24 February 2011

Bernice Wilson is hoping she can help Sheffield Flames defend their title in the McCain City Challenge Match 2 in Cardiff on Saturday 26 February as she puts the finishing touches to her preparation for the European Indoor Championships, which takes place in Paris on 4-6 March.

The series features teams from eight cities who compete in two matches, with the team with the highest overall points score after Match 2 being crowned 2011 McCain City Champions.

Wilson (coach: George Skafidas) has consistently been among the top sprinters in the UK during the indoor season, finishing second in the Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships at the EIS and in the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham.

She said: “The McCain City Challenge will be a great competition for the build up to the European Indoor Championships. There are always good quality athletes that compete in the event so it will be good for me and add to my preparation.

“I’m really pleased with how the indoor season has gone so far. I’ve produced some good results and it’s been great to compete against high level athletes at events like the Aviva Grand Prix. The good season has made me positive for the Europeans. I’ve had great support to get to where I am and I’m going to do the best I can at the Europeans.”

Wilson will be joined in the Flames team by North of England Champion and Aviva Indoor UK Trials silver medallist Luke Cutts (coach: Trevor Fox), who will be looking for maximum points in the pole vault.

Holly Bleasdale (coach: Julien Raffalli-Ebezant) will also be putting the final touches to her preparation for the Europeans and may even have the UK Record in her sights.

The 2010 World Junior bronze medallist, who will compete in the pole vault for Manchester Warriors, has had a breakthrough indoor season which has seen her win the Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships and add 15cm to her best.

Nineteen-year-old Bleasdale vaulted a new personal best of 4.50m earlier this month at Match 1 in Sheffield and the UK Record of 4.60m could be in danger on Saturday.

She said: “I’m looking forward to the McCain City Challenge – it’s my last competition in preparation for the European Indoor Championship and it provides a great opportunity to focus on working on my technique as well as performing to my best.”

Cardiff’ Dragons’ Joe Thomas (coach: Arwyn Davies) will step down to race the 400m to get some speed work in before he flies to Paris to compete in the 800m after winning the Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships earlier this month.

He said: “I’m using the McCain City Challenge as the last speed session prior to representing the Aviva GB&NI team at the European Indoor Championships a week later. Things have been going well at the shorter distances so it will be a nice opportunity to post a time over a distance I don’t often get chance to run.”

Robbie Grabarz (coach: Fuzz Ahmed) will look to go one better than in recent weeks and claim maximum points for London North Lions. He will be helped by the fact that the last time he competed in Cardiff, he set a personal best of 2.28m to win the McCain Challenge Final in August last year.

He said: ”The McCain City Challenge will be great final preparation for me before the Europeans, I feel I need one more competition to embed the rhythm into my run up, something I have been trying to achieve during my indoor season.”

Scott Rider (coach: John Hiller) will go for a second victory for London South Sharks in the ‘Tournament Shot’ – a new initiative brought in for 2011 where the competition format is man versus man as opposed to the traditional style. He will be joined on the Sharks team by Paris-bound Conrad Williams (coach: Linford Christie) who will be getting in some relay practise before the Europeans with a 400m leg in the medley relay.

Birmingham Falcons will hope Julian Adeniran (coach: Eliska Binks) – who set a personal best of 7.84 in Match 1 but was beaten by the thickness of a vest, can go one better in Cardiff – while Newcastle Angels will look to the talents of University of Birmingham student Mike Sweeney (coach: Mike Bull) in the combined events, nineteen-year-old Sally Scott (coach: Jamie Scott) in the pole vault and Matt Hudson (coach: James Hillier) in the 60m hurdles for big points.

After an exciting last-gasp victory at Match 1, London North Lions will be hoping for a repeat success in Cardiff, which would see them crowned 2011 McCain City Champions. But defending champions Sheffield Flames, and indeed the rest of the pack, will be hot on their heels.

With £30,000 of prize money on offer and free entry for spectators to watch the competition, the atmosphere on the day promises to be electric.

Competition Manager Paul Aldridge said: “The concluding Match in the McCain City Challenge looks to be the tightest ever. Three teams have a realistic chance of glory and every event will be neck and neck. All teams are coming to Cardiff to perform better than last time, achieve new PB’s and ensure that their team is the last City standing!”

Match 2 will be without Glasgow Cobras, who have withdrawn due to other fixtures.

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