Here is the list of athletes who UK Athletics are backing to battle for podium places in future
Keely Hodgkinson, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Matt Hudson-Smith are among 65 athletes awarded Lottery funding on the UK Athletics Olympic World Class Programme for the next 12 months ahead of the World Championships in Tokyo.
This follows a Paris Olympics where the British team won 10 medals – their best tally since 1984.
The programme is split into four different levels of support – Podium, Podium Potential, Relay and Confirmation – with the goal of helping athletes who the governing body feels can win medals at the 2028 LA Olympics or in 2032.
Among the notable names not on the lists for this coming year are Eilish McColgan, Scott Lincoln, Lizzie Bird, Callum Wilkinson, Lawrence Okoye, Nick Percy and Elliot Giles.
Steeplechaser Bird is now pursuing a career in law in the aftermath of making the European podium in Rome and breaking the British record at the Olympics, whereas there have also been post-Olympic retirements such as Holly Bradshaw, Andy Pozzi, Jessie Knight and Jodie Williams.
There are also some coaching changes at the end of this season. Louie Hinchliffe, for example, has moved away from Carl Lewis in Houston to be coached by Richard Kilty, whereas Morgan Lake is no longer coached by Robbie Grabarz.
“Athletics has had two consecutive years of bringing back 10 medals from a global stage and this investment is key to that,” said Olympic head coach Paula Dunn. “I believe we have demonstrated as a sport we are directing this investment into the right areas and look forward to receiving confirmation of our LA investment later this year.
“For those athletes who have transitioned off the programme or not made the programme today, it is not to say they won’t have success in future, just that the parameters for WCP selection are very specific and they do not qualify right at this moment. Everyone who wears the GB & NI vest should be proud of their achievement, we are, and we will continue to see where we can add value, support and guidance to those individuals who do not meet the WCP criteria at this time.”
Amber Anning (Getty)
WCP Athletes:; Olympic Podium (21)
Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove); Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floréal, Blackheath & Bromley); Georgia Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave); Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers); Emile Cairess (Renato Canova, Leeds City); Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley); Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Austin Brobst, Leeds City); Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh); Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield); Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet); Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool); Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey, Edinburgh); Morgan Lake (WSEH); Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill); Daryll Neita (Marco Airale, Cambridge Harriers); Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke and Mid Hants); Jemma Reekie (Jon Bigg, Kilbarchan); Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke); Cindy Sember (Chris Johnson, WGEL); Katie Snowden (Stephen Haas, Herne Hill); Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman, Edinburgh)
Olympic Podium Potential (11)
Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Rob Denmark, Poole); Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester); Neil Gourley (Stephen Haas, Giffnock North); Naomi Metzger (Aston Moore, Trafford); George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix); Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham & Essex Beagles); Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, WSEH); Aimee Pratt (Thomas Dreißigacker, Sale Harriers Manchester); Anna Purchase (Mohamed Ali Saatara, Notts); Marc Scott (Chris Jones, Richmond & Zetland); Jessica Warner-Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn)
Olympic Relays – (22); Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Steve Fudge, WGEL); Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff); Joe Brier (Nick Dakin, Swansea); Lewis Davey (Trevor Painter, Newham and Essex Beagles); Jona Efoloko (Ryan Freckleton, Sale Harriers Manchester); Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix); Alex Haydock-Wilson (Dai Greene, WSEH); Desiree Henry (Steve Fudge, Enfield & Haringey); Louie Hinchliffe (Richard Kilty, Sheffield & Dearne); Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood); Hannah Kelly (Les Hall, Bolton); Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District); Rio Mitcham (Leon Baptiste, Birchfield); Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham & Essex Beagles); Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey); Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnett); Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham & Essex Beagles); Asha Philip (Amy Deem, Newham & Essex Beagles); Ama Pipi (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey); Sam Reardon (Nigel Stickings, Blackheath & Bromley); Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley); Nicole Yeargin (Vince Anderson, Pitreavie)
Olympic Confirmation – (10)
Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey); Phoebe Gill (Deborah Steer, St Albans); Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon); Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness); Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton); Jake Norris (Paul Dickenson, WSEH); Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Reading); Calli Hauger-Thackery (Nick Hauger, Hallamshire); Revee Walcott-Nolan (Thomas Dreißigacker, Luton); Joshua Zeller (Matt Kane, Bracknell AC)
Olympic Relay Confirmation (1); Yemi Mary John (Alan James, WGEL)
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