UK Athletics finalising plans to become an Olympic SUPERPOWER in the next eleven years with major project set to be unveiled with target of 11 to 13 medals for the 2032 Games
UK Athletics are finalising ambitious plans to become an Olympic superpower within 11 years.
Sportsmail understands a major project will be announced imminently to outline a working target of 11 to 13 medals at the 2032 Olympics, which are expected to be staged in Brisbane, Australia.
It will follow a long-standing push from the UKA CEO Joanna Coates and her performance team to have contenders across the athletics disciplines – a considerable departure from the existing situation.
Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw stands as the only obvious medal hope in field events for Team GB
In the current Olympic cycle British prospects are worryingly limited to sprints, middle distances, heptathlon and relays, with only the pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw standing as an obvious medal hope in field events.
Optimism around the team heading to Tokyo in the coming weeks is decidedly muted.
Christian Malcolm will announce his squad on Tuesday, with Dina Asher-Smith leading the way as a medal shot in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay, but world heptathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson has not competed since badly damaging her Achilles at the end of last year.
She will be named in the team but hype around her potential is difficult to justify without any performance data.
Dina Asher-Smith (above) leads the way as a medal shot in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay
Optimism around the team heading to Tokyo is decidedly muted with just weeks to go now
The medal target for Tokyo was initially set by UK Sport at seven to nine medals, but that currently seems unlikely, though there is considerable strength, depth and emerging talent in the middle-distances.
It is most notable in the women’s 800m, led by Keely Hodgkinson and Jemma Reekie, and via Laura Muir in the 1500m. Andy Pozzi also has a chance in the 110m hurdles.
Internally the governing body has an eye on a stronger showing at the Paris Olympics in 2024. If they are to pull of their target of 11 to 13 medals in 2032, it would represent the first time they have reached double figures since 1984.