The 2021 British Athletics Championships was the national championships in outdoor track and field for athletes in the United Kingdom, which also served as the main qualifying event for athletics competitors for the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics. In addition, the Championships included a number of parasports events, with a total of 36 competitors in these competitions. On 29 June 2021, UK Athletics announced 65 athletes that would compete for Team GB at the Olympics, taking the total number of British athletics competitors at the Games to 72. In July 2021, four more athletes qualified for the Games based on their World Athletics rankings.
Background
The 2021 British Athletics Championships were held between 25 and 27 June 2021 at the Manchester Regional Arena. Manchester has the rights to host the Championships from 2020 until 2022. Due to COVID-19 pandemic related capacity limits, the number of fans were limited to 1,500 per day.
The Championships served as the trial event for competitors to qualify for the 2020 Summer Olympics. In order to guarantee selection for the Olympics, competitors had to finish in the top two places at the Championships, and also have achieved the Olympic qualification standard. UK Athletics then awarded any unfilled selections with competitors of their choice.
Olympic qualification for the marathon and 20 kilometres race walk events were determined following a separate trial event in Kew Gardens, London, in March 2021. A separate 10,000 metres qualification event was held on 5 April in Birmingham, as part of the 2021 European 10,000m Cup. Typically, the Night of 10,000m PBs event in Highgate, London, is used as the British Championships event for this distance, but that event was cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. After Mo Farah failed to reach the Olympic qualifying standard at the 10,000 metres trial event, UK Athletics decided to organise a one-off event at the 2021 British Athletics Championships, to give Farah a final chance to qualify for the Olympics. The competition contained international runners and pacemakers.
The Championships also included a number of parasports events. The events included were the 100 metres and 400 metres mixed classes races, as well as shot put, discus, long jump, high jump and javelin field events. A total of 36 athletes competed, some of whom had been included in the British squad for the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics the previous week.
For the first time in the 21st century, the British Athletics Championships were not broadcast on live television, as the BBC and UK Athletics did not reach a broadcasting rights deal. The Championships were instead broadcast on the UK Athletics website and YouTube channel. Several athletes including Dina Asher-Smith were critical of this decision.
On 29 June 2021, UK Athletics announced 65 athletes to compete for Team GB at the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, based on performances at the Championships. Including the marathon and 20 km walk competitors, it meant that 72 Britons were chosen to compete in athletics at the Games. On 2 July 2021, four more athletes were awarded places by World Athletics, based on their rankings.
Highlights
Mo Farah finished the 10,000 metres race in a time of 27:47.04, 19 seconds slower than the Olympic qualification standard. As such, he failed to qualify for the Olympic 10,000 metres event.
The women's 800 metres race featured five athletes who had previously attained the Olympic qualifying standard: Jemma Reekie, Laura Muir, Alexandra Bell, Keely Hodgkinson and Adelle Tracey. Hodgkinson finished first, in a time of 1:59:61. Reekie finished second and Muir was the third finisher. Muir was initially selected alongside Hodgkinson and Reekie for the Games, though she later decided not to compete in the 800 metres event at the Olympics, as she wanted to focus on the 1500 metres race. Her place was reallocated to Alexandra Bell.
Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw was aiming for her ninth British title, and seventh in a row. She won the event with a British record of 4.90 metres, beating her own previous outdoor record by .
Dina Asher-Smith won the women's 100 metre event. She was originally clocked in a national record time of 10.71 seconds, although this was later corrected to 10.97 seconds, which did not beat the previous record. Asher-Smith qualified to compete in the 100 and 200 metres individual events, and the 4 x 100 metres relay.
Jodie Williams won the 200 and 400 metres races, the first time since 2005 that a woman has won both events.
The men's 800 metres race was a close finish, with the top three separated by 0.03 seconds. Elliot Giles won the event, ahead of Oliver Dustin and Daniel Rowden. All three athletes were later selected for the Olympics.
Results Key: Q – qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Men 100 metresChijindu Ujah Q 10.05sEugene Amo-Dadzie 10.07sJona Efoloko 10.30s 200 metresAdam Gemili Q 20.63sNethaneel Mitchell-Blake Q 20.77sJona Efoloko 20.79s 400 metresNiclas Baker 46.05s Cameron Chalmers 46.19sMichael Ohioze 46.42s800 metresElliot Giles Q 1:45.11Oliver Dustin Q 1:45.12Daniel Rowden Q 1:45.141500 metresJosh Kerr Q 3:40.72Jake Wightman Q 3:40.77Jake Heyward Q 3:42.415000 metresPatrick Dever 13:37.30Andrew Butchart Q 13:38.16Jack Rowe 13:38.81 10,000 metresinvitational eventMo Farah 27:47.04 27:57.63 27:59.31110 metres hurdlesTade Ojora 13.38s David King Q 13.51sAndrew Pozzi Q 13.54s400 metres hurdlesAlastair Chalmers 49.98Alex Knibbs 50.33Jacob Paul 51.303000 metres steeplechaseMark Pearce 8:24.83 Zak Seddon Q 8:25.08 Phil Norman Q 8:31.875000 metres walkTom Bosworth 19:25.62 Cameron Corbishley 20:37.69 Guy Thomas 21:31.16 Long jumpAlex Farquharson 7.69mJames Lelliot 7.69mReynold Banigo 7.65mHigh jumpTom Gale Q 2.24mJoel Clarke-Khan 2.21m David Smith 2.17m Triple jumpBen Williams Q 16.37m Nathan Douglas 16.20mEfe Uwaifo 16.06mPole vaultHarry Coppell Q 5.70m Adam Hague 5.15m Lazarus Benjamin 5.15m Shot putScott Lincoln Q 20.22mPatrick Swan 16.98mDaniel Cork 16.61m Discus throw Lawrence Okoye Q 61.71m Nicholas Percy 60.17m Greg Thompson 58.31mHammer throwTaylor Campbell Q 75.10m Chris Bennett 73.53mCraig Murch 70.90m Javelin throwDaniel Bainbridge 72.66mJoe Harris 72.65m Greg Millar 71.90m DecathlonTim Duckworth 7447 Lewis Church 7308Harry Kendall 7249 In addition, Adam Gemili, Zharnel Hughes, Richard Kilty, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Reece Prescod and CJ Ujah were selected for the men's 4 x 100 metres relay. Niclas Baker, Cameron Chalmers, Matthew Hudson-Smith, Michael Ohioze and Lee Thompson were chosen for the men's 4 x 400 metres relay.
