As the dust settles from the Tokyo Olympics, the national governing body has named 67 athletes who will receive Lottery funding in the next 12 months – and it includes some notable omissions
With less money to play with than in the past, there were always likely to be a number of disgruntled athletes left out of the British Athletics Olympic World Class Programme for 2021-22.
The governing body had the difficult task of trimming a short list of 124 candidates down to just 67 who would benefit from Lottery funding during the coming year. They include obvious names like Dina Asher-Smith, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Laura Muir but also a number of newcomers to the top level ‘podium’ funding such as Keely Hodgkinson.
As with selection for major championships, human instinct and judgement has gradually been replaced in recent years by a reliance on athletes fulfilling certain performance-related criteria. Still, a number of controversial decisions have been made with a handful of surprising omissions.
Altogether there are 17 athletes on Olympic podium funding, with 26 on podium potential, plus 16 relay runners. In addition a new group has been created called ‘confirmation level’ where eight up-and-coming athletes have been tentatively brought into the World Class Performance Programme.
So who are the winners and losers from the latest round of British Athletics Olympic World Class Programme decisions?
Winners
» Middle-distance runners who reached Olympic finals such as Alex Bell, Keely Hodgkinson, Josh Kerr and Jemma Reekie make the step up to Olympic podium funding. In the case of Hodgkinson and Kerr they won Olympic medals in Tokyo and will hope to progress to gold at the World Championships next year in Eugene and 2024 Olympics in Paris. Remarkably, Hodgkinson jumps from the Futures programme straight to Olympic podium level.
» Andrew Pozzi – the sprint hurdler won European indoor silver in March and placed seventh in the Olympic final in August. With his high standards, he wanted more, but he has done enough to warrant top level funding.
» Jazmin Sawyers – eighth in the Olympic final, British champion indoors and out, together with a PB of 6.90m, she has enjoyed a busy and successful season and will now enjoy podium funding.
Sawyers is joined by fellow long jumpers Abigail Irozuru and Lorraine Ugen too.
Jazmin Sawyers (Mark Shearman)
» Olympic finalists Lizzie Bird, Jake Heyward and Marc Scott are rewarded by being placed on the podium potential funding group.
» Lynsey Sharp has recently become a mother but UKA have faith she will be back racing at a high level in future as she is on podium funding.
» High jumper Emily Borthwick and shot putter Scott Lincoln join the programme after PBs in 2021. “Buzzing to be a part of the WCP and become a funded athlete!” said Lincoln. “Hard work and dedication always gets you there! Excited to where this will lead! The only way is up!”
» Niamh Emerson, Laura Weightman and Melissa Courtney-Bryant are among those maintained on funding despite an injury-hit year.
Losers
» Andrew Butchart – 11th in the Olympic 5000m final and with a 3000m PB of 7:35.18, but has no Lottery funding going into next year. UKA insist it has nothing to do with his controversial Covid-related podcast comments during the summer.
Andy Butchart (Mark Shearman)
» CJ Ujah – after failing an anti-doping test and being suspended from the sport he has not surprisingly been dropped from funding.
» Tom Bosworth – following his sixth place in the Olympic 20km in 2016, he was 25th this year in Tokyo after an injury-hit build up.
The race walker said: “I’m so disappointed to be removed for the program after a season hampered by injury. The loss of financial and medical support will be huge. I want to thank those who’ve helped and supported me since 2015! We’re so lucky to have the WCP, so congratulations to all selected!”
» There is no funding for male 400m runners whatsoever but UKA say they will continue to support athletes in this event via “development opportunities such as relay camps which will run in parallel to the World Class Programme”.
» Mo Farah – after failing to make Tokyo and then suffering a stress fracture, the multiple global champion will receive no Lottery funding going into 2022.
Surprises
» Jodie Williams – after reaching the Olympic 400m final with a breakthrough performance over one lap, she is merely on podium potential funding.
Jodie Williams (Getty)
» Eilish McColgan has broken Paula Radcliffe’s British records this year at 5000m and 10 miles but is ‘only’ on podium potential level.
» Jess Judd – despite making the Olympic team at 5000m and 10,000m she is left off funding completely and said: “Love this time of year, where you find out through a press release you haven’t got potential for another Olympic cycle just another reminder that funding doesn’t define you!”
On the decisions, performance director Sara Symington said: “The selection process is robust and lengthy, and we use a lot of data which is complemented by the knowledge of our event leads to inform the decision-making process.
“We have given careful consideration to those athletes who meet the selection criteria and performance matrix which align to the future ambitions of the World Class Programme.”
The complete list of funded athletes for 2021-22 is as follows…
Olympic Podium (17)
Dina Asher-Smith
Alex Bell
Holly Bradshaw
Adam Gemili
Callum Hawkins
Keely Hodgkinson
Abigail Irozuru
Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Josh Kerr
Nick Miller
Laura Muir
Andrew Pozzi
Jemma Reekie
Jazmin Sawyers
Lynsey Sharp
Lorraine Ugen
Jake Wightman
Olympic Podium Potential (26)
Elizabeth Bird
Emily Borthwick
Taylor Campbell
Harry Coppell
Melissa Courtney-Bryant
Oliver Dustin
Niamh Emerson
Tom Gale
Elliot Giles
Jake Heyward
Jessie Knight
Morgan Lake
Scott Lincoln
Eilish McColgan
Sophie McKinna
Naomi Metzger (née Ogbeta)
Lawrence Okoye
Aimee Pratt
Charlotte Purdue
Daniel Rowden
Marc Scott
Cindy Sember
Jessica Turner
Jamie Webb
Laura Weightman
Callum Wilkinson
Lizzie Bird (Getty)
Olympic Relays (16)
Kristal Awuah
Zoey Clark
Emily Diamond
Beth Dobbin
Zharnel Hughes
Richard Kilty
Imani-Lara Lansiquot
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake
Daryll Neita
Ashleigh Nelson
Laviai Nielsen
Asha Philip
Ama Pipi
Reece Prescod
Jodie Williams
Nicole Yeargin
* note, relays funding is not inferior money-wise compared to other areas
Olympic Confirmation Level (8)
Jeremiah Azu
Ellie Baker
Molly Caudery
Piers Copeland
Jona Efoloko
Jessica Mayho
Holly Mills
Thomas Randolph
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