British Athletics yesterday announced a team of 72 athletes for the 2019 IAAF World Championships, which begin later this month in Doha, Qatar from September 27-October 6.

The a first wave of endurance athletes was announced back in May and there were few surprises in the press release yesterday.

Wightman makes the cut

One of the most difficult calls for selectors will have been in the men’s 1500m. Despite leading the UK rankings in 2019 Charlie Da’Vall Grice misses out on selection after finishing 4th at the British Championships.

Instead the top three from the championships are selected with Neil Gourley, Josh Kerr and Jake Wightman make up the men’s 1500m team and despite moving to 4th on the UK all time list Grice misses out.

High hopes for Muir

Laura Muir won individual European gold last summer and earns selection for another World Championships and will be one of GBs leading medal hopes in the endruance events. Currently number one in the World on the IAAF rankings Muir has had a quite summer after winning the 1500 at the Anniversary Games in July.

Jemma Reekie and Sarah McDonald are also selected having finished 1st and 2nd at the British Champs both having previously bagged the qualification time. 3rd ranked Laura Weightman is selected in the 5000m.

Photo: Getty Images

800m selections in line with rankings

In total six women and eight men had achieved the standard in the 800m and the selections made are in line wit the 2019 rankings. With Laura Muir running the 1500m Shelayna Oskan-Clarke is selected as the winner of the British Championships in August. After the disappointment of missing out on Commonwealth Games selection last year Alex Bell will be a popular selection having finished third at the British Championships and third ranked in 2019.

The top three men in the 2019 rankings achieve selection led by Jamie Webb. Despite finishing 1st and 2nd at the British Championships neither Spencer Thomas nor Guy Learmonth had achieved the standard so Kyle Langford and Elliot Giles.

Griffiths injured as Hawkins and Purdue lead marathon challenge

In a post on his Twitter account Dewi Griffiths announced his decision to pull out of the team due to injury. As one of only three British men to have run inside the qualifying standard of 2:13 British distance fans will have been excited to see Griffiths and Hawkins leading the charge in Doha. We wish Dewi all the best for a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing him in Olympic year!

After his fantastic 2:08:14 at London this year Callum Hawkins moved to 3rd on the UK all time list over the marathon distance. Hawkins should be considered a serious medal contender. He equalled the best performance by a British man at a World Championship marathon when 4th in London 2017 and led the Commonwealth Games marathon until his collapse in the closing stages. 

Charlotte Purdue was the leading British female at the 2017 World Championship marathon when she finished 13th. Since then she has taken her running on to a different level with a huge PB of 2:25:38 at London also taking her to 3rd on the UK all time rankings. Purdue should be considered as a potential medallist, in 2017 Amy Cragg took home a bronze medal with a time of 2:27:18.

Having finished London bang on the qualifying mark of 2:31:00 Tish Jones runs in her first major championships as the final marathon selection.

Callum Hawkins GBR crosses the finish line to place tenth and earn himself a PB. The Virgin Money London Marathon, 28 April 2019. Photo: Ian Walton for Virgin Money London Marathon

In form Twell in the 10000m

Steph Twell leads the UK 10000m rankings and is selected along with Eilish McColgan. Twell has a had an excellent year having taken the decision to self coach she has achieved PBs at 10000m and 10km and also set a half marathon best of 71:33 to finish 2nd at the Big Half.

Eilish McColgan finished 10th in the 5000m at London 2017 but in Doha the versatile athlete will mount her challenge over 10000m. Having set a PB of 31:16.76 at Parliament hill McColgan is now ranking in the UK all time top 10 over 1500m, 3000m, 5000m and 10000m.

No men achieved the standard of 27:40.00 but the two men who have run inside 28 minutes, Marc Scott and Ben Connor are both selected in the 5000m.

Full teams for the 5000m

A full complement of six athletes are selected in the 5000m. The men’s selections are in line with the UK rankings with Andrew Butchart leading the challenge after his 13:06.21 at the Anniversary Games. British 10000m Champion Ben Connor is selected in the 5000m after hitting the qualifying mark with 13:19.47 at the Anniversary Games. Marc Scott will look to build upon his 5th place in the European Championships last year with another strong major championship performance.

