Laura Weightman and Melissa Courtney are added to the endurance athletes on the 2018-19 British Athletics World Class Performance programme.
Laura Weightman, a bronze medalist from the European and Commonwealth Games over 1500 and 5000m this summer, has been added to the podium potential list alongside fellow Commonwealth medalist Melissa Courtney. It is a great sign for women’s endurance running in the UK as they join distance athletes such as Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan, Jemma Reekie and Rosie Clarke on the programme.
Mo Farah continues to be supported with the hope that the British marathon record holder will join the British team at the 2019 World Championships as part of his build-up to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Callum Hawkins is also listed as an Olympic podium athlete which is a good sign for British marathoning.
On Farah’s continued support British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: “Mo has had a fantastic first year concentrating on road racing as we knew he would. His performances in London and Chicago were what we expected of a truly world class athlete.
“We will continue to support Mo in his ambitions and we look forward to potentially welcoming him onto the British team for the IAAF World Championships in 2019 as part of his preparations for the marathon at Tokyo 2020.”
The Olympic podium potential list also has a lot of endurance runners including those who have suffered injuries in the last 12 months such as Andy Butchart and Dewi Griffiths. It is good to see the support continuing for distance runners who have to steadily build back up after injury breaks.
For the full list of Olympic and Paralympic athletes being supported, including a huge bundle of sprinters for the relay programme, see below. Maybe if they include a distance relay in the future we might see more endurance runners on the list.
RELATED: Muir, Weightman & McColgan medal at European Championships
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British Athletics World Class Programme 2018-19:
Olympic Podium (14):
Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley)
Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn)
Mo Farah (Gary Lough; Newham & Essex Beagles)
Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins; Kilbarchan)
Sophie Hitchon (Tore Gustafsson; Blackburn)
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills; Shaftesbury Barnet)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool)
Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson; Border)
Laura Muir (Andy Young; Dundee Hawkhill)
Reece Prescod (Jonas Dodoo; Enfield & Haringey)
Shara Proctor (Rana Reider; Birchfield Harriers)
Lynsey Sharp (Terrence Mahon; Edinburgh)
Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson; Thames Valley)
Paralympic Podium (30):
Kare Adenegan (Job King; Coventry)
Hollie Arnold (David Turner; Blackheath & Bromley)
Paul Blake (Rob Ellchuk; Dorchester)
Olivia Breen (Aston Moore; City of Portsmouth)
Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Paul Harrison; Newham & Essex Beagles)
Mickey Bushell (Rick Hoskins; Birchfield Harriers)
Jo Butterfield (Phil Peat / Shona Malcolm; Forth Valley Flyers)
Richard Chiassaro (Jenni Banks; Harlow)
Libby Clegg (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood)
Chris Clarke (Michael Khmel; Marshall Milton Keynes) (Guide Runner)
Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks; Leeds City)
Kadeena Cox (Matt Cullen; Sale Harriers)
Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer Jones; Cardiff)
David Devine (Tony Clarke, Liverpool)
Kyron Duke (Anthony Hughes; DSW Para Academy)
Sabrina Fortune (Ian Robinson; Deeside)
Dan Greaves (Self; Charnwood)
Sophie Hahn (Leon Baptiste; Charnwood)
Georgina Hermitage (Rod Finch; Basingstoke & Mid Hants)
Jordan Howe (Christian Malcolm; DSW Para Academy)
Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk; Bristol & West)
Samantha Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin; Red Star)
