28th August 2009

Aviva British Grand Prix

28 August 2009

32 World Championship medallists – including a dozen champions are amongst a star-studded line up set to compete at the Aviva British Grand Prix at Gateshead International Stadium on Monday 31st August.

Competition will be fierce as rivalries from Berlin are quickly rekindled in the last of UKA’s summer season of world class events.

Britain’s two World Championship gold medallists Jessica Ennis and Phillips Idowu will be out to impress after their recent successes in Berlin. Ennis makes her first ever appearance at Gateshead International Stadium, where she will run in the 100m hurdles against the newly crowned World champion Brigitte Foster-Hylton.

Six World Championship medallists line up in the men’s 400m in Gateshead, headed up by double gold medallist LaShawn Merritt. The American, who also won 400m and 4x400m relay gold in Beijing last year, will provide tough opposition for Britain’s three 4x400m relay silver medallists, Michael Bingham, Rob Tobin and Martyn Rooney. Then there’s the superb 400m hurdles champion Kerron Clement, who teamed up with Merritt and Angelo Taylor in their relay success.

Also competing in the Aviva British Grand Prix is World 200m champion Allyson Felix and bronze medallist Debbie Ferguson-McKenzie. Felix, 23, retained the title she won in Osaka in superb style, adding a 4x400m relay gold to her haul.

Meanwhile track rivalry resumes in the men’s 100m, with World silver medallist Tyson Gay in the blocks as well as three members of the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland 4x100m relay squad who picked up bronze in Berlin – Tyrone Edgar, Marlon Devonish and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.

In the men’s long jump, Middlesbrough’s Chris Tomlinson has another chance to tackle newly crowned World champion Dwight Phillips. American Phillips stole the show in Berlin, with an astounding leap of 8.54m to clinch his third world title. 

Two Kenyan World champions battle for supremacy in the women’s 3000m, with World 5000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot up against her compatriot Linet Masai, gold medallist over 10,000m.

World 110m hurdles bronze medallist David Payne and fellow American Bernard Lagat, who clinched 5000m silver and 1500m bronze, also take to the track in Gateshead.

Niels de Vos, Chief Executive of UKA said: "Once again we have attracted a star-studded field to the Aviva British Grand Prix and can expect to see some truly world class sport. Millions of people around the world were thrilled by some of the fantastic performances from the recent World Championships, the Gateshead crowd will have a very special opportunity to see those same athletes up close on Monday."

Tickets for the Aviva British Grand Prix at Gateshead International Stadium on Monday 31st August are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.uka.org.uk