ENGLISH-BORN sprinter Leon Reid says he will reject a place in Britain’s World Championship team as he continues to fight for Irish eligibility.
Reid, 22, is eligible to run for Ireland through both his Belfast-born mother and second generation Irish foster mother.
He previously competed for Northern Ireland at the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
The Bath-based athlete was a surprise package at Team GB’s World Championships Trials in Birmingham last weekend as he finished third in the 200m.
The British selectors still have a spot to fill alongside trials top two Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Danny Talbot.
But Reid said he would not accept a place in the British team to keep his ambition of running for Ireland alive.
"Even if they (the GB selectors) came and asked me and got down on one knee, I want to run for Ireland," said Reid.
"This has been in the works for a year and a week now. People have thought 'oh he wants to move because he's not running that well'. That's not the case. I'm all in for Ireland."
?? @sebcoe @iaaforg #yourmove https://t.co/1lFFSRPDB9
— Leon Reid. (@LeonReid_Woody) July 6, 2017
He has also represented Britain in international competition having won 200m silver medals at both European Junior and European Under-23 championships.
When asked whether he would reject a place in the British team for August’s championships in London, Reid replied: "Yeah. I want to run for Ireland and I'm not going to let any of them stop that."
Reid's ambition of switching to Ireland has been complicated by the IAAF's decision to halt all changes of nationality, pending a review of the current rules.
However, Reid is optimistic that he will be able to wear the green of Ireland by the time next month’s World Championships swing around.
"There's no movement just yet but there is still a month until the World Championships,” he said.
“There's always a hope. As an athlete you've always got to be a bit of an optimist."
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