Athletics World Championships: Eight Scots selected as part of 50-strong Great Britain team

Laura Muir is among eight Scots selected for the World Championships in Budapest next month.

Middle distance runners Laura Muir (1500m), Jemma Reekie (800m), Josh Kerr (1500m) and Neil Gourley (1500m) have been selected alongside Eilish McColgan, who will be bidding for glory in the 10,000m. University flat-mates Megan Keith (5000m), a European Under-23 champion, and Alyson Bell (4x100m) have also been picked, while US-based Nicole Yeargin is involved in the Women’s 4x400m and could play a part in the mixed relay. Three Scots are missing due to injury, however, including Jake Wightman, Zoey Clark and Beth Dobbin.

Zharnel Hughes, Keely Hodgkinson and Dina Asher-Smith are some of the other leading names joining the Scottish cohort in Hungary. New British 100m and 200m record holder Hughes is the fastest man in the world over 100m this year and is expected to challenge next month in Hungary. He ran 9.83 seconds in New York in June to break Linford Christie’s 30-year 100m record before shattering John Regis’ 200m mark to clock 19.73 seconds in London on Sunday. Asher-Smith, along with Daryll Neita, is included for the 100m and 200m with Hodgkinson targeting gold in the 800m after last year’s silver.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will aim to continue her comeback in the heptathlon while Matthew Hudson-Smith is aiming to improve on his 400m bronze medal from last year’s World Championships in Eugene. Jazmin Sawyers (long jump), Max Burgin (800m) and Reece Prescod (100m) are also selected. Accountant Eugene Amo-Dadzie, 30, who only took up athletics four years ago is in the team for 100m and 4x100m relay squad, which also includes Adam Gemili.

Sprinter Alyson Bell, pictured racing at Kilmarnock in Scottish Athletics National Open in May. Pic: Bobby Gavin.

The full team will be finalised once UKA has received World Rankings invitations from World Athletics next week but those invites are set to be rejected as they have not met the qualification criteria.

UKA’s chief executive, Jack Buckner, said in February he wanted the selection policy to be more ruthless as they strive for more medals. Holly Bradshaw, who was aiming to go to Budapest via ranking points, is not initially included after an injury-hit 18 months for the Olympic pole vault bronze medallist. Several athletes, including Lina Nielsen (400m hurdles), Josh Zeller (110m hurdles) and Amelia Strickler (shot put) had hit out at the selection policy.

“I am pleased to confirm those athletes selected for the World Athletics Championships in Budapest next month,” said UKA technical director Stephen Maguire. “They have demonstrated the form and ability to compete successfully on the global stage and we are looking forward to working with them as we commence preparation camp in a couple of weeks. There are athletes who may not have made the team this year who I know will be challenging next year where we have both a European Championships and Olympic Games less than six weeks apart.”

The games are due to take place in the Hungarian capital from August 19 until August 27 and will be broadcast live by the BBC across all its platforms.