British Athletics has today announced that 112 athletes have been offered membership to the World Class Programme (WCP) for 2017/2018.

The World Class Programme (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.

Therefore, British Athletics must be confident in demonstrating that any athlete offered membership of the WCP is a realistic potential 2020 or 2024 Olympic medallist in either individual or relay events or a realistic potential 2020 or 2024 Paralympic medallist.

The breakdown in number of athletes who have been offered membership of WCP – athletes can use their discretion should they not wish to accept membership to the WCP – on the various levels are as follows: Olympic Podium (15), Paralympic Podium (31), Olympic Podium Potential (23), Paralympic Podium Potential (18) and Olympic Relays (25).

After a fourth place finish in the marathon at the IAAF World Championships, Callum Hawkins (Robert Hawkins) is promoted to Olympic Podium level for 2017 / 18, as is Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson), who placed sixth in the hammer final during the same championships this summer.

There are seven Para athletes who have moved up to Paralympic Podium funding including World Para Athletics Championships gold medallists Olivia Breen (Aston Moore), Sophie Kamlish (Rob Ellchuk) and Sammi Kinghorn (Ian Mirfin) who continue to progress through the pathway.

Debutants on the Olympic Podium Potential level include Tom Gale (Denis Doyle), who made a major breakthrough in the high jump this year, leaping 2.30m as well as winning European Junior bronze, and Niamh Emerson (David Feeney), who moved to third on the UK U20 heptathlon rankings this year. In the Paralympic equivalent, fourth placed athletes at the World Para Athletics Championships, Martina Barber (Paddy O’Shea, T20 long jump), Luke Sinnott (Roger Keller, T42 long jump) and Zak Skinner (Aston Moore, T13 long jump) are among the additions.

British Athletics Performance Director, Neil Black commented:

“On the back of the most successful World Para Athletics Championships in the modern era, and achieving our medal targets and finishing fourth in the placings table at the IAAF World Championships this summer, our World Class Programme reflects upon the criteria for medal potential as we progress through the Tokyo cycle ahead of the Olympic and Paralympic Games in 2020.

“I’d like to thank the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued investment in the World Class Programme. The support enables our athletes to be the best prepared in their quest for success in the coming years as we build to towards the 2020 and 2024 Games.”

He added on Mo Farah’s move to the roads:

“It will be Mo’s first year committing to performances on the road, and he is still exploring options of how this will progress. There is the possibility that he could represent the British team at a major championship over the marathon distance in the future, so we will monitor this first year and continue to support him in his ambitions.”

In terms of the support packages in place for Nigel Levine and James Ellington, there are different plans in place for each athlete, which Black explains.

“Nigel’s recovery from that accident is at an advanced stage in terms of his ability to compete again. As such we are able to retain him on the WCPP in his capacity as a relay athlete.

“Whilst James won’t be funded by the WCPP in 2018, in co-operation with UK Sport, British Athletics will maintain the support package and APA to him at the same levels with a series of pre-agreed quarterly progress targets in place whilst we oversee his continued rehabilitation following the injuries he sustained last year.”

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).

Olympic Podium (15):
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)
Nick Miller (Tore Gustafsson)
Laura Muir (Andy Young)
Cindy Ofili
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 / Peter Wyman)
Richard Whitehead (Keith Antoine)

Olympic Podium Potential: (23)
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)
Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan)
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: (25)
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)
Reece Prescod (Jonas Dodoo)
Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman)
Danny Talbot (Benke Blomkvist)
Chijindu Ujah (Stuart McMillan)
Delano Williams (Stephen Francis)
Rabah Yousif (Carol Williams)