Towers takes his place among GB elite

The British Athletics funding scheme bids to give financial help as athletes bid for success at next year’s World Athletics Championships in London

Wheelchair racer Towers is on the Paralympics podium potential programme as UK Athletics also spotlights hopefuls for the 2020 Games.

Towers won gold to become European champion in the 800m event in 2016 and qualified for the summer Paralympics in Rio,

The teenager secured a top-five finish in the T34 800m final at his first Paralympics in Brazil.

He set a new personal best time of one minute, 43.45 seconds in the final in Rio.

James Dasaolu, the second fastest Briton in history, has been stripped of his National Lottery funding cut for the 2017 season.

The 29-year-old, who three years ago ran 9.91 seconds over 100m to rank second only to Linford Christie on the British all-time list, has lost his relay funding, indicating he is no longer in Great Britain’s sprint relay plans.

Christine Ohuruogu, the former Olympic and two-time world champion over 400m, is one of the athletes to have dropped off the podium list.

She has been downgraded to relay funding.

The 32-year-old failed to qualify for the 400m final in Rio, although did help the relay team win bronze. Afterwards she questioned whether retirement was looming.

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: “2016 was an excellent year for the British Athletics teams at both the Olympics and Paralympics, winning more medals in Rio than in London 2012.

“But we are now at the start of a new Olympic and Paralympic cycle, so we need to build a team that is focused towards further success and improvement at Tokyo 2020 – our selections reflect this.

“With a core group of established athletes and a large group of young and emerging talent, this is an exciting time for British Athletics.”