Pole vaulter Jax Thoirs and discus prospect Kirsty Law are set to make their debuts for Great Britain and Northern Ireland at this month's European Team Championships in Cheboksary after being named in a 57-strong squad.
The pair are among six Scots bound for the Russian city with Eilidh Child (400m hurdles), Guy Learmonth (800m), Lennie Waite (steeplechase) and Andy Butchart (3000m) also included in a team that sees Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz make his long-awaited international return after injury.
22-year-old Thoirs, who competes at the University of Washington in Seattle, has been earmarked for a rapid promotion in the wake of improving his own Scottish record to 5.65 metres in Los Angeles last month and a series of showings which suggest he is destined for the vaulting elite.
"It's clear that he's s a great athlete," UK Athletics performance director Neil Black said. "It's clear he's got potential. We look for every opportunity to involve him. He's in regular engagement with us and the more opportunities he can have for international competition as part of the team, the better. I think he's one of those athletes where you look for him to gain more experience and confidence as a stepping stone towards global championships. That's why he's involved and we hope he gains from the experience."
Although Olympic champions Jessica Ennis-Hill, Mo Farah and Greg Rutherford are among those who have opted out of the annual two-day event on June 20-21, it leaves a total of six newcomers to be blooded at senior level as GB&NI seek to improve on last year's fifth place.
Opting in, however, is the UK 100m record holder Dina Asher-Smith who, even at the age of 19, is emerging as one of Black's prime medal contenders for Rio 2016. Her run of 11.02 seconds in Hengelo last week, it should be noted, did not even garner victory. Her potential, Black believes, has only been superficially scratched.
"She's beginning to show people what she's truly capable of," he said. "People have been saying for years that she's really good, a good junior and what she could or might do but when you come and make a British record, you can actually see there is more to come...She's really looking forward to running the 200m and the relay at the European Team Championships. Whether the 100 or 200 is her best event, we'll find out in the future but she can run fast in both."
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