Rising athletics stars rewarded with top funding for the new season
Last Updated: 03/11/14 4:15pm
A number of rising stars have been rewarded for their exploits in 2014 by being included on British Athletics' list for full funding for the new season.
The likes of Matthew Hudson-Smith, Lynsey Sharp and Jodie Williams are among the athletes who will be supported by the world class performance programme (WCPP) for 2014-15.
The selection has been made based on athletes' potential to win medals at Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The WCPP, funded by the National Lottery through UK Sport, is split into two levels - 'podium' for athletes with the potential to win a medal at Rio de Janeiro 2016, and 'podium potential' for those developing towards Tokyo 2020.
Including relay, 38 names have been chosen at Olympic 'podium' level.
Hudson-Smith, 20, has made that group - having not even been on the 'potential' list last time - after being part of the 4x400m relay triumphs for England and then GB at the Glasgow Commonwealths and Zurich Europeans respectively, and claiming individual 400m silver at the latter event.
Scot Sharp, 24, the Commonwealth and European 800m silver medallist, has moved up from the 'potential' list along with Williams, the 21-year-old English sprinter who won four medals across the Glasgow and Zurich showpieces.
Two of her 4x100m relay colleagues Asha Philip and Bianca Williams have also made that transition, while a third, Desiree Henry, is entirely new to the programme.
On the men's side, Richard Kilty, the world indoor 60m and European 4x100m champion, has moved up, while Sudan-born 4x400m Zurich gold-medallist Rabah Yousif Bkheit is another included who was not on either list before.
Meanwhile, long-jumper Chris Tomlinson is one to have dropped out completely after being on the previous 'podium' list.
Jo Pavey is also a notable absentee after she claimed a 5,000 metres bronze medal at the Commonwealth Games and then the 10,000m European title, although the 41-year-old was not expected to make the cut.