to the women’s 4x400m relay team throughout the summer.

The British Athletics WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded initiative to support the delivery of success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Membership onto the WCP for 2020 is based upon an athletes’ potential to win a medal at Tokyo 2020 or Paris 2024.

There are three levels of membership of the WCP at Olympic level with numbers for 2020 broken down as follows: Olympic Podium (16), Olympic Podium Potential (29), and Olympic Relays (23).

Athletes can use their discretion should they not wish to accept membership to the WCP. Endurance athletes funded separately to the WCP will be announced in due course. British Athletics Futures Programme athletes will be announced within the next week.

Due to the late staging of the World Para Athletics Championships in 2019, the full WCP for 2020, including Paralympic levels, will be announced in the new year.

British Athletics Olympic World Class Programme 2020:

Olympic Podium (16)

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley)

Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge)

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn)

Mo Farah (Gary Lough; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley)

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins; Kilbarchan)

Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson; Blackburn)

Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Abigail Irozuru (Self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool)

Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson; Border)

Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill)

Reece Prescod (Jonas Dodoo; Enfield & Haringey)

Lynsey Sharp (David Harmer; Edinburgh)

Lorraine Ugen (Dwight Phillips; Thames Valley)

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh)

Olympic Podium Potential (29)

Andrew Butchart (Self-coached; Central)

Taylor Campbell (John Pearson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Melissa Courtney (Rob Denmark; Poole)

Tim Duckworth (Toby Stevenson; Liverpool)

Niamh Emerson (David Feeney; Amber Valley & Erewash)

Tom Gale (Denis Doyle; Team Bath)

Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield Harriers)

Neil Gourley (Mark Rowland; Giffnock North)

Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg; Brighton)

Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans; Swansea)

Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey; Edinburgh)

Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Chris McAlister (Marina Armstrong; Thames Valley)

Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill)

Sarah McDonald (David Harmer; Birchfield Harriers)

Naomi Ogbeta (Tom Cullen; Trafford)

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Derek Thompson; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon)

Aimee Pratt (Vincente Modahl; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Charlotte Purdue (Nic Bideau; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Jemma Reekie (Andy Young; Kilbarchan)

Daniel Rowden (Richard Thurston; Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; City of Stoke)

Steph Twell (Self-coached; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb; Liverpool)

Laura Weightman (Steve Cram; Morpeth)

Callum Wilkinson (Robert Heffernan; Enfield & Haringey)

Ben Williams (Aston Moore; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Olympic Relays (23)

Amy Allcock (Glyn Hawkes; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill)

Cameron Chalmers (Matt Elias; Guernsey)

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley)

Emily Diamond (Benke Blomkvist; Bristol & West)

Beth Dobbin (Leon Baptiste; Edinburgh)

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie)

Miguel Francis (Glen Mills; Wolverhampton & Bilston)

Matthew Hudson-Smith (Lance Brauman; Birchfield Harriers)

Richard Kilty (Benke Blomkvist; Middlesbrough)

Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Steve Fudge; Sutton & District)

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Lance Brauman; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Daryll Neita (Rana Reider; Cambridge Harriers)

Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka; City of Stoke)

Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey)

Asha Philip (Steve Fudge; Newham & Essex Beagles)

Martyn Rooney (Nick Dakin; Croydon)

Danny Talbot (Vince Anderson; Birchfield Harriers)

Jessica Turner (Nick Dakin; Amber Valley & Erewash)

CJ Ujah (Ryan Freckleton; Enfield & Haringey)

Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan; Herts Phoenix)

Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan; Enfield & Haringey)

Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles)