Birmingham-bound: Strong Scottish cohort set for British Champs

Thursday 24th February 2022

Kilbarchan’s Krishawn Aiken and Giffnock North’s Kyle Alexander have already contested 400m races in Scotland and now head for the British Champs (photo by Bobby Gavin)

Athletics Weekly preview

The 4J Indoor Season concluded in Scotland last weekend in terms of championships, but almost 50 or so Scots still have big targets to aim for in track and field.

It’s the British Champs in Birmingham coming up this Saturday and Sunday with the event also the trials for the World Indoors in Serbia.

As always, Scots will travel hopefully looking for a PB, a final place or even a coveted British Championship medal and/or place in the GB and NI team for the Worlds.

There’s BBC Sport coverage lined up, too, across different platforms which should allow you to follow the progress of our athletes.

Regardless of World Indoors hopes, there could even be Scottish Indoor Records on the line – sprinters Adam Thomas and Alisha Rees have been close over 60m so far this season and will hope for improvement.

With a large Scottish cohort, we won’t pick out possible medallists, but it is good to see a number of our younger athletes (U20 or recently U20) dipping their toe in British competition – with Jane Davidson, Murray Fotheringham, Reuben Nairne, Sofia Vidak, Jack Patton and Teddy Tchoudja as examples.

It should be a learning curve for coaches, too, and all at scottishathletics send good luck messages to everyone competing or coaching this weekend.

Key info for Birmingham

World Indoors selection policy from British Athletics

Heptathlon

Men: Howard Bell, Callum Newby

60m

Women: Georgina Adam, Sarah Malone, Katie Purves, Alisha Rees, Taylah Spence

Men: Allan Hamilton, Greg Kelly, Adam Thomas

200m

Men: Krishawn Aiken, Stewart Greenhalgh

Women: Sarah Malone

400m

Women: Carys McAuley, Sofia Vidak

Men: Krishawn Aiken, Kyle Alexander

60m Hurdles

Men: Scott Connal

Women: Erin Campbell, Jane Davidson, Heather Paton, Katie Purves

Pole Vault

Women: Courtney Maguire

Men: Reuben Nairne

Triple Jump

Women: Zara Asante, Nony Mordi

Three of the four athletes here – Sam Brown, Carys McAulay and Jill Cherry – are on start-lists for Birmingham after competing for Scotland at DNA (photo by Bobby Gavin)

800m

Women: Sarah Calvert, Jill Cherry, Jemma Reekie, Jenny Selman, Olivia Vareille

Men: Sam Brown, Ben Greenwood, Guy Learmouth

60m Para

Men: Alexander Thomson

1500m

Men: Kane Elliott, Neil Gourley, Jack Patton

Women: Hannah Cameron, Erin Wallace

High Jump

Men: Will Grimsey, Lewis Maguire, David Smith

Women: Claire McGarvey

Long Jump