25 September 2008

England Athletics have announced that tickets for their eagerly awaited Hall of Fame are now on sale.

At a dinner at the National Motorcycle Museum on Saturday 18 October 2008 five athletes will be officially inducted into the England Athletics Hall of fame.

The five will have been chosen in an open vote by athletics fans and members of the public from a short list put forward by a panel of experts.

The eleven short-listed athletes chosen by the panel are (in alphabetical order):

Harold Abrahams – 1924 Olympic 100m champion and long-time athletics administrator

Roger Bannister – first man to run a sub-four-minute mile

Seb Coe – twice Olympic 1500m champion, multi-world record-holder and chairman of London 2012

Sally Gunnell – 1992 Olympic 400m hurdles champion and world record-holder

David Hemery – set world record to win 1968 Olympic 400m hurdles title

Steve Ovett – multi-world record-holder and Olympic 800m champion

Ann Packer – 1964 Olympic 800m gold medallist

Mary Rand – jumped world record to win Olympic long jump title in 1964

Daley Thompson – 1980 and 1984 Olympic decathlon winner and world record-holder

Dorothy Tyler – won Olympic medals in high jump both sides of World War II

Sydney Wooderson – world record-holder for 880 yards and the mile

The short list was drawn up on the following criteria:

• Athletes will be selected based on their contribution to the sport of athletics as well as performance. (This could be as an athlete, coach or some other contributor). An example could be the impact of Roger Banisters sub 4min mile on middle distance running or Seb Coe’s work for the sport and Olympics
• Nominated athletes must have been retired for a minimum of 5 years
• Any one who has served a 2 year plus drug ban would not appear on the panel’s recommended short-list

Voters can also nominate a choice from a further list of athletes to add another name to their list. The athletes on this 12th athlete list are Albert Hill, Alf Shrubb, Brendan Foster, Denise Lewis, Diane Leather, Dorothy Hyman, Douglas Lowe, Fatima Whitbread, Geoff Capes, Gordon Pirie, John Regis, Jonathan Edwards, Kathy Cook, Linford Christie, Lord Burghley, McDonald Bailey, Peter Radford, Roger Black, Steve Cram, Tessa Sanderson and Tom Hampson.

To vote follow this link

Voting closes on 28 September.

For more information on the Hall of Fame & National Awards Dinner please go to www.englandathletics.org or to purchase tickets direct please either call 0121 781 7271 or send an email to info@englandathletics.org