10 February 2017

The country’s best athletes are ready to come to Sheffield for the British Athletics Indoor Team Trials at the EIS on Saturday 11 and Sunday 12 February.

The event will feature many stars of the sport as they battle it out for a place on the British Athletics Team at the European Indoor Championships in Belgrade at the start of March, as well as the honour of being crowned British champion.

Andrew Pozzi (coach: Benke Blomkvist), the fastest 60m hurdler in the world in 2017 with a time of 7.44, is hoping to defend the British title he won last year.

He said: “I can’t wait. It’s an event I’ve done several times now, I love competing in Sheffield and the line ups are wicked so I’d say to the public to get a ticket or follow it live online! Things are going well so I’ll be looking for a good clean race this weekend.”

Pozzi’s training partner David Omoregie (Blomkvist) has also been in great form during the indoor season, setting a personal best of 6.71, and is hoping to better that in Sheffield this weekend.

Omoregie said: “I really can’t wait, I’m feeling really good. I’ve done this event for the last three years and always medalled so I’ll try and do the same tomorrow; enjoy the experience and execute a good race. It’s a stepping stone towards the European Indoors.”

Rio Olympic 4x100m medallist Asha Philip (Steve Fudge) won a thrilling women’s 60m race at last year’s Indoor Trials, and is relishing the chance to compete at the EIS tomorrow.

Philip said: “I love competing at indoor meets, so I’m really excited to be competing here this week. I think the fact that indoor events are so raw – it’s a bang for the start, and then it’s all over so quickly – makes for an exciting race too. The crowds on home soil are always fantastic too, and I expect they’ll be on great form this weekend.”

The Sheffield crowd has become accustomed to seeing British records from race walker Tom Bosworth (Andi Drake) in recent years, with this year’s race taking place over 5000m, Bosworth has his sights set on lowering his own mark of 18:54.18 in Sunday’s race.

Bosworth said: “It’ll be the first time I’ve raced over 5000m at the British Indoor Team Trials, so it’ll be different challenge, but it’s certainly one I’m looking forward to. Hopefully I can better my British record here on Sunday.

“It’s not going to be easy; when I set the record originally it was against a stacked field so that pushed me round the track to a fast time then – hopefully the crowd can do the same this weekend.”

A limited number of tickets are available at www.britishathletics.org.uk. The British Athletics Indoor Team Trials will be streamed live on the BBC Sport website.