13 January 2015

Katarina Johnson-Thompson (coach: Mike Holmes) has confirmed that she will compete at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on 21 February 2015. The 21 year old will contest the long jump, the event in which she became world junior champion in 2012 and won a World Indoor Championships silver medal in 2014.

Johnson-Thompson led the world heptathlon rankings for 2014, despite an injury derailing her summer season, and the 21 year old will make her return to world class competition at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena.

The British junior heptathlon record holder has a good track record at the venue, where she won no fewer than twelve national titles during her teenage years, and is looking forward to continuing her build up to contesting the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in Prague in March.

She said: “I’m so excited to be back on the track at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix. I’ve competed in Birmingham before in the hurdles and I’m so happy to be going back to what I think is one of the best indoor competitions you can attend. Especially with the great home crowd I’m super excited to be back.

“At the moment I’m still in hard training but I’m sure by February I’ll be raring to go and hopefully starting back where I left last year because the last competition I did was a home event at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix.

“I’ve competed in Birmingham at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix once before and watched it on television every other year so I can see that it’s always a good turn out with the crowd getting behind the athletes. It feels like a major championship when competing there so it will definitely help me for three weeks later when it’s the European Indoor Championships in Prague.”

Tara Hewitt, Head of Sponsorship for Sainsbury’s, said: “Katarina has been one to watch for some years now and is a great example of a young athlete who has worked really hard to get to the top of her game and we’re delighted that her comeback will be at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix next month.”

Already confirmed as competing at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix are: double Olympic, world and European champion Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar), European 100m champion James Dasaolu (Steve Fudge), Carmelita Jeter, Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie), Jodie Williams (Christine Bowmaker), Asha Philip (Steve Fudge), Aries Merritt, Dayron Robles, William Sharman (Jerzy Maciukiewicz) and Omo Osaghae.

For tickets to the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix visit http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/sainsburys-indoor-grand-prix/. Sainsbury’s is proud to be a long-term supporter of British Athletics and a champion of inclusive sport for all, from grassroots to elite level.