Laura Muir and Eilish McColgan set for 1500m and 3000m doubles in Birmingham, while Robbie Grabarz is also selected

Laura Muir, Robbie Grabarz and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are among the athletes to have been named in a 31-strong British team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships on home soil in Birmingham on March 1-4.

Sprinters CJ Ujah and Asha Philip are also included in a squad which is a mix of youth and experience.

Muir has been selected for the 1500m and 3000m along with fellow Scot Eilish McColgan after the duo won gold medals at the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships in Birmingham last weekend.

Former Olympic and world long jump champion Rutherford had been picked following his return to winning ways at the national championships, but has since withdrawn to focus on regaining full fitness ahead of the outdoor season.

Johnson-Thompson is another big medal hope in the pentathlon as she has accepted an IAAF invite to compete. Philip is aiming to make the podium at the World Indoors for the first time after a few near misses, while fellow 60m sprinter Ujah will test himself in Birmingham against USA’s world record-holder Christian Coleman.

A number of trials winners like Jake Wightman, Eilidh Doyle and Shelayna Oskan-Clarke were rewarded with automatic selection, but selectors showed faith with 1500m man Chris O’Hare, high jumper Grabarz and 3000m runner Jonny Davies, who missed the trials last weekend.

There was no place for Rachel Wallader or Sophie McKinna, though, despite their great shot put duel at the trials. They were outside the qualifying standard and selectors have not made use of the ability to field one competitor in an event where no athlete possesses the mark.

While British Athletics requested a host nation place for pole vaulter Adam Hague following his personal best of 5.65m on the way to the British title at the weekend, the governing body says the nomination was declined by the IAAF.

“This year is an amazing year for our athletes on the international stage and we are looking forward to seeing how they perform across 2018,” said performance director Neil Black. “We are delighted that the IAAF World Indoor Championships are being held in Birmingham, where we have just successfully hosted our British Championships, and we are certain it will be a great event for those selected – the home crowd will certainly play its part.

“The IAAF World Indoor Championships are the first major event of an exciting year with Commonwealth Games and European Championships also on the horizon and we have selected a British team with a good mixture of experienced international competitors and talented, up-and-coming athletes keen to test themselves against the best in the world.”

British team for the IAAF World Indoor Championships Birmingham 2018

MEN

60m: CJ Ujah, Andrew Robertson
400m: Lee Thompson
800m: Elliot Giles*
1500m: Jake Wightman, Chris O’Hare
3000m: Jonathan Davies
60m hurdles: Andrew Pozzi, David King
High jump: Robbie Grabarz*
4x400m: Lee Thompson, Jamal Rhoden-Stevens, Grant Plenderleith, Owen Smith, Sebastian Rodger, Efe Okoro

WOMEN

60m: Asha Philip, Bianca Williams
400m: Eilidh Doyle, Zoey Clark
800m: Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Mhairi Hendry
1500m: Eilish McColgan, Laura Muir
3000m: Laura Muir, Eilish McColgan
60m hurdles: Marilyn Nwawulor, Megan Marrs**
High jump: Morgan Lake*
Pentathlon: Katarina Johnson-Thompson
4x400m relay: Eilidh Doyle, Zoey Clark, Amy Allcock, Anyika Onuora, Meghan Beesley, Hannah Williams

*Indicates an athlete given a host nation place

**Megan Marrs was added to the GB team on February 23 after British Athletics accepted an IAAF invite for the British champion to compete in the women’s 60m hurdles

» The team was further updated on February 26 following the withdrawal of Daryll Neita after “a fitness setback”, with Bianca Williams replacing her in the 60m, and on February 28 following the withdrawal of Greg Rutherford