Athletics news - Muir to lead Britain's charge at Glasgow 2019 European Indoor Championships

The middle-distance runner enjoyed a storming weekend at the Muller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham, breaking two British records in perfect preparation for the European Athletics Indoor Championships, taking place on March 1-3.

Muir will head to the Scottish city with two European indoor titles to defend, victorious across 1500m and 3000m the last time the Championships were held, in Belgrade two years ago.

She’s not the only Brit with crowns on the line, as Asha Philip and Andrew Pozzi look to repeat their Serbia achievements in the women’s 60m and men’s 60m hurdles respectively.

Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw and pentathlete Katarina Johnson-Thompson are both also European indoor gold medallists, from Gothenburg in 2013 and Prague in 2015.

Their selection completes a list of five European indoor champions selected, the most ever for Great Britain & Northern Ireland at a single edition of the event.

But there is no place for double champion Richard Kilty, unable to complete his European Indoor champion after British Athletics elected to pick just one runner, Ojie Edoburun, due to a change in qualification times.

Eilish McColgan (3000m) and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (800m) – both medallists from Belgrade 2017 – are selected, while Scotland’s most decorated athlete Eilidh Doyle (400m) is one of nine Scottish athletes competing on the home track of the Emirates Arena.

“We are delighted to have selected our biggest and strongest ever team for the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, which is yet another major international championships for us on home soil,” said British Athletics performance director Neil Black.

“Competition for places has been fierce, the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships, where athletes are required to compete in order to earn selection, in particular were extremely competitive across several events and that high level of performances continued at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham.

“With the IAAF World Championships, and Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games, drawing ever closer, Glasgow is a great opportunity for our athletes to defend titles, win medals and show their quality on a major international stage.

“Once again, we have demonstrated that athletics is a truly equal sport by selecting more women than men with four of those 26 having won European indoor gold, while there are a further four who have medalled previously at the event.

“It is fantastic to have our biggest ever contingent of Scottish athletes for a major Championships in their backyard and we look forward to watching every single member of the team thrive in front of a home crowd.

“Glasgow is the last major championships before the IAAF World Championships in Doha later in the year and we expect to be extremely competitive.”

The event will also see ten British athletes make their major senior international debut, with Joe Reid (800m) becoming the first athlete from the Isle of Man to represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at a major international athletics championships.