17 April 2013

2013 promises to be another action packed summer of world-class athletics as the UK welcomes some of the world’s best athletes for the Sainsbury’s Summer Series.

A combined total of 40 Olympic and 14 Paralympic medallists have so far confirmed they will compete at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham and the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games to be held at The Stadium, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park.

The Sainsbury’s British Championships – Birmingham also returns to the West Midlands as over 600 of the best British athletes go head-to-head for a place on the GB & NI team for the IAAF World Championships in Moscow in August. 

Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham (29-30 June)

Some of the world’s best athletes will compete in Birmingham on Saturday 29 June and Sunday 30 June when the Alexander Stadium stages the 2013 IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final and the IAAF Diamond League.

Taking place three weeks before the 2013 IPC Athletics World Championships on 29 June, the IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final will be the seventh and final event of the IPC Athletics Grand Prix, with some of the biggest names from the Paralympics set to compete.

A day later, double Olympic champion Mo Farah (coach: Alberto Salazar) will head a list of 11 Olympic medallists from London 2012, including six champions, competing at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix at the Alexander Stadium on Sunday 30 June.

Farah will run over 5,000m in the IAAF Diamond League meet, and will be joined by Olympic long jump champion Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff), Olympic 400m silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan) and Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Ahmed).

Farah, who won Olympic gold over 10,000m as part of ‘Super Saturday’, before going on to clinch gold in the 5,000m a week later, is looking forward to returning to Birmingham where he was a dominant winner in the two miles last year and won over 5,000m in 2011.

“2012 was an incredible year for me and I’m really looking forward to competing in front of a home crowd in the UK again. This is another big year with the World Championships just around the corner and it’s always good to perform well in Birmingham.

“I have great memories of competing at the Alexander Stadium and it was great to celebrate my Olympic success with a win there last year. I’ll be looking to run well there again and put on another good show for the fans.”

Sainsbury’s British Championships – Birmingham (12-14 July)

Two weeks after the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham, 600 of Britain’s best athletes will return to the Alexander Stadium for the Sainsbury’s British Championships – Birmingham.

With places on Britain’s team to the IAAF World Championships in Moscow up for grabs across the weekend, the stars of British athletics will need to be on top form if they want to secure a place on the team that heads to Russia.

Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games (26-28 July)

Six-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt is among 29 Olympic medallists, including 12 champions and four world record holders, who have, so far, been confirmed for the IAAF Diamond League at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on the 26-28 July – one year on from the Opening Ceremony of the London 2012 Games.

All of the British medallists from last year’s Olympic Games will compete at the event, with Jess Ennis (Toni Minichiello), Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar), Greg Rutherford (Dan Pfaff), Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan) and Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Ahmed) all set to star in the only two-day IAAF Diamond League in the world this year.  

Ennis said: “I am really looking forward to competing in the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games – I have amazing memories of competing in the Olympic Stadium last year and it will be good to step out on that track again in front of a British crowd.  I will never forget the noise the crowd made when I competed last August and know that the draw of the stadium and the great line up of athletes will fill the stands and make it another incredible occasion.”

A three-day festival of the world’s best athletics, the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games also welcomes heroes from last summer’s Paralympic Games in a one-off IPC International Challenge on Sunday 28 July. 

Paralympic gold medallists Jonnie Peacock (Steve Fudge), Josie Pearson (Anthony Hughes), Richard Whitehead (Keith Antonie) and Mickey Bushell (Fred Periac) will all be looking to replicate last year’s victories when they return to The Stadium.

Peacock said: “I’m really excited, as it’s great to race in front of the British public and make them happy. There’s a huge positive energy in the Stadium and it’s a bonus that it’s a super quick track. It holds great memories for me and it will be great to go back there nearly a year on and see what I’ve got to offer.”

Below you can see a list of athletes announced so far for the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham and the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games:

Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham:

MEN:

100m: Kim Collins, Kemar Bailey-Cole
800m: Andrew Osagie, Mukhtar Mohammed, Abubaker Kaki, Mohammed Aman
5000m: Mo Farah
110m hurdles: Hansle Parchment
400m hurdles: Dai Greene
High jump: Robbie Grabarz
Long jump: Greg Rutherford
Triple jump: Teddy Tamgho
Shot put: Tomasz Majewski, David Storl, Christian Cantwell

WOMEN:

200m: Carmelita Jeter
400m: Christine Ohuruogu
800m: Jenny Meadows
100m hurdles: Kellie Wells, Danielle Carruthers
400m hurdles: Perri Shakes-Drayton
Pole vault: Holly Bleasdale, Jenn Suhr, Yarisley Silva

Ticket details and line-up for the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham will host the IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final on Saturday 29 June will be announced shortly.

Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham event schedule:

IAAF Diamond League:

Men: 100m heats & final*, 800m*, 5000m*, 400m hurdles*, High jump*, Long jump*, Triple jump*, Shot*, Javelin*, 1500m, 110m hurdles heats & final

Women: 200m*, 400m*, 1500m*, 3000m steeplechase*, 100m hurdles*, Pole vault*, Discus*, 800m, 400m hurdles

*Part of the IAAF Diamond League race. For more information visit: http://www.diamondleague.com/en/Diamond-Race/Overview-Disciplines/

IPC Athletics Grand Prix Final:

Men: T43/44 100m, T42 200m, T43/44 400m, T11/12 800m, T37 800m, T53/54 1500m, T20 1500m, F44 (42) Discus, F31/32/51 Club Throw, F40/41 Javelin

Women: T34/35 100m, T45/46/47 200m, T33/34 200m, T37 400m, T53/54 1500m, T20 1500m, F40/41 Shot Put, F42/43/44 Long Jump

Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games

IAAF Diamond League (26-27 July)

MEN:

100m: Usain Bolt, Kim Collins
400m: Lalonde Gordon, Kirani James, Luguelin Santos
800m: Andrew Osagie, Mukhtar Mohammed
1 mile (Emsley Carr Mile): Leo Manzano, Galen Rupp
3,000m: Mo Farah, Chris Thompson
110m hurdles: Aries Merritt, Hansle Parchment, Jason Richardson, Lawrence Clarke, Andy Turner
400m hurdles: Javier Culson, Dai Greene
Long jump: Greg Rutherford, Mitchell Watt
High jump: Robbie Grabarz
Pole Vault: Raphael Holzdeppe, Renaud Lavillenie, Bjorn Otto, Steve Lewis
Discus: Ehsan Hadadi

WOMEN:

100m: Carmelita Jeter
400m: Christine Ohuruogu, Sanya Richards-Ross
800m: Jenny Meadows
100m hurdles: Danielle Carruthers, Sally Pearson, Kellie Wells, Jessica Ennis
400m hurdles: Perri Shakes-Drayton
Long jump: Darya Klishina, Jessica Ennis, Shara Proctor, Katarina Johnson-Thomson
Shot put: Valerie Adams
Pole vault: Yarisley Silva, Jennifer Suhr, Holly Bleasdale
Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games event schedule:

Friday 26 July

Men: 100m, 200m*, 400m*, 800m, Discus*, High jump*

Women: 800m*, 1500m, 5000m*, 400m hurdles*, 4x100m, Pole vault*, Triple jump*

Saturday 27 July

Men: 100m hurdles*, 1 Mile (Emsley Carr)*, 3000m, 400m hurdles, 3,000m steeplechase*, 4x100m, Long jump, Pole vault                                                                

Women: 100m*, 200m, 400m, 100m hurdles, Long jump, Shot put*, Javelin*

IPC International Challenge (28 July)

MEN:

Mickey Bushell (T53 100m gold medallist), Dan Greaves (F44 discus silver medallist), Ben Rushgrove (T36 200m bronze medallist), Paul Blake (T36 400m silver & 800m bronze medallist), Ola Abidogun (T46 100m bronze medallist), Richard Whitehead (T42 200m gold medallist), Jonnie Peacock (T44 100m gold medallist), David Devine (T12 800m & 1500m bronze medallist), Graeme Ballard (T36 100m silver medallist).

WOMEN:

Josie Pearson (F51 discus gold medallist), Katrina Hart (T35-38 relay bronze medallist), Stef Reid (F44 long jump silver medallist), Jenny McLoughlin (T35-38 relay bronze medallist), Gemma Prescott (F32 club throw bronze medallist).

More names will be released in due course, including a full list of the international athletes competing in the IPC International Challenge on Sunday 28 July.

For tickets for the Sainsbury’s Summer Series, please visit: www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/home