Laura Muir has resisted the urge to create history by attempting the 800m and 1500m double at next month’s European Championships after she suffered an achilles niggle at the weekend. As a result the 25-year-old, who was a double world indoor medallist earlier this year, will only run the 1500m in Berlin.
UK Athletics performance director Neil Black said the decision was taken by Muir, who had hoped to be the first woman to do the middle distance double at the Europeans, on Monday night after the 102-strong British squad had been selected.
“Laura had a genuine intention to create history and do the double,” he added. “She’s a massively competitive athlete, but she has some achilles irritation and so she’s made the decision to focus on the 1500. It is disappointing. But I love the fact she makes good decisions and I’m sure we’ll see her at her best in Berlin.”
As a result Adelle Tracey is awarded the third place in the 800m, alongside Lynsey Sharpe and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke.
Black insisted he was most excited about the prospect of Dina Asher-Smith, the British record holder over 100m and 200m, going for a treble gold in both events and the 4x100m relay. “She is definitely capable of winning three gold medals,” said Black. “I know she is amazingly determined. She is up there with the best in the world and we certainly have high expectations - but her own personal expectations are the highest of all.”
Muir and Asher-Smith are the standout names in the 102-strong British squad, which is largest for more than 100 years. For the first time ever at a major championships there are also more women (56) selected than men (46) in the squad.
MEN
100m Zharnel Hughes, Reece Prescod, CJ Ujah
200m Adam Gemili, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Delano Williams
400m Dwayne Cowan, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Martyn Rooney, Rabah Yousif
800m Elliot Giles, Guy Learmonth, Daniel Rowden
1500m Charles Da’Vall Grice, Chris O’Hare, Jake Wightman
5000m Ben Connor, Marc Scott, Chris Thompson
10,000m Chris Thompson, Andy Vernon, Alex Yee
3000m Steeplechase Jamaine Coleman, Zak Seddon, Ieuan Thomas
110m Hurdles David King, Andrew Pozzi
400m Hurdles Jack Green, Dai Greene, Sebastian Rodger
High Jump Chris Baker, Allan Smith, David Smith
Pole Vault Adam Hague, Charlie Myers
Long Jump Dan Bramble, Feron Sayers
Triple Jump Nathan Douglas
Hammer Chris Bennett, Nick Miller
Decathlon Tim Duckworth
4x100m Relay Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Ojie Edoburun, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, CJ Ujah
4x400m Relay Cameron Chalmers, Dwayne Cowan, Jack Green, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Sebastian Rodger, Martyn Rooney, Owen Smith, Delano Williams, Rabah Yousif
20km Race Walk Tom Bosworth, Callum Wilkinson
WOMEN
100m Dina Asher-Smith, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Daryll Neita
200m Dina Asher-Smith, Beth Dobbin, Bianca Williams, Jodie Williams
400m Amy Allcock, Laviai Nielsen, Anyika Onuora
800m Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Lynsey Sharp, Adelle Tracey
1500m Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie, Laura Weightman
5000m Melissa Courtney, Eilish McColgan, Steph Twell
10,000m Charlotte Arter, Alice Wright
3000m Steeplechase Rosie Clarke
400m Hurdles Meghan Beesley, Eilidh Doyle, Kirsten McAslan
High Jump Morgan Lake, Nikki Manson
Pole Vault Holly Bradshaw, Lucy Bryan, Molly Caudery
Long Jump Shara Proctor, Jazmin Sawyers, Lorraine Ugen
Triple Jump Naomi Ogbeta
Shot Put Sophie McKinna, Divine Oladipo, Amelia Strickler
Discus Eden Francis, Jade Lally, Kirsty Law
Hammer Sophie Hitchon
Heptathlon Katarina Johnson-Thompson
4x100m Relay Dina Asher-Smith, Shannon Hylton, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Daryll Neita, Ashleigh Nelson, Asha Philip, Bianca Williams
4x400m Relay Mary Abichi, Finette Agyapong, Amy Allcock, Meghan Beesley, Zoe Clark, Emily Diamond, Eilidh Doyle, Kirsten McAslan, Laviai Nielsen, Anyika Onuora
20km Race Walk Gemma Bridge, Bethan Davies, Heather Lewis
Marathon Tracy Barlow, Caryl Jones, Lily Partridge, Charlotte Purdue, Sonia Samuels
Black refused to set a medal target for the British team, but insisted: “This is a huge opportunity for athletes to demonstrate form ahead of two global championship summers.
“It is fantastic that for the first time ever more women than men have been selected and this underlines further that athletics is a truly equal sport. The team is our largest for over 100 years and we look forward to watching them thrive under the spotlight of a major championships. These European Championships are an important marker on the road to the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and we expect to be competing for medals at every turn.”
The championships take place at Berlin’s Olympic Stadium from 7 to 12 August.