Maria Lyle (Jamie Bowie; Team East Lothian)
Stephen Miller (Ros Miller; Gateshead)
Jonnie Peacock (Michael Khmel / Dan Pfaff; Charnwood)
Gemma Prescott (Mike Wood; British Wheelchair Athletics Association)
Stef Reid (Aston Moore; Charnwood)
Andrew Small (Rick Hoskins; Stockport)
Isaac Towers (Peter Wyman; Blackpool, Wyre & Fylde)
Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine; Southwell)
Olympic Podium Potential (27):
Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake; Tonbridge)
Andrew Butchart (Terrence Mahon; Central)
Taylor Campbell (John Pearson; Sheffield & Dearne)
Rosie Clarke (David Harmer; Epsom & Ewell)
Melissa Courtney (Rob Denmark; Poole)
Tim Duckworth (Toby Stevenson; Liverpool)
Niamh Emerson (David Feeney; Amber Valley & Erewash)
Tom Gale (Denis Doyle; Team Bath)
Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield Harriers)
Charlie Grice (Jon Bigg; Brighton)
Dewi Griffiths (Kevin Evans; Swansea)
Adam Hague (Trevor Fox; Sheffield & Dearne)
Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey; Edinburgh)
Kyle Langford (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet)
Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill)
Sarah McDonald (David Harmer; Birchfield Harriers)
Naomi Ogbeta (Tom Cullen; Trafford)
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon)
Jemma Reekie (Andy Young; Kilbarchan)
Daniel Rowden (Richard Thurston; Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
Jazmin Sawyers (Lance Brauman; Stoke)
Katie Snowden (Geoff Wightman; Herne Hill)
Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow; Guildford & Godalming)
Laura Weightman (Steve Cram; Morpeth)
Jake Wightman (Geoff Wightman; Edinburgh)
Callum Wilkinson (Andi Drake; Enfield & Haringey)
Paralympic Podium Potential (17):
Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea; Stevenage & North Herts)
Craig Boardman (Harlow)
Dan Bramall (Peter Wyman; Stockport)
Harri Jenkins (Anthony Hughes; DSW Academy)
Mo Jomni (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy)
Dillon Labrooy (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy)
Nathan Maguire (Ste Hoskins; Halton & Frodsham)
Polly Maton (Daniel Hooker; Team Devizes)
Derek Rae (Ron Morrison; Fife)
Zac Shaw (Leon Baptiste; Cleethorpes)
Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller; Bournemouth)
Zak Skinner (Aston Moore; Tonbridge)
Ali Smith (Paul McGregor; Guildford & Godalming)
JohnBoy Smith (Jenny Archer; Weir Archer Academy)
Vanessa Wallace (Alison O’Riordan; Enfield & Haringey)
Eve Walsh-Dann (Roger Sexton; North Down)
Thomas Young (Joe McDonnell; Charnwood)
Olympic Relays (26):
Finette Agyapong (Coral Nourrice; Newham & Essex Beagles)
Amy Allcock (Glyn Hawkes; Aldershot Farnham & District)
Kristal Awuah (Matthew Thomas; Herne Hill)
Cameron Chalmers (James Hillier; Guernsey)
Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley)
Dwayne Cowan (Lloyd Cowan; Hercules Wimbledon)
Emily Diamond (Benke Blomkvist; Bristol & West)
Beth Dobbin (Leon Baptiste; Edinburgh)
Eilidh Doyle (Brian Doyle; Pitreavie)
Ojie Edoburun (Steve Fudge; Shaftesbury Barnet)
Miguel Francis (Glen Mills; Wolverhampton & Bilston)
Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley)
Desiree Henry (Rana Reider; Enfield & Haringey)
Matthew Hudson-Smith (Lance Brauman; Birchfield Harriers)
Richard Kilty (Benke Blomkvist; Middlesbrough)
Imani-Lara Lansiquot (Steve Fudge; Sutton & District)
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Lance Brauman; Newham & Essex Beagles)
Daryll Neita (Jonas Dodoo; Shaftesbury Barnet)
Ashleigh Nelson (Michael Afilaka; Stoke)
Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey)
Asha Philip (Steve Fudge; Newham & Essex Beagles)
Martyn Rooney (Croydon)
Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist; Birchfield Harriers)
CJ Ujah (Jonas Dodoo; Enfield & Haringey)
Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan; Enfield & Haringey)
Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams; Newham & Essex Beagles)
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