2 November 2016

·         118 athletes selected for Olympic and Paralympic World Class Performance Programmes

·         15 athletes selected for the Olympic Podium programme

·         29 athletes selected for the Olympic Podium Potential programme

·         23 athletes selected for the Paralympic Podium programme

·         24 athletes selected for the Paralympic Podium Potential programme

British Athletics has today announced the selection of 118 athletes for its Olympic and Paralympic World Class Performance Programmes (WCPP) in 2016–2017, as the teams focus towards home soil success at London 2017 and the sport enters the Tokyo 2020 cycle.

Funded by The National Lottery through UK Sport, British Athletics WCPP selection is based upon the potential to win medals at an Olympic or Paralympic Games (with special consideration given to the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Athletics Championships at London 2017) and is split into two levels: Podium (for athletes with the potential to win medals at London 2017 and Tokyo 2020) and Podium Potential (for athletes developing towards Tokyo 2020 and the Olympics in 2024).

British Athletics has selected 15 athletes for its Olympic Podium programme and 23 athletes for the Paralympic Podium programme. An additional 29 athletes have been selected for the Olympic Podium Potential programme, with 24 athletes joining the Paralympic equivalent.  A further 27 athletes are included on the WCPP across the various relay squads.

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: "2016 was an excellent year for the British Athletics teams at both the Olympics and Paralympics, winning more medals in Rio than in London 2012.  But we are now at the start of a new Olympic and Paralympic cycle, so we need to build a team that is focused towards further success and improvement at Tokyo 2020, our selections reflect this.  With a core group of established athletes and a large group of young and emerging talent, this is an exciting time for British Athletics.

“As ever, the athletes selected will be expected to fulfil tough performance criteria throughout the next cycle, but our immediate focus is firmly on winning medals at London 2017 next year.  To have both World Championships in the UK, in the same year, is just incredible.  It will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for British athletes to be crowned World Champions and become World medallists on home soil, and I expect a number of those selected on this year’s WCPP to grasp that opportunity.”

“I’d like to thank the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued investment in our World Class Performance Programme. The support will enable our athletes to be amongst the best prepared in the world at London 2017 and beyond, ensuring they are able to perform to their highest achievable standards whenever they appear on the global stage.”

British Athletics invests 100% of the UK Sport grant on elite coaching, provision of world class training facilities, medical and sports science services, warm weather training camps and major championships team travel to ensure its athletes perform to the highest achievable standards.  Athletes will also receive targeted financial assistance from UK Sport through the World Class Performance Programme’s Athlete Personal Award (APA).  

PODIUM WCPP

Olympic (15)

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson)

Mohamed Farah (Alberto Salazar)

Adam Gemili

Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan)

Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson)

Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills)

Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Laura Muir (Andy Young)

Cindy Ofili (Garfield Ellenwood)

Tiffany Porter (Jeffrey Porter)

Shara Proctor (Rana Reider)

Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff)

Lynsey Sharp (Rana Reider)

Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson)

Paralympic (23)

Kare Adenegan (Job King)

Hollie Arnold (David Parker)

Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk)

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Fuzz Caan)

Mickey Bushell (Jenny Archer)

Joanna Butterfield (Phil Peat/Shona Malcolm)

Libby Clegg [guide Chris Clarke] (Joe McDonnell)

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks)

Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie)

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones)

Sabrina Fortune (Anthony Hughes/Ian Robinson)

Toby Gold (Jenni Banks)

Dan Greaves (John Godina)

Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell)

David Henson (Roger Keller)

Georgina Hermitage (Paul MacGregor)

Maria Lyle (Ryan Freckleton)

Stephen Miller (Ros Miller)

Jonnie Peacock (Dan Pfaff/Michael Khmel)

Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood)

Stefanie Reid (Aston Moore)

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins)

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine)

PODIUM POTENTIAL WCPP

Olympic (29)

Kate Avery (Rob Denmark)

Chris Baker (Sharon Heveran)

Meghan Beesley (Michael Baker)

Alexandra Bell (Aaron Thomas)

Chris Bennett (Mick Jones)

Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake)

Andrew Butchart (Derek Easton)

Dan Bramble (Frank Attoh)

Tom Farrell (Mark Rowland)

Elliot Giles (Matt Yates)

Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg)

Adam Hague (Trevor Fox)

Lucy Hatton (Toni Minichiello)

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins)

Chris Kandu (Fuzz Caan)

David King (James Hillier)

Morgan Lake (Aston Moore)

Jade Lally (Andrew Neal)

Kyle Langford (George Harrison)

Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson)

Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson)

David Omoregie (Benke Blomkvist)

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg)

Isobel Pooley (Fuzz Caan)

Andy Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist)

Shona Richards (Marina Armstrong)

Jazmin Sawyers (Kelly Sotherton)

Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow)

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman)

Paralympic (24)

Joshua Bain (David Parker)

Dan Bramall (Peter Wyman)

Shaun Burrows (Joe McDonnell)

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks)

Vanessa Daobry (Alison O’Riordan)

Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes)

Kylie Grimes (Phil Peat)

Claire Harvey (Phil Peat)

Jordan Howe (Keith Antoine)

Abbie Hunnisett (Anthony Hughes)

Moatez Jomni (Jenny Archer)

Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk)

Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin)

Polly Maton (Colin Baross)

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins)

Stephen Morris (James Thie)

Holly Neill (Andrew Roda)

Derek Rae (Ron Morrison)

Ben Rowlings (Job King)

Sam Ruddock (Jim Edwards)

Zac Shaw (Joe McDonnell)

Laura Sugar (Femi Akinsanya)

Carly Tait (Jenni Banks)

Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman)

RELAY SQUADS

Olympic

Men’s 4x100m (6)

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist)

Ojie Edoburun (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

James Ellington (Linford Christie)

Richard Kilty (Michael Khmel)

Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)

Chijindu Ujah (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

Plus individual WCPP athletes:

Adam Gemili

Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills)

Also included in the squad, but not part of the WCPP, are:

Joel Fearon (Michael Khmel) – already a member of the British Bobsleigh WCPP

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver) – ineligible for WCPP inclusion due to NCAA status

Men’s 4x400m (6)

Jarryd Dunn (Keith Holt)

Matthew Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley)

Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)

Nigel Levine (Linford Christie)

Delano Williams (Neil Harrison)

Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams)

Women’s 4x100m (5)

Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)

Daryll Neita (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka)

Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)

Jodie Williams (Ryan Freckleton)

Plus individual WCPP athletes:

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)

Also included in the squad, but not part of the WCPP, are development athletes:

Shannon Hylton (Ryan Freckleton)

Imani Lansiquot (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo)

Sophie Papps (Stewart Challis)

Women’s 4x400m (9)

Margaret Adeoye (Linford Christie)

Seren Bundy-Davies (Stephen Ball)

Eilidh Doyle (Malcolm Arnold)

Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)

Kelly Massey (Stephen Ball)

Kirsten McAslan (Trevor Painter)

Laviai Nielsen (Frank Adams)

Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan)

Anyika Onuora (Rana Reider)

Paralympic (1)

Olivia Breen (Aston Moore)