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Sprinter Miguel Francis switches allegiance to Britain

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Miguel Francis has switched allegiance from Antigua and Barbuda to Britain

Miguel Francis, who clocked the world’s seventh fastest 200m of 2016, will run for Great Britain after switching allegiance from Antigua and Barbuda.

The 22-year-old, born in Montserrat, is a training partner of Usain Bolt, with whom he shares a coach, Glenn Mills.

Francis ran a personal best of 19.88 seconds in Jamaica in June 2016.

Adam Gemili, 23, competed for Britain in the 200m at Rio 2016 and placed fourth in the final with a time of 20.12. His personal best is 19.97.

Francis was due to also compete at last summer’s Olympics but had to withdraw with a hamstring injury suffered in training.

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British Athletics said Francis started the process to transfer his allegiance in August – before the Olympic Games – and is now eligible to compete.

He was born in the British Overseas Territory of Montserrat – which does not have its own Olympic committee – but his family fled the island following a volcanic eruption when Francis was six months old.

Zharnel Hughes – born in the British overseas territory of Anguilla – and the United States-born quartet of Tiffany Porter, Cindy Ofili, Shante Little and Montene Speight have all switched allegiance to Britain in recent years.

The switches led to criticism from several other British athletes, including former world indoor 60m champion Richard Kilty.

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