British Athletics has today announced that it has accepted a request from World Championship finalist Sophie McKinna (coach: Mike Winch; club: Great Yarmouth) to take up the original offer of membership to the Olympic World Class Programme (WCP) for 2020.
Shot putter McKinna enjoyed a memorable 2019 reaching her maiden World Championship final in Doha with a personal best of 18.61m, rounding a progression of 85 centimetres from 2018, and winning the first British titles of her career indoors and outdoors.
She was given the chance to join the WCP at the start of December however athletes can use their discretion should they not wish to accept membership. Following a request to British Athletics, McKinna will now take up her membership, which remains open to all athletes offered it for any given year.
McKinna will be welcomed at Podium Potential level. The British Athletics WCP is UK Sport’s National Lottery-funded initiative to support the delivery of success at the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Membership onto the WCP for 2020 is based upon an athletes’ potential to win a medal at Tokyo 2020 or Paris 2024.
Sophie McKinna said: “I am very pleased to be accepted into the WCP, during the season British Athletics have supported me through injury and allowed me to get back to full fitness quickly. I am very much looking forward to pushing on with the remainder of the 2020 season and onward to 2021.”
Peter Stanley, Head of Field & Combined Events at British Athletics, said: “We are delighted to welcome Sophie onto the World Class Programme. She enjoyed a fantastic 2019, proving herself among the best shot putters in the world delivering an outstanding performance and great personal best when it mattered in Doha. Sophie is a brilliant young athlete who we believe will benefit greatly from being on the World Class Programme and we look forward to working closely with her as she continues her development guided by her coach, Mike Winch.”