British Athletics has today announced that following a successful appeal process hammer thrower Chris Bennett (coach: Michael Jones) has been offered membership to the World Class Programme (WCP) for 2017-2018.

The inclusion of Bennett, who competed at his first World Championships this summer in London, brings the number of athletes offered membership to the WCP to 113.

Also following appeals, Reece Prescod (Jonas Dodoo) and Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan) have now been offered support on Olympic Podium. The WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative to support the delivery of success at the world’s most significant sporting events. Specifically, during the Tokyo cycle, the aim is to win medals at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Chris Bennett said: “I am pleased I am back on the World Class Programme following my appeal. I made a number of points and many of those were duly accepted by the panel. Now I can look ahead over the next year and start planning for training and competition with my coach. I am confident that I will be able to repay the faith shown in me by British Athletics and throw well at a high level of our sport.”

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 Programme’s Athlete Personal Award (APA).

Athletes offered membership to the World Class Programme:

Olympic Podium (17):

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie)

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson)

Mo Farah (Gary Lough)

Adam Gemili (Rana Reider)

Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan)

Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins)

Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson)

Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills)

Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin)

Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan)

Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson)

Laura Muir (Andy Young)

Cindy Ofili

Reece Prescod (Jonas Dodoo)

Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff)

Lynsey Sharp (Terrance Mahon)

Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson)

Paralympic Podium: (31)

Kare Adenegan (Job King)

Hollie Arnold

Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk)

Olivia Breen (Aston Moore)

Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Paul Harrison)

Mickey Bushell (Jenny Archer)

Jo Butterfield (Philip Peat / Shona Malcolm)

Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks)

Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell) – Chris Clarke (Guide Runner)

Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks)

Kadeena Cox (Brian Scobie)

Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones)

Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes)

Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson)

Toby Gold (Jenni Banks)

Dan Greaves (John Godina)

Sophie Hahn (Joe McDonnell)

David Henson (Roger Keller)

Georgie Hermitage (Paul MacGregor)

Jordan Howe (Christian Malcolm)

Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk)

Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin)

Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie)

Stephen Miller (Ros Miller)

Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff)

Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood)

Stef Reid (Aston Moore)

Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins)

Isaac Towers (Jenni Banks)

Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine)

Olympic Podium Potential: (23)

Chris Bennett (Michael Jones)

Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake)

Andrew Butchart (Terrance Mahon)

Taylor Campbell (John Pearson)

Rosie Clarke (David Harmer)

Niamh Emerson (David Feeney)

Tom Gale (Denis Doyle)

Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg)

Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg)

Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans)

Adam Hague (Trevor Fox)

David King (James Hillier)

Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg)

Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall)

Sarah McDonald (David Harmer)

Andrew Pozzi (Benke Blomkvist)

David Omoregie (Brigitte Foster-Hylton)

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg)

Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman)

Katie Snowden (Rob Denmark)

Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow)

Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman)

Callum Wilkinson (Andi Drake)

Paralympic Podium Potential: (18)

Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea)

Craig Boardman (Richard Chiassaro)

Dan Bramall (Peter Wyman)

Shaun Burrows (Joe McDonnell)

Kylie Grimes (Philip Peat)

Mo Jomni (Jenny Archer)

Rhys Jones (Christian Malcolm)

Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins)

Polly Maton (Colin Baross)

Stephen Morris (James Thie)

Derek Rae (Ron Morrison)

Ben Rowlings (Ian Mirfin)

Zac Shaw (Joe McDonnell)

Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller)

Zak Skinner (Aston Moore)

Laura Sugar (Joe McDonnell)

Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan)

Eve Walsh-Dann (Roger Sexton)

Olympic Relays: (24)

Finette Agyapong (Coral Nourrice)

Seren Bundy-Davies (Matt Elias)

Cameron Chalmers (James Hillier)

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna)

Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan)

Emily Diamond (Jared Deacon)

Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle)

Ojie Edoburun (Steve Fudge)

Miguel Francis (Glen Mills)

Desiree Henry (Rana Reider)

Matt Hudson Smith (Lance Brauman)

Richard Kilty

Imani Lansiquot (Steve Fudge)

Nigel Levine (Linford Christie)

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Dennis Shaver)

Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka)

Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker)

Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo)

Asha Philip (Steve Fudge)

Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)

Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)

Chijindu Ujah (Stuart McMillan)

Delano Williams (Stephen Francis)

Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams)