Keely Hodgkinson: Great Britain 800m runner offered top-level funding on Olympic World Class Programme

Keely Hodgkinson won silver in the 800m at the Tokyo Olympics and has since been offered top-level funding

Keely Hodgkinson has been offered top-level funding on the British Athletics Olympic World Class Programme.

The 19-year-old won 800m silver at the Tokyo Olympics in the summer, having burst onto the world and European scene this year.

She smashed Dame Kelly Holmes' 800m British record, which had stood since 1995, by almost a second in Japan.

In March, she became the youngest British winner at the European Athletics Indoor Championships for more than half a century and the youngest-ever 800m European indoor champion, despite not being on full funding.

Performance director Sara Symington said: "As we start the Paris cycle, and longer-term Los Angeles 2028, we made a number of informed decisions in regard to the World Class Programme membership that aligns with our strategic priorities.

"We will work closely with the 67 athlete and coach pairings that we are offering membership to and will look to add support and value in their journey via their individual athlete plan.

Hodgkinson won the women's 800m final at the Muller British Athletics Championships earlier this year

• Hodgkinson wins 800m silver, breaks Holmes' British record
• Govt to invest £232m to support GB & Northern Ireland athletes
• Get Sky Sports

"The selection process is robust and lengthy and we use a lot of data which is complemented by the knowledge of our event leads to inform the decision-making process.

"We have given careful consideration to those athletes who meet the selection criteria and performance matrix which align to the future ambitions of the World Class Programme."

Josh Kerr moves up to podium level after winning 1500m bronze in Japan as do Andrew Pozzi, Jemma Reekie and Jazmin Sawyers.

Alex Bell, who came seventh in the 800m final, has been offered podium funding just two years after saying she was considering taking legal action against UK Athletics after being overlooked for funding for the Tokyo Olympics.

Fellow Great Britain athlete Dina Asher-Smith is one of just 17 athletes to receive top-level funding support

They join Dina Asher-Smith, Laura Muir, Katarina Johnson-Thompson and Adam Gemili with just 17 athletes on top-level funding.

Reece Prescod and Zharnel Hughes have been downgraded to relay funding only, despite Hughes reaching the 100m Olympic final.

Olympic finalists Lizzie Bird, Jake Heyward and Marc Scott are among the athletes to be offered membership at Podium Potential level.

Andrew Butchart, CJ Ujah and Tom Bosworth have seen their funding cut.

CJ Ujah has had his funding cut amid an anti-doping investigation into allegations he used a banned substance

Ujah will face a hearing at the Court of Arbitration for Sport's Anti-Doping Division after he tested positive for muscle-building substances after winning 4x100m relay silver in Tokyo.

In August, the Athletics Integrity Unit confirmed Ujah had been provisionally suspended after a test showed the "presence/use of a prohibited substance (ostarine and S-23)" while a B sample also came back positive.

Ujah, Hughes, Richard Kilty and Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake could lose their Olympic medals.

Ujah denies cheating and knowingly taking a banned substance.