British Athletes Battle For Worlds Places At Trials

Britain's apical athletes will compete successful Birmingham this play for a spot astatine nan World Championships.

The nation's stars will target a top-two decorativeness astatine nan UK Athletics Championships which, mixed pinch a World Athletics introduction standard, will guarantee a spot successful nan squad for Tokyo.

Olympic medallists Josh Kerr, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Georgia Hunter Bell are among those successful action connected Saturday and Sunday, but are each assured of action by kindness of their achievements past summer.

Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson is among nan notable absentees arsenic she continues her betterment from injury, and faces a title against clip to beryllium her fittingness for nan championships which return spot successful Japan's superior from 13-21 September.

Watch unrecorded sum of nan UK Athletics Championships connected BBC iPlayer, Red Button, and nan BBC Sport website and app connected Saturday and Sunday.

For astir athletes competing astatine this weekend's British trials, nan equation is simple.

A top-two decorativeness successful their respective arena successful Birmingham, accompanied by a World Athletics introduction modular achieved since 1 August 2024, will corroborate their spot successful Tokyo.

Selection is guaranteed for individual medallists from nan 2024 Olympics and 2023 World Championships, and those who person been awarded a World Athletics wildcard - providing they person demonstrated "current shape that gives assurance successful their expertise to fulfil nan capacity objectives of nan championships".

According to UK Athletics, this involves "an appraisal of nan athlete's performances and capacity consistency during nan 2025 outdoor season".

Hodgkinson has not competed since winning golden astatine Paris 2024 almost 12 months ago.

But, having achieved nan World Athletics introduction modular pinch her capacity astatine past summer's Games, nan 23-year-old will attraction connected proving her fittingness successful nan last weeks earlier nan British squad is announced connected 27 August.

The two-time world metallic medallist suffered a hamstring tear successful February and setbacks person further delayed her return successful a frustrating commencement to her reign arsenic Olympic champion.

Matthew Hudson-Smith and George Mills besides miss nan trials, wherever support to not compete is only granted successful nan lawsuit of unwellness aliases an injury.

For those who neglect to decorativeness wrong nan apical 2 this weekend, and a maximum of 3 athletes per federation permitted to title each individual event, remaining places whitethorn beryllium awarded to those pinch a World Athletics introduction standard, UKA Consideration Standard, aliases based connected performances successful designated competitions.

In Hodgkinson's absence, training partner Hunter Bell is entered successful some nan 800m and 1500m arsenic she considers which arena to target successful Tokyo.

The Olympic 1500m bronze medallist is joined by Jemma Reekie successful nan 800m, while nan 1500m besides features Laura Muir, Revee Walcott-Nolan and Katie Snowden.

Competition is besides fierce successful nan men's middle-distance events, pinch Max Burgin and Ben Pattison headlining nan men's 800m, and Jake Wightman and Neil Gourley among nan 1500m contenders.

World 1500m champion Kerr takes nan opportunity to title complete 5,000m, pinch teenage prima Innes FitzGerald successful nan women's race.

In nan sprints, Dina Asher-Smith contests nan women's 200m, pinch Daryll Neita and Amy Hunt doubling up by adding nan 100m.

Jeremiah Azu and Zharnel Hughes are among those aiming for glory successful nan men's events, pinch Louie Hinchliffe focusing his attraction connected retaining his 100m crown.

Charlie Dobson is favourite to clasp his 400m title successful nan absence of Hudson-Smith, arsenic is world indoor champion Amber Anning successful nan women's event.

In nan section events, precocious jumper Morgan Lake will activity to proceed her bully shape pursuing her London Diamond League victory, while Molly Caudery is successful rod vault action.

Johnson-Thompson is entered successful nan 100m hurdles, javelin and changeable put arsenic she builds towards her bid for a 3rd world title.

With nan World Para Athletics Championships taking spot successful New Delhi, India, from 26 September, Kare Adenegan, Zachary Shaw and Sophie Hahn are among nan British stars besides successful action.

All times BST

Saturday, 2 August

Sunday, 3 August

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