British Athletics can confirm six athletes have been added to the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the 2021 European Athletics Indoor Championships, Toruń, Poland (4-7 March) following European Athletics’ acceptance of nominations for unqualified field event athletes.
Emily Borthwick [high jump], Joel Khan [high jump], Morgan Lake [high jump], Charlie Myers [pole vault], Jazmin Sawyers [long jump] and Amelia Strickler [shot put] all join the British team.
However, Elliot Giles has withdrawn from the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team. Following team selection, Giles and his coach have decided to withdraw from the Championships to focus on his next training block to prepare for the start of the outdoor season and the upcoming Tokyo Olympic Games.
Emily Borthwick and Morgan Lake join the women’s high jump field. Lake moved to joint third in the 2021 European rankings after clearing 1.96m in Belgrade on Wednesday, which doubled as an Olympic qualifying standard.
Borthwick cleared a personal best of 1.87m at the British Athletics European Indoor Selection Trials in Loughborough at the weekend. She will make her debut in a senior British team in Poland.
In the men’s equivalent, 2020 British champion Joel Khan also earns his first call-up to a senior British squad. The Worcester athlete improved his PB by 5cm at the British Athletics event last weekend, clearing 2.23m, and will look to continue that form as he takes on the best in Europe next week.
The women’s long jump will have double British representation following the acceptance of Jazmin Sawyers’ nomination. Abigail Irozuru was selected on Monday and will now be joined by her compatriot in the line-up for Toruń. In Belgrade, Sawyers achieved her longest leap indoors since 2017; 6.50m.
Amelia Strickler earns a call-up for her second European Indoor Championships in the women’s shot put. Additionally, Charlie Myers takes his place in the team for the men’s pole vault. Unfortunately, British Athletics’ nomination for Scott Lincoln in the shot put was not accepted.