Sixty-five athletes selected for UK Athletics Olympic World Class Programme (WCP) for 2024/25

A bunch of 65 athletes have been chosen for membership to hitch the UK Athletics Olympic World Class Programme* (WCP) for 2024/25. The WCP is break up into a number of ranges reflecting the precise and the long run efficiency potential of athletes: Podium, Podium Potential, Relay and Affirmation.  The total listing of athletes is listed under.  The quantity 65 compares with 67 in 2023-24.  Final 12 months 17 have been within the high class of “Podium” with the quantity rising to  21 within the new listing. This 12 months there are solely 11 “Podium potential” as in opposition to 19 final 12 months. Within the third class “Olympic affirmation” there have been 13 final 12 months and 10 for 2024-25. Britain gained medals in all 5 relays in Paris and the variety of athletes funded for relay for the approaching 12 months is 23 in comparison with 18 beforehand.

4 athletes who have been funded final 12 months have now retired Holly Bradshaw, Andrew Pozzi, Jessie Knight and Jodie Williams. As well as, European Championship medallist within the steeplechase, Lizzie Hen is pursuing a profession as a lawyer and isn’t searching for funding as a full-time athlete.

2023-24 funded athletes who weren’t on this 12 months’s roster embody Eilish McColgan, Scott Lincoln, Callum Wilkinson, Lawrence Okoye, Nick Percy and Elliot Giles.

New additions to the listing of funded athletes embody:

Georgia Bell – who one 12 months in the past was working full-time in an workplace and operating within the evenings.  She is now a 1500m Olympic medallist.

Jacob Fincham-Dukes – fifth within the Olympic long-jump has been added for the primary time.

Sam Reardon – as featured not too long ago at  https://www.runblogrun.com/2024/09/the-accidental-medalist-sam-reardon.html for successful two Olympic medals after not initially being chosen for the video games, is among the least stunning additions.

Different additions to the relay squad embody  Lina Nielson, (a medalist in Paris who continues to battle sickness), Amy Hunt and Louie Hinchcliffe (each Paris medallists) and Desiree Henry (again in squad after years battling damage).

Phoebe Gill, the 17 year-old who reached the Olympic 800m semi-final and Romell Glave, bronze medallist within the 100m on the 2024 Europeans are additionally added.

The listing launched by UK Athletics consists of the identify of every athlete’s coach, from which we study that Morgan Lake is not coached by Robbie Grabarz – no new coach named – and that Louie Hinchcliffe is now coached by Richard Kilty not Carl Lewis.

If I’ve counted appropriately it’s 57 observe and eight area, a mirrored image of the place UK athletics strengths are.

WCP Athletes: listed with identify, membership and coach

Olympic Podium (21)

Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove)

Dina Asher-Smith (Edrick Floréal, Blackheath and Bromley)

Georgia Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave Harriers)

Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers)

Emile Cairess (Renato Canova, Leeds Metropolis)

Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley)

Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Austin Brobst, Leeds Metropolis)

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 (Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow)

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, Metropolis of Stoke)

Cindy Sember (Chris Johnson, Woodford Inexperienced Essex Women)

Katie Snowden (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 and Essex Beagles)

Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Aimee Pratt (Thomas Dreißigacker, Sale Harriers Manchester)

Anna Buy (Mohamed Ali Saatara, Notts)

Marc Scott (Chris Jones, Richmond and Zetland)

Jessica Warner-Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn)

Olympic Relays – (22)

Eugene Amo-Dadzie (Steve Fudge, Woodford Inexperienced Essex Women)

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, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Desiree Henry (Steve Fudge, Enfield & Haringey)

Louie Hinchliffe (Richard Kilty, Sheffield & Dearne)

Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood)

Hannah Kelly (Les Corridor, Bolton)

Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Ryan Freckleton, Sutton & District)

Rio Mitcham (Leon Baptiste, Birchfield Harriers)

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Ryan Freckleton, Newham and Essex Beagles)

Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield and Haringey)

Lina Nielsen (Tony Lester, Shaftesbury Barnett)

Victoria Ohuruogu (Newham and Essex Beagles)

Asha Philip (Amy Deem, Newham and Essex Beagles)

Ama Pipi (Tony Lester, Enfield and Haringey)

Sam Reardon (Nigel Stickings, Blackheath and Bromley)

Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley)

Nicole Yeargin (Vince Anderson, Pitreavie)

Olympic Affirmation – (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, Windsor, Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Charlotte Payne (Paul Dickenson, Studying)

Calli Hauger-Thackery (Nick Hauger, Hallamshire)

Revee Walcott-Nolan (Thomas Dreißigacker; Luton)

Joshua Zeller (Matt Kane, Bracknell AC)

Olympic Relay Affirmation (1)

Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Inexperienced Essex Women)

*The Olympic WCP is UK Sport’s Nationwide Lottery funded initiative to determine, develop and assist gifted athletes in the direction of medal success on the Olympic Video games and different world main Championships. Athletes are nominated for the WCP whether it is judged they’ve the practical potential and demonstrable efficiency functionality and capability to win medals at Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Video games or in the direction of 2032.

Since 2015, Stuart Weir has written for RunBlogRun. He attends about 20 occasions a 12 months together with all most world championships and Diamond Leagues. He enjoys discovering the quirky and obscure story.

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