As one and two in the UK rankings and Eilish McColgan and Laura Weightman join Jessica Judd in the team. With PBs at 1500m, 300om, 5000m and 10km Weightman is in fabulous form this year. Eilish McColgan’s 14:47.94 at the IAAF World Challenge saw her move to 3rd on the UK all time list and both will hope to push the likes of Obiri, Hassan and Klosterhalfen at the championships. Judd Judd is selected after winning the World University Games in July.

All three women who have run the steeplechase qualifying standard have been selected with Rosie Clarke the only athlete currently inside the world top 30. Elizabeth Bird and Aimee Pratt will both be competing at their first senior major championship. Zac Seddon was 5th in last year’s European Championships and also competed at the 2017 World Championships and will be hoping to make the final this year.

Tough decisions

British Athletics Performance Director Neil Black said: “It gives me great pleasure to name the 72 athletes selected to compete for Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the IAAF World Championships in Doha, starting later this month. Given the standard of performances from British athletes this season, and the strength in depth we possess in several events, finalising the team was far from easy and there were some tough decisions to make.
“In the 72 athletes, I truly believe we have selected the strongest team possible to compete for medals on the global stage. The team is full of world-class athletes who over the past two years since we were hosts in London have proven that they belong on the global stage.

“It is great to see so many athletes return having competed in London and also see so many make the step up to the world level for the first time. We have selected more women than men once again for a major championships and special mention needs to go to Martyn Rooney, who is competing at his eighth World Championships, a truly remarkable feat for a great athlete.

“The Championships are going to be held in a challenging climate at the end of what has been a long season already but what pleases me the most is how our athletes and their coaches have approached the challenge and are ensuring that they peak when it matters most. The next three and a half weeks are key in preparing for the Championships and I look forward to watching our athletes flourish in Doha.”

The endurance athletes selected in the British team for the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019

MEN:

800m
Elliot Giles (Birchfield Harriers; Jon Bigg)
Kyle Langford (Shaftesbury Barnet; Jon Bigg)
Jamie Webb (Liverpool Harriers; Adrian Webb)

1500m
Neil Gourley (Giffnock North; Mark Rowland)
Josh Kerr (Edinburgh; Danny Mackey)
Jake Wightman (Edinburgh; Geoff Wightman)

5000m
Andrew Butchart (Central; self coached)
Ben Connor (Derby; Steve Vernon)
Marc Scott (Richmond & Zetland; Jerry Schumacher)

3000m Steeplechase
Zak Seddon (Bracknell; Jeff Seddon)

Marathon
Callum Hawkins (Kilbarchan; Robert Hawkins)

20km Race Walk
Tom Bosworth (Tonbridge; Andi Drake)
Callum Wilkinson (Enfield & Haringey; Andi Drake)

50km Race Walk
Cameron Corbishley (Medway & Maidstone; Andi Drake)
Dominic King (Colchester Harriers; George Nibre)

WOMEN:

800m
Alexandra Bell (Pudsey & Bramley; Andrew Henderson)
Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow; Jon Bigg)
Lynsey Sharp (Edinburgh; David Harmer)

1500m
Sarah McDonald (Birchfield Harriers; David Harmer)
Laura Muir (Dundee Hawkhill; Andy Young)
Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan; Andy Young)

5000m
Jessica Judd (Blackburn; Mick Judd)
Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill; Liz Nuttall)
Laura Weightman (Morpeth; Steve Cram)

10,000m
Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill; Liz Nuttall)
Steph Twell (Aldershot Farnham & District; self coached)

3000m Steeplechase
Elizabeth Bird (Shaftesbury Barnet; George Harrison)
Rosie Clarke (Epsom & Ewell; David Harmer)
Aimee Pratt (Sale Harriers Manchester; Vicente Modahl)

Marathon
Tish Jones (Belgrave Harriers; Nick Anderson)
Charlotte Purdue (Aldershot Farnham & District; Nic Bideau)

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