British Milers Get Slap in the Face
Robotic adherence to strict selection criteria means Britain has no one in the men’s 1500m at the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg
By Jason Henderson, Athletics Weekly
The European Indoor Championships has traditionally been used to blood up-and-coming athletes. It is an ideal place to learn your trade ahead of more important outdoor and global championships in future.
Seb Coe won his first international title at the European Indoors in San Sebastian in 1977, as did Linford Christie, who took a surprise 200m gold at the 1986 event in Madrid. Even Mo Farah made his senior GB debut at the European Indoors in 2005 – he finished sixth in the 3000m before going on to win Euro Indoor gold in 2009 and 2011.
So there were plenty of raised eyebrows when British Athletics failed to name any male 1500m runners in its team for next month’s European Indoors in Gothenburg. Paula Radcliffe, who has been part of the BBC commentary team this winter, tweeted that the decision was “absolutely ridiculous“.
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