Debutants Jemma Reekie and Beth Dobbin are among Britain’s team for the inaugural competition in London.
Great Britain has named a team of 29 athletes for the Athletics World Cup on home soil at the London Stadium on 14-15 July. As reported earlier in the week, a number of the nation’s big-name runners will not be competing in the UK athletics organised event.
Laura Muir, Reece Prescod, Dina Asher-Smith, CJ Ujah and Zharnel Hughes are all among the notable names choosing not to be considered.
In total, 21 of the 29 athletes selected for the Athletics World Cup were crowned British champions at the Alexander Stadium at the weekend including Scottish 200m record holder Beth Dobbin, world indoor gold medallist Andrew Pozzi, former world 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene.
The men’s 1500m selection will be announced next week. The top three at the British Championships were Chris O’Hare, Jake Wightman and fellow Scot Neil Gourley, with Charles Da’Vall Grice fourth, but it is unclear who will be representing GB.
As previously discussed on Fast Running, the competition will have no running events longer than 1500m.
Both the 4x100m and 4x400m relay teams will also be named next week.
British women’s 1500m champion Laura Weightman is not in the team but silver medalist Jemma Reekie, who won European junior 1500m gold last year, will make her senior debut over the distance at the Athletics World Cup.
Ojie Edoburun is the reigning European under-23 champion over 100m and equal second quickest Briton this year while Daryll Neita, Anyika Onuora and Rabah Yousif add Olympic, world and European medal winning pedigree to the British team.
In the field events, the selection’s are very strong and include long jumper Lorraine Ugen, high jumper Morgan Lake and hammer thrower Sophie Hitchon.
As well as competing for a maximum eight points across the 34 events on the Athletics World Cup schedule, each individual athlete in the overall winning team will receive $10,000 as well as platinum winners medal. Each individual athlete from the nation finishing as runners-up will receive $8,888 with third receiving £7,777 all the way down to seventh receiving £3,333 each and eighth receiving $2,200.
Although there is a hefty prize pot, there are no appearance fees. In contrast, athletes competing in the Diamond League can be paid a sizeable amount and with the ninth Diamond League event taking place the day before the Athletics World Cup on Friday, July 13 in Rabat, Morocco, it appears a number of the world’s top sprinters are preferring to head there instead.
“Following on from a highly-competitive Müller British Athletics Championships at the weekend, we are delighted to announce those athletes selected to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the Athletics World Cup in London,” said British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black. “The Athletics World Cup is an exciting new addition to the athletics calendar for 2018 and as a team we will be striving to achieve the highest finish possible.
“The London Stadium is a fantastic venue for athletics and we have a balanced team of experienced athletes who have competed at the very highest level and those who will be making their senior British debuts as they look to reach the top of the sport.”
The British team selected for the Athletics World Cup:
Men
100m: Ojie Edoburun, 200m: Delano Williams, 400m: Rabah Yousif, 800m: Elliot Giles, 1500m: TBC, 110m Hurdles: Andrew Pozzi, 400m Hurdles: Dai Greene, High Jump: Chris Baker, Pole Vault: Charlie Myers, Long Jump: Dan Bramble, Triple Jump: Nathan Douglas, Shot Put: Scott Lincoln, Discus: Brett Morse, Hammer: Nick Miller, Javelin: James Whiteaker, 4x100m: TBC, 4x400m: TBC
Women
100m: Daryll Neita, 200m: Beth Dobbin, 400m: Anyika Onuora, 800m: Adelle Tracey, 1500m: Jemma Reekie, 100m Hurdles: Megan Marrs, 400m Hurdles: Meghan Beesley: High Jump: Morgan Lake, Pole Vault: Holly Bradshaw, Long Jump: Lorraine Ugen, Triple Jump: Naomi Ogbeta, Shot Put: Amelia Strickler, Discus: Jade Lally, Hammer: Sophie Hitchon, Javelin: Laura Whittingham, 4x100m: TBC, 4x400m: TBC