6th December 2016

British Athletics today announced its first selected athlete for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London and has committed to “selecting a large and competitive team to help inspire the next generation of British track and field stars” for the Championships.

Callum Hawkins (coach: Robert Hawkins) is the first athlete confirmed as a member of the British Athletics team for London 2017, after being pre-selected for the Marathon.  The 24-year-old from Kilbarchan in Scotland, was one of Britain’s standout performers at the Rio Olympic Games where he finished in a hugely impressive ninth position, in what was only his third attempt at the distance.

British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black, who led both the Olympic and Paralympic programmes to win more medals in Rio 2016 than were won in London 2012, said: “We are delighted to confirm Callum’s selection for London.  He has only competed over 26.2 miles three times, but we can already see the talent he has, finishing eighth at the London Marathon in 2016 and following that up in Rio at the Olympics with a brilliant ninth place.”

Published on its website today, the British Athletics selection philosophy document for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London, states that it has the intention of “selecting all qualified athletes who demonstrate the necessary form and fitness at the time of selection.”

Black added: “It is important for British Athletics to capitalise on the once in a generation opportunity of hosting the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London by selecting a large and competitive team, to help inspire the next generation of British track and field stars.”

The full British Athletics Selection Policy – which cannot be published until the IAAF confirms the qualification and entry process – will be structured to satisfy four core aims:

1. to maximise the team’s potential to win medals in London;

2. to maximise the number of British athletes making finals in London;

3. to maximise the representation of athletes across events in London; and

4. to maximise potential for medals in Tokyo and beyond.

The full Selection Philosophy can be found below: