18 January 2017

2014 world indoor long jump silver medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson, 2016 world indoor bronze medallist Lorraine Ugen and European silver medallist Jazmin Sawyers will face-off in an exciting battle of the Brits in the long jump at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham.

Five Olympic champions are among 14 medallists from the Rio 2016 Games who have so far signed up for the world’s greatest indoor athletics meeting at the Barclaycard Arena on Saturday 18th February. 

The event is the first of a series of major international athletics competitions in the next 12 months, which will see Britain and Birmingham become the focus of the athletics world.

European Indoor heptathlon champion Johnson-Thompson is looking for a strong performance in Birmingham to start an important year on a positive note.  

Johnson Thompson said: “I’m really looking forward to competing again at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix on 18th February, it’s one of my favourite meets of the year.  

“I’m really excited to get back on the runway where I was fortunate enough to set a British indoor long jump record last time the event was there in 2015.” 

2016 was a breakthrough year for Lorraine Ugen who won the bronze medal at the world indoor championships in Portland, with a personal best jump of 6.93m, equalling Johnson-Thompson’s British indoor record set the year before. 

Ugen said: “Winning my first major medal and jumping a British record at the World Indoors last year was amazing, so hopefully bigger distances will come from me during the 2017 season. 

“I always love the atmosphere of the home crowd in Birmingham, so competing at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix is going to be really exciting for me. I think the long jump competition will be pretty exciting with the rest of the British jumpers providing a healthy rivalry to push us all to some fantastic jumps.” 

Jazmin Sawyers won a silver medal at the European championships and finished first Brit in eighth place at the Olympic Games last summer. She has now relocated to Birmingham to train with Athens Olympic heptathlon bronze medallist Kelly Sotherton and the 2014 Commonwealth silver medallist is hoping the collaboration can help her to more success in 2017. 

Sawyers said: “This year is a big year for all British athletes and I really want to build on my performances from last year and hopefully get to the world championships in London this summer. 

“I’m currently focusing hard on jumping well indoors and I’m really excited about competing against Kat and Lorraine at the best indoor event in the world, in my new home city of Birmingham.” 

Tickets to see a host of global stars at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Birmingham are now on general sale and can be purchased by visiting www.britishathletics.org.uk.  

The Müller Indoor Grand Prix, which is supported by Birmingham City Council, is a vital event as the British Athletics team builds towards a summer which will include two global championships in the UK; the World Para Athletics Championships and the IAAF World Championships London 2017. Then in March 2018, Birmingham will host the IAAF World Indoor Championships from 2-4 March.