Women 100 metresDina Asher-Smith Q 10.97sAsha Philip Q 11.16s Daryll Neita Q 11.21s200 metresJodie Williams 23.02s Beth Dobbin Q 23.07sDesirèe Henry 23.18s 400 metresJodie Williams Q 51.02sNicole Yeargin Q 51.26sAma Pipi Q 51.33s800 metresKeely Hodgkinson Q 1:59.61Jemma Reekie Q 2:00.12Laura Muir Q 2:00.24 1500 metresRevée Walcott-Nolan Q 4:08.41Erin Wallace 4:08.52Katie Snowden Q 4:08.625000 metresJessica Judd Q 15:10.02Amy-Eloise Markovc Q 15:10.54Verity Ockenden 15:12.24100 metres hurdlesTiffany Porter Q 12.78s Alicia Barrett Q 13.18s Cindy Sember 13.20s400 metres hurdlesJessica Turner Q 54.83s Meghan Beesley Q 55.80s Jessie Knight Q 55.91s3000 metres steeplechaseElizabeth Bird Q 9:35.36Aimee Pratt Q 9:39.72Sarah Tait 10:03.585000 metres walkBethan Davies 22:47.85 Abigail Jennings 25:39.68Hannah Hopper 26:34.71 Long jumpJazmin Sawyers Q 6.75m Abigail Irozuru Q 6.69m Lorraine Ugen Q 6.60m High jumpMorgan Lake Q 1.93m Laura Zialor 1.86mEmily Borthwick Q 1.86mTriple jumpNaomi Ogbeta 14.04mTemi Ojora 13.25mLia Stephenson 12.82m Pole vaultHolly Bradshaw Q 4.90m Molly Caudery 4.45m Sophie Cook 4.25m Shot putSophie McKinna Q 18.28m Amelia Strickler 17.16mAdele Nicoll 16.20m Discus throwEden Francis 56.32m Shadine Duquemin 54.20mDivine Oladipo 53.21m Hammer throw Tara Simpson-Sullivan 67.38m Jessica Mayho 67.08m Rachel Hunter 65.36m Javelin throwBekah Walton 54.03m Freya Jones 49.42mEmma Hamplett 49.07mHeptathlonKatie Stainton 5864 Natasha Smith 5319 Ashleigh Spiliopoulou 5101 In addition, Dina Asher-Smith, Beth Dobbin, Imani-Lara Lansiquot, Daryll Neita, Ashleigh Nelson and Asha Philip were selected for the women's 4 x 100 metres relay. Zoey Clark, Emily Diamond, Jessie Knight, Laviai Nielsen, Ama Pipi, Jessica Turner, Hannah Williams, Jodie Williams and Nicole Yeargin were selected for the women's 4 x 400 metres relay.
Parasports – Men 100 metres mixed classThomas Young 11.23sOla Abidogun 11.42sShaun Burrows 11.91s400 metres wheelchair raceNathan Maguire 49.78sMoatez Jomni 51.70sDillion Labrooy 53.74s Note: UK Athletics only published results for parasport track events. No results for field events were published.
Parasports – Women 100 metres mixed classSophie Hahn 12.77sAli Smith 13.35sSophie Kamlish 13.47s400 metres wheelchair raceHannah Cockroft 56.43sSamantha Kinghorn 56.60sMelanie Woods 59.99s Note: UK Athletics only published results for parasport track events. No results for field events were published.
Other Olympic trials Key: Q – qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics.
Men Marathon Chris Thompson Q 2:10:52 Ben Connor Q 2:12.06 Mohamud Aadan 2:12.2020km walk Callum Wilkinson Q 1:22:47 Tom Bosworth Q 1:26:24 Guy Thomas 1:30:1910,000 metres Marc Scott Q 27:49.94 Mo Farah 27:50.64 Emile Cairess 27:53:19 In addition, Callum Hawkins was pre-selected for the marathon event prior to the trial event. Sam Atkin was additionally selected for the 10,000 metres race.
Women Marathon Stephanie Davis Q 2:27:16 Natasha Cockram 2:30.03 Rosie Edwards 2:31:5620km walk Heather Lewis 1:35:44 Bethan Davies 1:37:04 Erika Kelly 1:46:3110,000 metres Eilish McColgan Q 31:19.35 Jessica Judd Q 31:20.96 Verity Ockenden 31:43.70 The two remaining places for the marathon were awarded to Jess Piasecki and Stephanie Twell, neither of whom participated at the trial event. No British women were selected for the 20 km walk event at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
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