EAST Lancashire athletics trio Holly Bleasdale, Sophie Hitchon and Graeme Ballard have all been included on British Athletics’ list for funding for the new season.

Bleasdale, who missed most of 2014 through injury, joins Paralympic sprinter Ballard on the list for top-level funding while Hitchon is among the athletes on the podium potential programme.

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The programme, funded by the National Lottery through UK Sport, is split into two levels – ‘podium’ for athletes with the potential to medal at Rio de Janeiro 2016, and ‘podium potential’ for those developing towards Tokyo 2020.

Blackburn Harrier Bleasdale was sixth at the London 2012 Olympics in the pole vault while Burnley’s Hitchon, also a Blackburn Harrier, was 12th in the hammer.

A third Blackburn Harrier, Chorley 800m runner Alison Leonard, who qualified for her first senior Great Britain vest this summer at the European Championships in Zurich, is not on either list.

Including relay, 38 names have been chosen at Olympic ‘podium’ level.

Lancashire Telegraph: Pole vault star Holly Bleasdale

British Athletics performance director Neil Black said: “Our world class performance programme selections for 2014-15 once again reflect on the criteria of medal potential at the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“Competition for places on the programme is extremely competitive and this year the selection panel faced tough performance decisions based on such stipulations in this funding cycle.

“Next year we are looking to build on the excellent foundations set in 2014 and I’m excited about how our athletes will fare on the global stage at the World Championships in Beijing and the IPC World Championships in Doha.

“I’d like to thank the National Lottery and UK Sport for their continued investment in the World Class Performance Programme.

“The support enables our athletes to be the best prepared in their quest for success in 2016 and beyond.”

The Paralympic list comprises 26 ‘podium’ and 26 ‘podium potential’ athletes.