British Athletics Announces World-Class Programme for 2026

A group of 62 athletes is set to receive membership for the UK Athletics Olympic World Class Programme (WCP) for the upcoming season. 

The National Lottery-funded initiative looks to identify and support athletes towards Olympic and global championships success. 

The programme is structured across multiple levels - Podium, Podium Potential, Relay and Confirmation - classified based on assessments of current performance and potential performance capability. 

Athletes are nominated for WCP membership based on the assessment that they have the realistic potential and demonstrable performance capability to achieve podium success at the 2027 World Championships in Beijing, the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles, and, in some cases, the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane.

World Class Programme Athletes 2026:

Olympic Podium

Amber Anning 

Dina Asher-Smith 

Max Burgin 

Emile Cairess 

Molly Caudery

Jacob Fincham-Dukes 

Keely Hodgkinson 

Amy Hunt 

Georgia Hunter Bell 

Zharnel Hughes

Katarina Johnson-Thompson 

Josh Kerr 

Morgan Lake 

Scott Lincoln 

Laura Muir 

Darryl Neita 

Ben Pattison 

Jemma Reekie

Jazmin Sawyers 

Jake Wightman 

Matthew Hudson Smith

 

LA 2028 Potential

Cindy Sember

 

Olympic Podium Potential

Charlie Dobson 

Tyri Donovan 

Romell Glave

Neil Gourley 

Megan Keith 

George Mills 

Emily Newnham 

Hannah Nuttall 

Jade O’Dowda 

Tade Ojora 

Aimee Pratt 

Anna Purchase 

Marc Scott 

Elise Thorner

 

Olympic Relay

Jeremiah Azu 

Lewis Davey 

Toby Harries 

Alex Haydock-Wilson 

Desiree Henry 

Louie Hinchliffe 

Yemi Mary John 

Hannah Kelly

Imani Lansiquot

Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake 

Lina Nielsen 

Laviai Nielsen 

Sam Reardon

Bianca Williams

Nicole Yeargin

 

Olympic Relay Confirmation

Lee Thompson

 

Olympic Confirmation

Alastair Chalmers 

Patrick Dever 

Success Eduan 

Phoebe Gill 

Calli Hauger-Thackery 

Mahamed Mahamed 

Jake Norris 

Abi Pawlett 

Jess Warner-Judd 

Revee Walcott-Nolan

 

Upon the announcement of the updated programme, UKA Performance Director Paula Dunn said:

“I would like to thank UK Sport and The National Lottery for their continued investment in the World Class Programme. Their support is crucial as we build towards an exciting period for British athletics.

“With European Championships taking place for the first time in the UK in Birmingham in 2026, our GB & NI athletes will have an incredible opportunity to perform on home soil. Competing in front of friends, family, and passionate home crowds is always special, and I know our athletes will rise to that occasion with pride and purpose.

“We now enter the crucial phase of the performance cycle — our sights set firmly on the 2027 World Championships in Beijing and the LA Olympic Games and beyond. Every step we take from here is about building towards those pinnacle moments.

“For those not selected this time, this isn’t the end of the journey. The standards for the programme are high, but potential and progress continue in many forms. We’ve seen time and again that pathways to success are rarely linear. Everyone who wears the GB & NI vest should be proud, and we’ll keep working to support and guide our athletes towards future success.” via British Athletics 

 

Dixon and Higgins snatch GB vests for Euro Relays

Holly Dixon and Jack Higgins have booked their seats on the plane to next month's European Cross Country Championships following wins at the Cardiff Cross Challenge on Saturday. 

The pair will compete in the mixed team relay, with the other two positions to be allocated by British Athletics. 

Dixon took the short course mile title in 5:02 ahead of Ava Lloyd (5:03). The Cambridge Harrier led a 22-woman strong field, which included British 1500m champion Sarah Calvert and 5000m silver medalist India Weir. 

Jack Higgins (4:23) took the win in a sprint finish ahead of Callum Elson and Cameron Boyek. Boyek had kicked himself into a lead around the halfway mark before being caught heading down a prolonged final straight. 

In the senior races, 17-year-old Cynthia Chepkirui took the women's 6.4km race in 20:11 with fellow Kenyan Sheila Jabet in second (20:31), with Canada's Ceili McCabe third (20:34). Megan Keith came home as the leading Brit in fourth (20:51).

In the Men's 9.6km race, it was another Kenyan that took the title with Matthew Kipsang coming home in 28:19. Zakariya Mahamed was the first Brit to cross the line in fourth (28:28.

Brits took both U20 titles with Innes Fitzgeral dominating the women's 4.45km race (14:29) with a winning margin of 50 seconds. Loughborough's William Rabjohns took the men's 5.56km in 16:41. via Cardiff Cross Challenge

 

Belocian to train with Zhoya 

World Indoor silver medalist Wilhem Belocian has transitioned to training alongside fellow Frenchman Sasha Zhoya. The pair will both work with Ladji Docoure following the departure of his coach, Teddy Tamgho 

Speaking on the move, Belocian said: "Ladji is someone I admire, my idol in the sport. We spend a lot of time together. For me, it was a logical choice, and also a choice of the heart. (...) Since I was able to share training sessions with him at the end of his career, he will support me at the end of mine." via L'Equipe

 

McLaughlin-Levrone shares Grand Slam thoughts

Speaking to nbcnews.com, the multiple-time world champion spoke on the future of the Grand Slam track series that she was part of the launch of. 

Michael Johnson's four-meet series concluded following its third meet in Philadelphia earlier this year, with Johnson revealing that an investor had walked out during the opening meet in Kingston, leaving inadequate funds to pay athletes. 

"I think we'd have to see how it comes back and what the security of it looks like. I think there was a lot of athletes that loved the model, loved what they were able to put out from a product standpoint, but of course, you have to be able to sustain that. And so, we would honestly just have to see what that sustainability looks like before venturing into anything moving forward,"