British Athletics can announce that 41 athletes have been selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland at the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland between 4-7 March.

European leading athletes Elliot Giles (coach: Jon Bigg; club: Birchfield), Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter; Leigh) and Tiffany Porter (Jeff Porter; Woodford Green Essex Ladies) are among the leading names who will compete next month.

The 2018 World Indoor 60m hurdles champion Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon), 2019 European Indoor silver medallist Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn) and Marc Scott (Jerry Schumacher; Cambridge & Coleridge), who has moved to second on the UK all-time list over 3000m in the last few weeks and ran 27:10.41 over 10,000 metres at the weekend, join the squad.

Giles has been in supreme form during 2021, breaking the long-standing British indoor 800m record previously held by Sebastian Coe. His time of 1:43.63 was the second fastest indoor time in history over the distance, and elevated Giles to the top of the world rankings this year. 2019 European Indoor silver medallist, Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb; Liverpool Harriers) joins Giles in the 800m having moved to second on the UK all-time indoor 800m list with his time of 1:44.54 set in the same race last week. Guy Learmonth (Justin Rinaldi; Lasswade), who has improved his indoor PB this season, completes the line-up in the men’s 800m.

Hodgkinson smashed the U20 record in Vienna last month, lowering her best to 1:59.03. The 18-year-old – who is also on the British Athletics Futures Academy Programme – also moved to the top of the British U20 all-time standings in the process. Next month the 2019 European U20 bronze medallist will make her senior debut for GB & NI.

In the women’s 60m hurdles, Porter is leading the European standings in 2021 after clocking 7.89 in Arizona earlier in the month. Ten years ago, she won silver on her GB & NI debut at the European Indoors in Paris, clocking the British record of 7.80 which still stands.

After clearing her highest bar in nine years in Rouen earlier this month, Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn) will be among the favourites for the women’s pole vault. Her 4.85m clearance was just two centimetres shy of her personal best. She claimed silver at the 2019 edition of the Championships in Glasgow and won the title in 2013.

Following a lifetime best score of 4557 points in the Pentathlon at the weekend, Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover) has been invited to compete in the women’s pentathlon. Her series included personal bests in the shot put (14.03m) and 800m (2:12.07), which contributed to a score which moved her to fifth on the UK all-time list.

Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch) threw an indoor shot put personal best at the European Indoor Selection Trial events in Loughborough at the weekend. The mark of 18.54 metres is a sign of the strong form the Great Yarmouth athlete is currently in.

As per selection policy, due to the limited qualification opportunities as a result of Covid-19, European Athletics (EA) have amended their qualification process to allow nomination of unqualified field athletes for selection to the Technical Delegates. British Athletics have notified the athletes who have been nominated under this rule and European Athletics will confirm on 25 February whether or not the nominations have been accepted and these will be published soon after.

There was no expression of interest from eligible athletes in the women’s 60m.

Olympic Head Coach at British Athletics, Christian Malcolm, said:

“I’m pleased to be selecting such a strong Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the European Indoor Championships next month. It has been a challenging time for all athletes and coaches recently, but we have seen some incredible performances.

“Of course, we are looking to maximise the number of opportunities to win medals, but it is also about providing opportunities for developing athletes as well as established athletes to achieve a GB&NI vest. We have a real mix in the squad with several young athletes demonstrating their potential in really challenging circumstances. I am really looking forward to seeing how the team perform in Torun.

“We are awaiting decisions from European Athletics on several field event nominations that we have put forward, so we hope to add several other athletes to the team later this week.”

The British Athletics team for the European Athletics Indoor Championships 4-7 March 2021 [Info correct as of 22.02.21]:

Women:

400m:

Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Ama Pipi (Linford Christie; Enfield & Haringey)

Jodie Williams (Ryan Freckleton; Herts Phoenix)

800m:

Ellie Baker (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet)

Isabelle Boffey (Luke Gunn; Enfield & Haringey)

Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter; Leigh)

1500m:

Holly Archer (Andrew Parmenter; Cambridge & Coleridge)

Katie Snowden (Dan Stepney; Herne Hill)

3000m:

Amy-Eloise Markovc (Chris Fox; Wakefield)

Verity Ockenden (Tony Houchin; Swansea)

Amelia Quirk (Mick Woods; Bracknell)

4x400m Relay:

Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna; Thames Valley)

Beth Dobbin (Leon Baptiste; Edinburgh)

Jessie Knight (Marina Armstrong; Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)

Yasmin Liverpool (Stewart Marshall; Coventry)

Ama Pipi (Linford Christie; Enfield & Haringey)

Jodie Williams (Ryan Freckleton; Herts Phoenix)

60m Hurdles:

Emma Nwofor (Newham & Essex Beagles)

Tiffany Porter (Jeff Porter; Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Cindy Sember (Jeff Porter; Woodford Green Essex Ladies)

Pole Vault:

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn)

Long Jump:

Abigail Irozuru (self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester)

Shot Put:

Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch; Great Yarmouth)

Pentathlon:

Holly Mills (Laura Turner-Alleyne; Andover)

Men:

60m:

Harry Aikines-Aryeetey (Benke Blomkvist; Sutton & District)

Oliver Bromby (Marvin Rowe; Southampton)

Andrew Robertson (Michael Carolan ; Sale Harriers Manchester)

400m:

Joe Brier (Matt Elias; Swansea)

Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne)

James Williams (self-coached; Liverpool)

800m:

Elliot Giles (Jon Bigg; Birchfield)

Guy Learmonth (Justin Rinaldi; Lasswade)

Jamie Webb (Adrian Webb; Liverpool)

1500m:

Piers Copeland (Bob Smith; Wimborne)

Archie Davis (Joel Kidger; Brighton Phoenix)

Neil Gourley (Ben Thomas; Giffnock North)

3000m:

Andrew Butchart (Barry Fudge; Central)

Jack Rowe (Tim Eglen; Aldershot Farnham & District)

Marc Scott (Jerry Schumacher; Cambridge & Coleridge)

4x400m Relay:

Joe Brier (Matt Elias; Swansea)

Efe Okoro (Tony Hadley; Birchfield Harriers)

Tom Somers (Newham & Essex Beagles)

Owen Smith (Matt Elias; Cardiff)

Lee Thompson (John Henson; Sheffield & Dearne)

James Williams (Paul Waters; Liverpool)

60m Hurdles:

Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon)

Long Jump:

Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Matt Barton; Leeds City)