The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Muir’s sole Berlin focus to be 1,500m
Hawkhill Harrier pulls out of 800m – but Doyle sets new record
Laura Muir will only race in the 1,500m at the European Championships as she hunts her first major outdoor title.
The 25-year-old Dundee Hawkhill Harrier has opted to withdraw from the 800m after suffering an inflamed Achilles at the Anniversary Games at the weekend.
British Athletics confirmed a 102-strong team for the championships in Berlin next month with CJ Ujah also getting the expected selectors’ pick for the final 100m spot.
Muir claimed bronze in the 3,000m and silver in the 1,500m at the World Indoor Championships in March having won gold in both at the European Indoors last year.
Scottish 800m record holder Lynsey Sharp has been given the third slot in the 800m.
She missed out on automatic qualification by finishing outside the top two at the UK trials but with a third-place finish in London last weekend the Edinburgh athlete has returned to form at just the right time.
Adelle Tracey, who finished ahead of her in the 800m trials, was a notable omission from the Anniversary Games last weekend but is named alongside Sharp and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke.
A recent strong 5,000m run in Rabat at the Diamond League from Muir’s Dundee Hawkhill team-mate Eilish McColgan to go top of the British rankings has secured her place alongside Scottish colleague and UK champion Steph Twell.
Pitreavie’s Eilidh Doyle – making a record-equalling fifth appearance for the British team at the Europeans – is named for the 400m hurdles and the 4x400m relay.
Inverness athlete Zoey Clark misses out on an individual flat 400m place but is included in the 4 x 400m squad.
Scottish internationalist Kirsten McAslan (Sale H.) is also selected for the 400m hurdles and the relay squad.
Beth Dobbin caps a season in which she has broken the Scottish 200m record no less than four times being selected for the 200m sprint, alongside Britain’s fastest ever woman, Dina Asher-Smith, who will double up in the two sprint distances.
Lasswade athlete Guy Learmonth’s personal best last weekend in London has earned him an 800m spot while Edinburgh duo Chris O’Hare and Jake Wightman will contest the 1,500m.
In the field Chris Bennett is named for the hammer throw.
Greg Rutherford meanwhile will not defend his European title after admitting injuries would prevent him contending for long jump gold.
The 31-year-old, who has also won world, Olympic and Commonwealth titles in his career, managed only 7.55m – nearly a metre off his personal best – at the Anniversary Games.
He said: “I can’t train properly, it is not feasible for me to go there and win so let’s get rid of that idea.”
For the first time at a major championships there are more women (56) selected than men (46).
Britain finished third in the medal table at the last Europeans in Amsterdam two years ago, winning five golds, three silvers and eight bronzes.
Performance director Neil Black said: “The standard of performances from British athletes since the Commonwealth Games has been extremely high and therefore competition for places to Berlin has been more competitive than ever.
“This is a huge opportunity for athletes to demonstrate form ahead of two global championship summers.
“The team is our largest for over 100 years and we look forward to watching them thrive under the spotlight of a major championships.
“These championships are an important marker on the road to the 2020 Olympic Games and we expect to be competing for medals at every turn.”
Black added: “It is fantastic that for the first time ever more women than men have been selected and this underlines further that athletics is a truly equal sport.”