A group of 62 athletes have been nominated for membership to join the UK Athletics Olympic World Class Programme (WCP) for the 2025/26 season.
The Olympic WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery funded initiative to identify, develop and support talented athletes towards podium success at the Olympic Games and other global major Championships.
The Programme is structured across several levels — Podium, Podium Potential, Relay and Confirmation — reflecting both current performance standards and future medal potential.
World Class Programme athletes receive targeted competition and training opportunities, alongside expert support from UK Athletics’ performance, sports science, and medical teams. Each athlete is also awarded an Athlete Performance Award to assist their progression and preparation.
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.
As in previous years, all nominations for the WCP are subject to UK Sport ratification and the completion of a signed athlete agreement between the athlete and UK Athletics.
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.”
World Class Programme Athletes 2026:
Olympic Podium (21)
Amber Anning (Chris Johnson, Brighton & Hove)
Dina Asher-Smith (Blackheath & Bromley)
Max Burgin (Ian Burgin, Halifax Harriers)
Emile Cairess (Renato Canova, Leeds City)
Molly Caudery (Scott Simpson, Thames Valley)
Jacob Fincham-Dukes (Austin Brobst, Leeds City)
Keely Hodgkinson (Trevor Painter, Leigh)
Amy Hunt (Marco Airale, Charnwood)
Georgia Hunter Bell (Trevor Painter, Belgrave Harriers)
Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Aston Moore, Liverpool)
Josh Kerr (Danny Mackey, Edinburgh)
Morgan Lake (Yannick Tregaro, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Scott Lincoln (Dale Stevenson, City of York)*
Laura Muir (Laura Weightman, Dundee Hawkhill)
Darryl Neita (Lance Brauman, Cambridge Harriers)
Ben Pattison (Dave Ragan, Basingstoke & Mid Hants)
Jemma Reekie (Jon Bigg, Kilbarchan)
Jazmin Sawyers (Aston Moore, City of Stoke)
Jake Wightman (John Hartigan, Edinburgh)
Matthew Hudson-Smith (Gary Evans, Birchfield Harriers)
LA Potential (1)
Cindy Sember (Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
Olympic Podium Potential (14)
Charlie Dobson (Leon Baptiste, Colchester)
Tyri Donovan (Marina Armstrong, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)*
Romell Glave (Michael Afilaka, Croydon)
Neil Gourley (Stephen Haas, Giffnock North)
Megan Keith (Ross Cairns, Inverness)
George Mills (Thomas Dreißigacker, Brighton Phoenix)
Emily Newnham (Nick Dakin, Shaftesbury Barnet)*
Hannah Nuttall (Helen Clitheroe, Charnwood)*
Jade O’Dowda (John Lane, Newham and Essex Beagles)
Tade Ojora (Joanna Hayes, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Aimee Pratt (Thomas Dreißigacker, Sale Harriers Manchester)
Anna Purchase (Mohamed Ali Saatara, Notts)
Marc Scott (Chris Jones, Richmond and Zetland)
Elise Thorner (Helen Clitheroe, Wells City)*
Olympic Relay (15)
Jeremiah Azu (Helen James, Cardiff)
Lewis Davey (Trevor Painter, Newham & Essex Beagles)
Toby Harries (David Sadkin, Brighton Phoenix)
Alex Haydock-Wilson (Dai Greene, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Desiree Henry (Enfield & Haringey)
Louie Hinchliffe (Sheffield & Dearne)
Yemi Mary John (Alan James, Woodford Green Essex Ladies)
Hannah Kelly (Les Hall, Bolton)
Imani Lansiquot (Marco Airale, Sutton & District)
Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Michael Afilaka, Newham & Essex Beagles)
Lina Nielsen (Jack Green, Shaftesbury Barnet)
Laviai Nielsen (Tony Lester, Enfield & Haringey)
Sam Reardon (Nigel Stickings, Blackheath & Bromley)
Bianca Williams (Linford Christie, Thames Valley)
Nicole Yeargin (Gregory Sholars, Pitreavie)
Olympic Relay Confirmation (1)
Lee Thompson (John Henson, Sheffield & Dearne)*
Olympic Confirmation (10)
Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey)
Patrick Dever (Alastair Cragg, Preston)*
Success Eduan (Anita Richardson, Sale Harriers Manchester)*
Phoebe Gill (Deborah Steer, St Albans)
Calli Hauger-Thackery (Nick Hauger, Hallamshire)
Mahamed Mahamed (Idris Hamud, Southampton)
Jake Norris (Nick Ridgeon Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow)
Abi Pawlett (Ashley Bryant, Trafford)*
Jess Warner-Judd (Mick Judd, Blackburn)
Revee Walcott-Nolan (Thomas Dreißigacker, Luton)
