By Riath Al-Samarrai for the Daily Mail
Published: 12:57 GMT, 20 February 2019 | Updated: 22:36 GMT, 20 February 2019
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Richard Kilty has been handed a shock place in next month's European Indoor Championships by the organisers despite failing to meet British Athletics' controversial qualifying standard.
The two-time champion had resigned himself to missing out on a chance to defend his 60 metres title in Glasgow after falling short of the excessively harsh national team qualifying mark.
However, in a highly unusual move, the European Athletics Council bypassed British Athletics on Wednesday and invited the 29-year-old to compete.
Richard Kilty has been handed a shock place in European Indoor Championships by organisers
It is a stunning reprieve for the 2014 world indoor champion, whose best time in the qualifying period of 6.63 seconds was well inside the European Championship criteria of 6.78s but outside the British Athletics standard of 6.60s.
Performance director Neil Black defended the qualifying method against accusations of farce when he named only one sprinter for three possible slots in his team on Sunday, but British Athletics has now confirmed Kilty will run in their colours in Glasgow on March 2.
Kilty, whose 2018 season was hampered by achilles problems, said: 'I am really thankful to European