SEVEN Scottish athletes have been named in Great Britain’s squad for the world championships, which take place in Beijing next month. Lynsey Sharp, Eilidh Child, Laura Muir, Mark Dry and Steph Twell were all automatic picks for the team having twice met British Athletics’ qualifying standard while Chris O’Hare and Kirsten McAslan were also selected. The inclusion of seven athletes matches the record number of Scots in a GB World Championship with the same number making it to the 1983 and 2013 events.

Muir has had a phenomenal season at 1500m, breaking the four-minute barrier for the first time at the Monaco Diamond League earlier this month when she ran 3 minutes 58.66 seconds to jump to second on the British all-time list behind Dame Kelly Holmes. The 22-year-old British champion is ranked fifth in the world and will be looking to win her first senior medal in Beijing after missing out on silverware at last summer’s Commonwealth Games and European Championships.

Eilidh Child will compete in her fourth World Championships in Beijing; the 28 year-old has been progressing steadily this season and was just two hundredths of a second outside her season’s best at last weekend’s Anniversary Games in London. Child reached the final of the 400m hurdles at the last World Championships in 2013 but did not leave empty-handed as she was part of the bronze medal-winning 4x400m relay team. After her best season in 2014 though – she won Commonwealth silver and became European champion – Child will be looking to improve on her fifth-place finish two years ago, as well as picking up another relay medal.

Both Lynsey Sharp and Mark Dry will be making their World Championship debuts in Beijing. Sharp missed out on the 2013 World Championships through injury – a leg tendon operation followed by an infection of the wound had plagued the 25-year-old for over a year – but last winter has given her the opportunity to regain full fitness and the 2014 Commonwealth and European silver medallist has stated that she is targeting a spot on the podium in China. Hammer thrower Mark Dry needed to break the 32-year-old Scottish record – held by his coach, Chris Black – to secure his spot in the British team with the 27 year-old saying on Twitter that finally making it into a World Championship team was something of a relief.

Steph Twell’s selection was reward for battling through torrid injury problems. The 5000m runner competed in the 2009 World Championships but missed the subsequent two due to ankle injuries. The 2008 Olympian, who had her funding withdrawn by UK Athletics during her injury lay-off, was not at her best at Glasgow 2014, finishing 14th, but the 25 year-old is regaining the form that saw her win Commonwealth silver in 2010.

Both Chris O’Hare and Kirsten McAslan breathed a sigh of relief after being named in the team as neither were guaranteed a spot and were at the mercy of the selectors. O’Hare is in good form in the 1500m – the 24 year-old European medallist ran a personal best time of 3 minutes 34.83 seconds just over a week ago. McAslan has been selected for the 4x400m relay squad and will be hoping to get a run out in Beijing after being in the 2013 squad but not making an appearance.

Roger Harkins, scottishathletics’ director of coaching praised the seven Scots who made the GB team, saying, “One year out from the Olympics in Rio, we feel we are punching above our weight in terms of Scots with GB. These seven selected can be very proud and we see them as great role models in our sport – competing as they are at the very top at the world champs, setting national records and winning British titles regularly.”

Elsewhere, Jessica Ennis-Hill was selected for the heptathlon after previously stating that she would only travel to Beijing if she felt that she could contend for a medal while Mo Farah was selected to defend his 5000m and 10,000m titles. It was not such good news for Lennie Waite, though; Britain’s top 3000m steeplechaser missed out on selection and plans to appeal the decision.