British Athletics name 29-strong team for inaugural Athletics World Cup

The duo were in record-breaking form on the way to winning gold at last weekend's British Championships, with 2016 world indoor bronze medallist Ugen setting a world lead mark and British record of 7.05m in Birmingham.

They will now join 27 other athletes for the competition at the London Stadium from July 14-15 as the British team competes against the United States, South Africa, Poland, France, China, Germany and Jamaica.

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: "Following on from a highly-competitive British Athletics Championships at the weekend, we are delighted to announce those athletes selected to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the Athletics World Cup in London.

"The Athletics World Cup is an exciting new addition to the athletics calendar for 2018 and as a team we will be striving to achieve the highest finish possible.

"The team format adds something different compared to other championships with points on offer as well as medals and I look forward to seeing our athletes relish in the unique nature of the event."

Ugen and Hitchon were not the only athletes to rewrite the record books last weekend with high jumper Morgan Lake and sprinter Beth Dobbin also on top form, and named in the British team.

World indoor gold medal-winning hurdler Andrew Pozzi, Commonwealth Games hammer champion Nick Miller and former world 400m hurdles gold medallist Dai Greene also make the squad.

Five athletes will make their senior British debuts including European junior 1500m gold medallist Jemma Reekie and European junior triple jump bronze medallist Naomi Ogbeta.

Black added: "The London Stadium is a fantastic venue for athletics and we have a balanced team of experienced athletes who have competed at the very highest level and those who will be making their senior British debuts as they look to reach the top of the sport."

Athletes will compete for a maximum eight points across the 34 events on the Athletics World Cup schedule and each nation will enter one male and one female athlete in every event in a straight final format.

Sportsbeat 2018