Athletics: Britain ready for world challenge

BRITAIN'S team for next month's World Cup in Havana was announced yesterday with the captain, Linford Christie - the Olympic 100m champion - named to defend the title he won three years ago.

The team includes 11 other individual Olympic finalists: John Regis, David Grindley, Curtis Robb, Rob Denmark, Colin Jackson, Kriss Akabusi, Tom Hanlon, Steve Smith, Mick Hill, Tony Jarrett and Marcus Adam.

With other teams - the Americans in particular - not up to strength, British officials hope that the team will be able to improve on their third place in Barcelona three years ago and win in Havana.

Regis had said that he did not want to compete, but changed his mind when 'it was pointed out that this might be the last World Cup now that the IAAF have introduced individual world championships every two years,' according to Tony Ward, a team spokesman.

Another athlete who did not want to be considered, 400m hurdles Olympic bronze medallist Akabusi, has also been included.

'We have not been able to contact Kriss,' Tony Ward said. 'But are hopeful that he might go.' If Akabusi does not change his mind Jon Ridgeon will run instead.

There will be no British women's team in Havana because they could only finish third in the European Cup at Frankfurt last summer.