British roll of honour at the World Indoor Champs

From John Regis in 1989 to KJT and Andy Pozzi in 2018, Britain has won 18 titles at the World Indoor Championships

As we head into the 2024 World Indoor Championships in Glasgow, the Great Britain & Northern Ireland team will have home advantage and is looking to improve its all-time gold medal tally of 18.

If you consider that one of these victories was courtesy of the 4x400m quartet of Perri Shakes-Drayton, Christine Ohuruogo, Shana Cox and Nicola Sanders in 2012, the number of gold medals is actually 21.

There is one Brit who has won two titles as well – Ashia Hansen, who took the triple jump crown in Maebashi in 1999 and Birmingham in 2003.

Mark Shearman, AW’s long-time photographer, has been to all the championships are below are his images of the various British champions over the years.

After drawing a gold medal blank at the last event in Belgrade two years ago, will anyone add to this gold medal tally in Glasgow?

1989 – John Regis, 200m

Competing in Budapest, John Regis ran a championship record of 20.54 ahead of fellow Brit Ade Mafe and American Kevin Little. Elsewhere at the event there were world records from Paul Ereng in the 800m, Elly van Hulst in the 3000m and Javier Sotomayor in the high jump.

1993 – Tom McKean, 800m

With 1:47.29 McKean struck gold in Toronto ahead of Charles Nkazamyampi of Burundi and Nico Motchebon of West Germany.

1993 – Yvonne Murray, 3000m

In Toronto the Scottish athlete stormed clear of her rivals to win by 12 seconds in 8:50.55.

1999 – Jamie Baulch, 400m

Ideally suited to the tight indoor circuit with his small powerful frame, Baulch took gold in Maebashi over two laps in 45.73.

1999 – Colin Jackson, 60m hurdles

He took three silver medals at the World Indoor Championships but his solitary gold came in ’99 when he ran 7.38 ahead of Reggie Torian and Falk Balzer.

1999 – Ashia Hansen, triple jump

The handful of British fans who made the long journey to the 1999 event in Japan were rewarded with a number of golds. These included Ashia Hansen winning her first world indoor title in 15.02m after having set a world indoor record at the previous year’s European Indoor Championships.

2001 – Daniel Caines, 400m

Britain’s strong history in the 400m continued as Daniel Caines took gold in Lisbon in 46.40 from Milton Campbell and Danny McFarlane.

2003 – Marlon Devonish, 200m

One year before winning Olympic 4x100m gold in Athens, Devonish stormed to gold in Birmingham in the now discontinued men’s 200m in 20.62.

2003 – Ashia Hansen, triple jump

Roared on by home support in Birmingham, Ashia Hansen took her second world indoor title with 15.01m.

2004 – Jason Gardener, 60m

The Bath Bullet had won bronze at the World Indoors twice and also took four European indoor 60m titles during his career. But in Budapest in 2004 he won global gold in 6.49.

2008 – Phillips Idowu, triple jump

A Commonwealth record of 17.75m saw Idowu win gold in Valencia – Britain’s only gold of the 2008 championships.

2010 – Dwain Chambers, 60m

After returning from a much-publicised drugs ban, Chambers roared to victory in 6.48 in Doha.

2010 – Jessica Ennis-Hill, pentathlon

Two years before her Olympic triumph in London, Ennis-Hill scored 4937 to beat Nataliya Dobrynska of Ukraine to the title.

2012 – Yamilé Aldama, triple jump

After previously winning minor medals for Sudan, Aldama took gold for Britain with a leap of 14.82m in Istanbul.

2012 – Shana Cox, Christine Ohuruogu, Nicola Sanders, Perri Shakes-Drayton, 4x400m

A thrilling race culminated in Perri Shakes-Drayton holding off individual 400m winner Sanya Richards-Ross to win gold by three hundredths of a second in 3:28.76.

2014 – Richard Kilty, 60m

Racing in Sopot, the Teesside Tornado clocked 6.49 to beat Marvin Bracy and Femi Ogunode to gold.

2018 – Andy Pozzi, 60m hurdles

After no golds from the British team in Portland 2016, the home support in Birmingham two years later proved vital as Pozzi took the sprint hurdles crown in 7.46.

2018 – Katarina Johnson-Thompson, pentathlon

KJT was in great form as she scored 4750 to take the title in front of the Birmingham crowd.

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