This is the list of athletes that UK Athletics supports to compete for future podium positions. In preparation for the World Championships in Tokyo, 65 athletes have been granted Lottery money for the UK Athletics Olympic World Class Program for the upcoming 12 months, including Keely Hodgkinson, Katarina Johnson-Thompson, and Matt Hudson-Smith. This comes after the British team won 10 medals at the Olympics in Paris, which is their highest total since 1984.
With the aim of assisting athletes who the governing body believes have the potential to win gold at the 2028 LA Olympics or in 2032, the program is divided into four categories of support: Podium, Podium Potential, Relay, and Confirmation. Eilish McColgan, Scott Lincoln, Lizzie Bird, Callum Wilkinson, Lawrence Okoye, Nick Percy, and Elliot Giles are a few of the well-known figures that are not on the lists for the upcoming year. After breaking the British record at the Olympics and placing on the European podium in Rome, Steeplechaser Bird is now pursuing a career in law. Other athletes who have retired after the Olympics include Holly Bradshaw, Andy Pozzi, Jessie Knight, and Jodie Williams. At the end of this season, there will also be some coaching changes. Hinchliffe Louie,
For instance, has left Carl Lewis in Houston to be taught by Richard Kilty, while Robbie Grabarz is no longer the coach at Morgan Lake.
“This investment is crucial to the fact that athletics has returned ten medals from a global stage for the past two years,” Olympic head coach Paula Dunn stated. “As a sport, I think we’ve shown that we’re allocating this expenditure wisely, and I’m eager to hear back about our LA investment later this year. For athletes who have left the program or were not accepted today, this does not imply that they will not succeed in the future; rather, it simply means that they do not currently meet the highly specific requirements for WCP selection. We, along with everyone else wearing the GB & NI vest, are pleased of our accomplishment and will keep an eye on wherewe can add value, support and guidance to those individuals who do not meet the WCP criteria at this time.”
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
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 (Pitreavie, Vince Anderson) Olympic Confirmation – (10) 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); 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)
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