By Owen Morgan
Cardiff AAC sprinter Sam Gordon will join fellow Welsh athletes Dai Green and Brett Morse in the Great Britain team for the inaugural Athletics World Cup in London this weekend.
Gordon has been named in the final GB squad of 45, which already included his countrymen, who were automatic picks following their British Championships success in Birmingham two weeks ago.
The Welsh 100m champion has been selected as part of the British 4x100m team which will take on the likes of the USA and Jamaica on Saturday night at the London Stadium.
Gordon’s recognition is reward for an excellent season, which has seen him clock consistently fast times despite being hampered by an injury.
The Cardiff Metropolitan University athlete started the year in blistering fashion claiming the scalp of England’s World, European and Commonwealth medallist Harry Aikines Aryeetey when he won the Welsh indoor 60m title in January.
The following month he clocked an indoor personal best of 6.67 at the British Indoor Championships in Birmingham.
Since then he has enjoyed a successful outdoor season, despite having to overcome an ankle injury that he picked up in late May.
Before the injury he finished second at the Loughborough International , clocking a time of 10.47 seconds. He then won a sprint double of 10.36 in the 100m and 21.30 at the Run With The Wind Sprints Open Meeting in Cardiff in June.
Two weeks ago Gordon progressed through his heats and semi-finals at the British Athletics Championships to qualify for a hugely competitive Men’s 100m Final, featuring the likes of Reece Prescod, Zharnel Hughes and CJ Ujah, where he finished seventh in 10.40 seconds.
Gordon was due to be defending his Welsh100m title at this weekend’s Welsh Athletics Championships being held at Cardiff’s International Sports Stadium in Leckwith. The 23-year-old powered to the 2017 title in a personal best time of 10.32.
Instead the Matt Elias-trained athlete will now join fellow Welsh stars Greene and Morse at the two-day global event which starts on Saturday evening.
Morse, will be competing in the discus on Saturday, starting at 8.05pm, while Gordon and his relay team-mates will be taking part in the final event of the first day at 9.45pm.
Former world champion Greene will take the track in the 400m hurdles on Sunday evening at 8.18pm.
You can follow the action from the London Stadium on Sky Sports.