GB stars get go-ahead to skip Worlds

BRITAIN’S leading athletes will be free to skip this year’s World Championships in Doha if they believe competing would be detrimental to their goals at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The issue arose due to the unprecedented lack of time between the two events, with the Worlds starting later than usual at the end of September and running into October, leaving only nine-and-a-half months before the Olympics begin in July 2020. The turnaround is roughly six weeks shorter than has been the case since 1983, when the World Championships were inaugurated and slotted in the year before the Olympics in each cycle. The scheduling difficulties are due to the need to run the Doha Worlds later in the year, owing to the climate. The reduced gap is a headache for coaches and athletes, forcing them to hit peak performance twice in an unusually short period.

Sportsmail understands that senior figures at British Athletics have assured top-level athletes that, while competing in Doha is preferable, it is not essential if there is a fear it will compromise their performances in Tokyo, which remains the greater priority. British Athletics told

Sportsmail: ‘British Athletics have not actively encouraged British athletes to miss the 2019 World Championships in Doha. Athletes and coaches have been reminded to plan for the 2019 and 2020 seasons appropriately and make smart decisions, with the ultimate goal to succeed in Tokyo.’