Eilish McColgan and Steph Twell snubbed for Lottery funding

Scotland's Eilish McColgan has not been granted Lottery funding for the 20`7 season. Picture: Ian MacNicol/Getty Images

Despite relatively good seasons the pair have not been added to the funding list.

However, eight of their fellow Scots do feature in the 44-strong Olympic world-class performance squad with Andrew Butchart,  Callum Hawkins and Chris Bennett earning places for the first time.

Those three join Jake Wightman on the second tier of support, while Laura Muir, Lynsey Sharp, Kirsten McAslan and Eilidh Doyle all retain their spots on the top level of backing.

But Commonwealth medallist Mark Dry and twice-European medallist Chris O’Hare, who both battled through injuries to compete in Rio, have lost their Lottery support completely, with high jump duo Allan Smith and David Smith also omitted following disappointing campaigns.

UK Athletics performance director Neil Black said: “2016 was an excellent year for the British Athletics teams at both the Olympics and Paralympics, winning more medals in Rio than in London 2012. But we are now at the start of a new Olympic and Paralympic cycle, so we need to build a team that is focused towards further success and improvement at Tokyo 2020: our selections reflect this.”

With eight fewer spots on the upper level than 2016, other big names to fall off the Lottery list include ex-world 400m hurdles champion Dai Greene and Olympic 1500m finalist Laura Weightman.

Libby Clegg returns to the fold among the 47-strong Paralympic squad following her double sprint gold at Rio 2016. Fellow Scottish medallists Jo Butterfield, Stef Reid and  Maria Lyle remain on the top tier, with Derek Rae and Sammi Kinghorn staying on the second level.

Black said that the revamped list had been drawn up with both Tokyo 2020 and next summer’s IAAF and IPC world championships in London in mind.

He said: “As ever, the athletes selected will be expected to fulfil tough performance criteria throughout the next cycle, but our immediate focus is firmly on winning medals at London 2017 next year.

“To have both world championships in the UK, in the same year, is just incredible. It will be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for British athletes to be crowned world champions and become world medallists on home soil, and I expect a number of those selected on this year’s world-class performance plan to grasp that opportunity.”

Among others to suffer, James Dasaolu, the second-fastest Briton in history, has been stripped of his Lottery funding for next season. The 29-year-old, who three years ago ran 9.91 seconds over 100m to rank second only to Linford Christie on the British all-time list, has lost his relay funding, indicating he is no longer in GB’s sprint relay plans.

Dasaolu has paid the price for a poor season in which he could only make the semi-finals in Rio before being dropped from the team for the 4x100m final.

Christine Ohuruogu, the former Olympic and two-time world champion over 400 metres, is another athlete to have dropped off the podium list. She has been downgraded to relay funding. The 32-year-old failed to qualify for the 400m final in Rio, although did help the relay team win bronze. Afterwards, she pondered retirement.