Mo Farah leads Britain into London World Championships

Mo Farah will lead Britain's 78-strong team at this summer's World Championships in London.

The reigning 5,000m and 10,000m world champion, undefeated in both distances at a major championships over six years, will look to defend both titles at the Olympic stadium in the event running between August 4-13.

Selected in the heptathlon and high jump, Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be confident of making the podium having broken her heptathlon personal best in Gotzis this May and is the current British recorder holder in the high jump.

Despite currently suffering from an ankle ligament injury, reigning long jump world champion Greg Rutherford has also been named in the squad.

With just over three weeks to go until the start of the Championships, British Athletics is backing Rutherford in his race to be fit to compete in the stadium where he won Olympic gold in 2012.

"Obviously this isn't ideal," Rutherford said at the weekend. "But I am doing everything to give myself the best chance of success at the World Championships in London."

There is a welcome return to international action for Perri Shakes-Drayton in the 4x400m relay and Dina Asher-Smith in the 200m and 4x100m relay.

Asher-Smith, Olympic bronze medallist in the 4x100m relay in 2016, returned to action earlier this month after fracturing a bone in her right foot in February.

Shakes-Drayton last wore a GB vest at the 2013 World Championships, where she suffered a knee injury which has since kept her out of international competition.

Performance Director for British Athletics Neil Black said: "This feels bigger for us than Rio. London 2017 is the major global sporting event this year and will be the biggest occasion the country has seen since 2012.

"We've selected some incredibly talented athletes, and in many events there have been some close calls. It's now up to them to grasp this opportunity and produce performances that will make the whole nation proud."

Full GB squad:

MEN:

100m: Reece Prescod, James Dasaolu, CJ Ujah

200m: Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Danny Talbot, Zharnel Hughes

400m: Matt Hudson-Smith, Dwayne Cowan, Martyn Rooney

800m: Elliot Giles, Guy Learmonth, Kyle Langford

1500m: Chris O'Hare, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman

5000m: Mo Farah, Andrew Butchart

10,000m: Mo Farah

3000m steeplechase: Rob Mullett, Zak Seddon

110m hurdles: Andrew Pozzi, David King, David Omoregie

400m hurdles: Jack Green (self-coached)

High Jump: Robbie Grabarz

Long Jump: Greg Rutherford

Triple Jump: Nathan Fox

Hammer: Nick Miller

Decathlon: Ashley Bryant

20km Race Walk: Tom Bosworth, Callum Wilkinson

50km Race Walk: Dominic King

Marathon Men: Callum Hawkins, Josh Griffiths, Andrew Davies

4x100m relay: CJ Ujah, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Danny Talbot, Zharnel Hughes, Adam Gemili, Harry Aikines-Aryeetey, Richard Kilty, Reece Prescod

4x400m relay: Matt Hudson-Smith, Dwayne Cowan, Martyn Rooney, Delano Williams, Rabah Yousif, Jack Green, Cameron Chalmers

WOMEN:

100m: Asha Philip, Daryll Neita, Desiree Henry

200m: Shannon Hylton, Bianca Williams, Dina Asher-Smith

400m: Zoey Clark, Emily Diamond, Anyika Onuora

800m: Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Adelle Tracey, Lynsey Sharp

1500m: Laura Muir, Laura Weightman, Jessica Judd, Sarah McDonald

5000m: Steph Twell, Eilish McColgan, Laura Muir

10,000m: Beth Potter, Jessica Martin, Charlotte Taylor

3000m steeplechase: Rosie Clarke

100m hurdles: Tiffany Porter

400m hurdles: Eilidh Doyle

High Jump: Morgan Lake, Katarina Johnson-Thompson

Pole Vault: Holly Bradshaw

Long Jump: Lorraine Ugen

Discus: Jade Lally

Hammer: Sophie Hitchon

Heptathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson

20km Race Walk: Gemma Bridge, Bethan Davies

Marathon Women: Alyson Dixon, Charlotte Purdue, Tracy Barlow

4x100m relay: Asha Philip, Daryll Neita, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith, Shannon Hylton, Bianca Williams, Corinne Humphreys

4x400m: Zoey Clark, Emily Diamond, Anyika Onuora, Eilidh Doyle, Laviai Nielsen, Perri Shakes-Drayton