31 December 2008

The 2008 World Indoor Champion Lolo Jones has today confirmed she will compete in the 60m hurdles at the Aviva International Match, Kelvin Hall on the 31^st January.

The twenty-six year old American has her eyes on the World Championships in August hoping to make up for her Olympic heartbreak.  She will be keen to better her previous two outings in Glasgow, where she has finished second both times.

2008 had been a great year for Jones right up to the Olympic final. She qualified strongly in the US Trials and also setting a personal best in the Beijing semi-final, however in the final the American was cruelly robbed of a gold medal. When leading the 100m hurdles final, she clipped the penultimate hurdle causing her to stumble and finish in 7^th place.

Earlier in the year she had won the World indoor title in Valencia, an event she was second favourite for until the world record holder Susanna Kallur suffered injury.

Jones has an indoor best of 7.77seconds which places her tenth on the all time list and within striking distance of the World Record of 7.68.

The Chief Executive of UK Athletics, Niels de Vos welcomed the standard Jones would set our homegrown athletes:

“These meetings are all about giving our best British athletes the chance to compete against the best in the world and – despite her huge disappointment in Beijing – it is clear that Lolo Jones was the best female high hurdler over the course of last season. Whoever lines up against her in Glasgow and Birmingham will get a perfect illustration of the level they need to be aiming for”

The format of the Aviva International Match sees elite athletes – more accustomed to competing for individual glory – having to earn points for their country. Teams competing at the Aviva International Match are Great Britain and Northern Ireland, USA, Germany, Sweden and a Commonwealth Select team.

The country versus country format guarantees an exciting event to entertain the crowd at the Kelvin Hall. 2008 witnessed a terrific climax with GB and NI winning the final event to take the match by one point.

Jones will also be competing in the 60m hurdles at the Aviva Grand Prix three weeks later at the NIA in Birmingham.

Tickets for the Aviva International Match at the Kelvin Hall, Glasgow on Saturday 31^st January are available by phone on 08000 556 056 or online at www.ukathletics.net