FUTURES PROGRAMME GOES FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH IN 2024

A Paralympic Games 1500m gold medal for Ben Sandilands (Steve Doig, Fife) and Olympic relay medals for Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood) and Sam Reardon (Nigel Stickings, Blackheath & Bromley) were summer highlights during a fantastic year for athletes on the Nike-supported UK Athletics’ Futures Programme.

With a packed competition schedule – including the World Athletics Indoor Championships (March), European Throwing Cup (March), World Athletics Relays (May), World Para Athletics Championships (May), European Athletics Championships (June), European U18 Championships (July), Olympic Games (August), World U20 Championships (August) and Paralympic Games (August/September) – athletes across both Olympic and Paralympic cohorts delivered a series of impressive performances throughout 2024.

On the Olympic Programme, 14 athletes from a total of 33 were selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GB & NI) teams, including four – Charlie Carvell (Stewart Marshall, Telford AC), Hunt, Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness) and Reardon – who were selected to represent Team GB at the Olympic Games in Paris.

Reardon – a late call up to Team GB due to the unfortunate withdrawal of Carvell due to injury – won two bronze medals in the 4 x 400m and mixed 4 x 400m relays. Those performances capped off an incredible summer during which he lowered his personal best to 44.70 (from 46.21 in 2023). Hunt was also a medallist in Paris, winning an impressive 4 x 100m relay silver.

Futures athletes won medals elsewhere too. In addition to making it onto the Olympic podium, Hunt was a member of the gold medal-winning GB & NI 4 x 100m relay quartet at the European Championships in Rome and a bronze medallist at the World Athletics Relays. Keith was also an impressive podium finisher in Rome, finishing third in the 10,000m, while Teddy Wilson (Marvin Rowe & Darren Braithwaite, Shaftesbury Barnet) won 4 x 100m silver at the World U20 Championships in Lima, Peru.

On the Paralympic Programme, ten athletes from a total of 29 were selected to represent Great Britain and Northern Ireland (GB & NI) teams with nine of those athletes selected to represent ParalympicsGB at the Paralympic Games. Joining Sandilands in Paris were Fabienne Andre (Richard Chiassaro, Harlow); Madeline Down (Mike Bennett, Halesowen); Luke Nuttall (Sonia and Chris McGeorge, Charnwood); Oluwafunmilola (Funmi) Oduwaiye (Josh Clark, DSW Para Academy); Didi Okoh (Joe McDonnell, Chelmsford); Marcus Perrineau-Daley (Jenny Archer, Weir Archer Academy); Eden Rainbow-Cooper (Arno Mul, Red Velvet Racing); and Melanie Woods (Rodger Harkins, Red Star).

Medal performances, in addition to Sandilands’ 3:45.40 world record performance in the T20 1500m, came from fellow Paralympic Games debutants Perrineau-Daley (silver in the T52 100m) and Okoh (bronze in the T63 100m).

At the World Para Athletics Championships in Kobe, Japan Kevin Santos (Mike Utting, City of Norwich) won silver in the universal 4x100m relay.

The Futures Programme is focused on supporting athletes and coaches who have demonstrated the potential to succeed at future Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Previous graduates who have excelled in 2024 include Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh); world indoor pole vault champion Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley); Olympic relay 4 x 400m relay bronze medallist and European 400m silver medallist Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester); Olympic 4 x 100m relay bronze medallist Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airele, Cardiff), Olympic 4 x 400m relay bronze medallists Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, club: Brighton & Hove) and Yemi Mary John (Alan James, club: Woodford Green Essex Ladies); and European 5000m silver medallist George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, club: Brighton Phoenix). For Anning, Paris was especially impressive, taking home two bronze medals as well as a new UK 400m record.

Through a series of camps, experiences, and dedicated staff, the Programme provides opportunities for athletes to develop the skills and abilities required for international success and forms part of the pathway towards the World Class Programme (WCP).

Dan Wagner, UKA Head of Performance Pathway, said: “This has been an exceptionally busy year with a packed calendar of events dating back to a ‘home’ World Indoor Championships in Glasgow in March. From European and world age-group championships to senior European Championships, World Para Athletics Championships and the Olympic and Paralympic Games, 2024 has offered the perfect platform for both current and former Futures Programme athletes and their coaches and a fantastic example of the development pathway right to the very top of our sport.

“The Futures Programme focuses on engaging and understanding athletes and coaches supporting them on their unique journeys throughout different stages of their development. We are incredibly proud of those who stepped up to represent senior GB & NI teams – what better inspiration for those on the programme than to see their peers succeed on the global stage? – but we are also proud of those who achieved their own goals, whether that was achieving a personal best or making their GB & NI debut.

To follow the progress of British Athletics’ Futures Programme athletes, check out UKA Futures (ukafutures) on Instagram.