European Athletic Indoor Championships: Richard Kilty given special place

Last updated on 20 February 2019.From the section Athletics39

Double reigning 60m champion Richard Kilty will compete for Great Britain in the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow after originally missing out on a place in the squad.

The 29-year-old was left "struggling mentally" after his time of 6.63 seconds was not enough to meet British Athletics' qualifying time of 6.60.

The European Athletics Council (EAC) has now invited Kilty to compete in what is described as a "special case".

Kilty says he will aim for a hat-trick.

European Athletics permits anyone who has run 6.78 to compete, but British Athletics implemented its stricter selection requirement of 6.60 - meaning only Reece Prescod and Chijindu Ujah were eligible. Both men declined.

The governing body was then only able to take 100m times from last summer into consideration, meaning Ojie Edoburun - who finished last in the 60m at last week's British Championships - was Britain's only option.

However, the EAC invited Kilty to compete.

"Our invitation is really a special case," said president Svein Arne Hansen.

Kilty said: "I am really thankful to European Athletics for giving me the opportunity to stand on the start line and realise the dream I set after I had my Achilles surgery.

"The main thing for me has been to get on that start line as a defending champion at a home championships."

He said he "feels phenomenal" after "struggling mentally for a couple of days" after the original announcement.

"I can put it to the back of my mind and run for my family, my fans and the home crowd - that is all I am thinking about," he said, adding he "can't wait to stand on the start line and try to make history" by winning a third consecutive title.

Kilty now has the chance to defend the title he won in Prague in 2015 - a year after becoming world champion over the distance in Sopot - and retained in Belgrade two years later.

Richard Kilty's reaction on Twitter — Richard Kilty welcomes the news on Twitter

Hansen said: "This situation of a defending champion from the host nation being fit but not making his or her national team is fairly unusual.

"It helps the individual athlete, of course, but more importantly it shows that we are ready to react to opportunities that will help our events succeed."

Noting that winners at outdoor championships automatically qualify for the following edition, Hansen added: "We all know that it adds interest for the public when they see that national stars, especially champions, will be competing.

"I am looking to the future and although there are factors we need to discuss, I intend to ask the council to consider extending the automatic qualification rule to the indoor championships."

Great Britain's team now features 49 athletes - an outright record for an European Indoor Championships.

The event takes place from 1-3 March.

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39 comments

Comment posted by vern, at 17:18 20 Feb 2019
Sad reflection on uk athletics that it took european authorities to get to the right decision. Ridiculous that our only entry would have been someone kilty handily beat a week ago.

Good luck to him hope he does well.
Comment posted by droyal, at 17:52 20 Feb 2019
I am led to believe Reece Prescod and Chijindu Ujah both receive lottery funding BUT DECLINED to represent GB at the european indoor championships! Get a grip UK funding this is tax payers money, no play - no pay.
Comment posted by Hibbo, at 17:15 20 Feb 2019
Sense prevails.
Comment posted by Jenkybeats, at 17:55 20 Feb 2019
30-60m is where you obtain maximum velocity. This distance should be the pinnacle to prove who is the fastest. Kilty is a legend and deserves to defend his title whether successful or not.
Comment posted by andrewbysea, at 16:37 20 Feb 2019
Kilty makes his voice heard again. Good luck to him in Euro Indoors. Fine line between standing up for yourself and throwing your toys out of the pram tho.
Comment posted by Kevin Morice, at 19:46 20 Feb 2019
Once again showing the farce that is UK selection policy in the age of lottery funding. Way inside the qualification standard for the event, but UKA think they know better. Hope he wins just to show how stupid they are for continuing to ignore the International standards.
Comment posted by Whisky and Chips, at 17:13 20 Feb 2019
In what other sport would the defending champion not get automatic entry? Good decision
Comment posted by paul, at 19:24 20 Feb 2019
Reece Prescod and Chijindu Ujah should immediately forfeit any funding unless those paying the funding accept their prima donna logic.
Comment posted by Finkelstein, at 18:47 20 Feb 2019
What a disgrace this legend of a sprinter was put through the mill. Win or lose he should be allowed to defend his title. Good to see common sense prevail. Me thinks he will win big time.
Comment posted by Raedwulf, at 20:44 20 Feb 2019
Well done, the EAC! Not so clever from our mob, it hardly need be said...
Comment posted by Paul H, at 21:21 20 Feb 2019
British Athletics is a joke. Always setting any entry standard higher than the Europeanand world standard. Inspire a generation! They need to buy a dictionary to see what inspire means. They offer no encouragement for anyone as their targets are unrealistic. Take a bigger team and give athletes the experience of competing for their country, especially at junior level so they know what to expect.
Comment posted by slugroad, at 01:07 21 Feb 2019
Kilty is the reigning champion. He came close to the qualifying standard in Birmingham (his time there would have earned the bronze medal in Belgrade in 2017) and he is faster than Odoburun over 60 m this year. Not selecting Kilty might have made sense if he was nowhere near the qualifying standard or if three people with the qualifying time had been selected. As it is GB Athletics looks petty.
Comment posted by Jamie p, at 18:09 20 Feb 2019
Good luck dicky
Comment posted by Charles, at 17:16 20 Feb 2019
Ojie Edoburun won his heat and made the final so not fair to say he came last in the British Champs
Comment posted by kaseldop, at 17:49 20 Feb 2019
In football world cup the holders always had a bye into the following finals. It only changed recently because the holders only played friendlies for two years which took the competitiveness out of their game and made them drop down the world rankings.
Comment posted by run4urlife, at 08:43 21 Feb 2019
He has never won an individual outdoor medal, he has never been selected as an individual in the Olympic team and never broken 10 seconds for 100m -Kilty is hardly a legend in sprinting.......
Comment posted by Devongone, at 12:29 21 Feb 2019
Kilty was a moderate 200 metres man who bulked up, started fast and "accidentally?" made 60 metres indoors his event. He wants at least to be lead-off in our 4x100 outdoors and selected as an individual. That's fair enough as an ambition. I admire him for re-making himself so successfully it is almost realistic, but in a Brits-only 100 he probably be edged out by Harry A's chest to finish sixth.
Comment posted by lbradderz24, at 22:32 20 Feb 2019
I'm glad European Athletics Council have some common sense, the reigning champion should be able to defend their title if they wish just like they do with the outdoor European Champs and the World Champs/ Diamond League winner
Comment posted by camerajuan, at 12:33 21 Feb 2019
djlovesyou - He does, but he has to get faster. Of the people likely to be there, 8 of them have ran faster than him this year alone. Kilty hasn't been faster than the rest of Europe since March 2017. He's not on form, he didn't perform well at the trials & the fact that he's going when Ashwell & Thomas are not is a joke.
Comment posted by Raedwulf, at 21:16 20 Feb 2019
@20: "Double reigning 60m champion Richard Kilty will compete for Great Britain..." Just in case you missed it. I mean, it's only the opening line of the article...

It's irrelevant which home nation they are from.