13 February 2013

Nearly 400 of Britain’s best athletes, including 13 defending champions, are set to compete in the British Athletics European Trials and UK Championships this weekend – the biggest Indoor Trials since the event was first held in Sheffield ten years ago.

In what promises to be one of the most competitive events of the weekend, Richard Buck (coach: Steve Fudge), Richard Strachan (Linford Christie) and Nigel Levine (Linford Christie) will go head-to-head over 400m as the trio eye a place on the GB & NI team for the European Indoor Championships in Gothenburg. Buck (46.47), Strachan (46.22, 46.31), and Levine (46.74) have secured the qualification standard already this season and will be looking for a top two finish in Sheffield to guarantee themselves automatic selection.

Buck, a three-time UK Indoor Champion, is looking forward to lining up in Sheffield, but admits he faces a tough challenge to book his place on the plane to Sweden in a few weeks’ time.

“I’m really looking forward to coming back home to Yorkshire and competing in front of a home crowd. The men’s 400m is one of the most competitive events of the weekend – there are a good number of athletes that are in with a chance of winning the UK title and qualifying for the European Indoors.”

Strachan, the fastest British athlete over 400m this year added:

“I’ve run the qualification time twice now this season, so the main aim for me is to get in the team automatically by finishing in the top two this weekend.

“I only ran one 400m before the Europeans two years ago, but I’ve got a full season under my belt this time around – I’m feeling good and my training is going really well.

Asha Philip (Christine Bowmaker), who tops the UK rankings in the women’s 60m for 2013 with a time of 7.24, will face a field including the two next quickest in the UK this year, Annabelle Lewis (Roger Walters) and Hayley Jones (Donald Moss), who both ran personal bests of 7.31 – just 0.01 outside the European Indoors qualification time. Olympic 400m silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan) steps down from her usual distance to tackle a 60m and 200m sprint double.

Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz (Fayyaz Ahmed) competes in the high jump following a jump of 2.29m for a second place finish at the Glasgow International Match and Holly Bleasdale (Dan Pfaff/Scott Simpson) will look to continue her excellent early season form in the pole vault.

Andrew Pozzi (Malcolm Arnold), the fastest man in Europe over 60m hurdles during 2013 with a time of 7.58, headlines a 60m hurdles field that also includes Gianni Frankis (Tony Jarrett), Nick Gayle (Lloyd Cowan) and Allan Scott (Stuart Hogg).

Hurdles specialists dominate the main contenders for the women’s 400m as Eilidh Child (Malcolm Arnold) and Meghan Beesley (Nick Dakin) line up against defending champion Shana Cox (Lloyd Cowan).

Margaret Adeoye (Linford Christie), who recently set a 200m season’s best of 22.98, will run in both the 60m and 200m. World Indoor Champion Yamile Aldama (Frank Attoh) will line up in the triple jump while Shara Proctor (Rana Reider), a bronze medallist at the World Indoor Championships, will compete in the long jump.

For a full schedule of events, please visit: http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/british-athletics-european-trials-and-uk-championships/timetable/

There are a limited number of tickets available for this weekend’s British Athletics European Trials & UK Championships, buy yours now.