UK Athletics has announced a 29-athlete squad to represent the Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland team at the upcoming World Athletics Indoor Championships in Toruń, Poland from March 20–22.
The team has been selected with the goal of maximizing medal opportunities and securing top-eight finishes at one of the most prestigious events on the indoor athletics calendar.
Hodgkinson arrives in record-breaking form
The headline name is Olympic 800m champion Keely Hodgkinson, who heads to Toruń in sensational form after recently breaking the indoor world record for the women’s 800m earlier this month. Her performance has positioned her as one of the athletes to watch at the championships.
Hodgkinson will be joined in the event by rising British star Issy Boffey, who has enjoyed a breakthrough season and now ranks eighth on the UK all-time list in the distance.
Azu targets another world title
Sprint star Jeremiah Azu will attempt to defend his world indoor 60m title after an impressive victory at the British Indoor Championships. He will be joined by Jody Smith, who is set to make his senior international debut following a standout indoor season.
Fred Kerley, Lamont Marcell Jacobs, Letsile Tebogo, Ferdinand Omanyala, Jeremiah Azu,
Another major name returning to the global stage is British record holder Dina Asher-Smith, who will compete at the World Indoors for the first time since 2016. She will be joined in the women’s 60m by world silver medallist Amy Hunt, who has already lowered her personal best multiple times this year.
Strong middle-distance lineup
Britain’s middle-distance contingent is packed with medal contenders. In the women’s 1500m, Georgina Hunter Bell, a 2025 World Indoor medallist, leads the team with the fastest British time of the season. She will line up alongside Scottish star Jemma Reekie, the 2026 British indoor champion who arrives in Toruń after a dominant run earlier in the season.
World and Olympic medallist Josh Kerr is set to contest the 3000m, while Jack Higgins will compete in the men’s 1500m. In the men’s 800m, 2023 world medallist Ben Pattison will aim to challenge the global field.
In the women’s 3000m, 2026 British indoor champion Hannah Nuttall will compete alongside experienced international Katie Snowden.
Field event hopes
In the field events, pole vault star Molly Caudery—the reigning 2024 World Indoor champion—will be looking to add another global medal to her collection.
Meanwhile, long jumper Molly Palmer has earned her first senior international selection after setting a new personal best of 6.68m in Cardiff last weekend.
Rankings and withdrawals
Several selections remain subject to confirmation once final world rankings are published by World Athletics on March 11. Among them is combined events athlete Abigail Pawlett, who has been provisionally selected for the pentathlon but could instead compete in the 60m hurdles depending on the final rankings.
However, the British team will be without defending indoor 400m world champion Amber Anning, who has opted to skip the championships to focus on preparation for the upcoming outdoor season, which includes the Commonwealth Games and the European Athletics Championships.
Confidence in the squad
Performance director Paula Dunn expressed confidence in the team’s chances.
“With 29 athletes selected to represent the Novuna GB & NI team, including exciting senior debutants and experienced international performers, we are ready to take on the very best in the world,” she said.
“This championship marks an important beginning to what promises to be a landmark year for the team.”
With a blend of established stars and emerging talent, Great Britain will head to Toruń hoping to make a strong statement on the global indoor stage.
The Novuna Great Britain and Northern Ireland team for the World Athletics Indoor Championships in Torun, Poland (20-22 March):
Men
60m
Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff, Helen James)
Jody Smith (Thames Valley, Alex Currie)
800m
Ben Patterson (Basingstoke & Mid Hants, Dave Ragan)
1500m
Jack Higgins (Tonbridge AC, Mark Hookway)
James McMurray (St Albans, Deborah Steer) *
3000m
Josh Kerr (Edinburgh, Danny Mackey) *
Heptathlon
Lewis Church (Tonbrigde AC, David Hull) *
High Jump
Joel Clarke Khan (Thames Valley Harriers, Deirdre Elmhirst) *
Pole Vault
Owen Heard (Harrow AC, Kate Rooney) *
Shot Put
Scott Lincoln (Dale Stevenson, City of York) *
Women
60m
Dina Asher-Smith (Blackheath & Bromley, Michael J Ford)
Amy Hunt (Charnwood, Marco Airale)
60m Hurdles
Abigail Pawlett (Trafford, Ashley Bryant) *
Emma Nwofor (Thames Balley Harriers, Joel Brown) *
400m
Yemi Mary John (Woodford Green Essex Ladies, Alan James)
Louisa Stoney (Belgrave Harriers, Marvin Rowe) *
800m
Issy Boffey (Enfield & Haringey, Luke Gunn)
Keely Hodgkinson (Leigh, Trevor Painter)
1500m
Georgia Hunter Bell (Belgrave Harriers, Trevor Painter)
Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan, Jon Bigg)
3000m
Hannah Nuttall (Charnwood, Helen Clitheroe)
Katie Snowden (Herne Hill) *
Pentathlon
Abigail Pawlett (Trafford, Ashley Bryant) *
Ellen Barber (Wells City Harriers, John Lane) *
Pole Vault
Molly Caudery (Thames Valley, Stuart Caudery) *
Long Jump
Molly Palmer (Thames Valley, Lukasz Zawila) *
Triple Jump
Georgina Forde-Wells (Woodford Green AC, Lukasz Zawila) *
4x400m Relay
Poppy Malik (Harrow, Nick Dakin)
Lousia Stoney (Belgrave Harriers, Marvin Rowe)
Tess McHugh (Sale Harriers Manchester, Stephen Ball)
Jazmine Moss (Gateshead Harriers AC, Richard Kilty)
