11 February 2014

Newham and Essex Beagles and Liverpool Harriers were crowned male and female Club:Connect champions at the Sainsbury’s British Athletics Indoor Champions in Sheffield last weekend. As part of British Athletics’ campaign to reward and recognise clubs, each British champion won ten points for their club and the clubs with most points were awarded a £500 grant.

On a weekend in which she won the high jump with a new British record of 1.96m and set a new stadium record of 6.75m in winning the long jump, Katarina Johnson-Thompson (coach: Mike Holmes) played a big part in helping Liverpool Harriers win the women’s prize.

The 20 year old, who finished fifth in the heptathlon at last year’s IAAF World Championships, was pleased to help her club win the £500 prize.

She said: “I was delighted with my performances over the weekend and helping Liverpool Harriers to win the Club:Connect prize was the icing on the cake for me.

“I’m a proud Liverpool Harrier and the club has given me great support throughout my career so it’s great that they can get something back. I’m sure the grant will come in very useful and will help the club to develop further.”

Olympic high jump bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Ahmed) retained his British indoor title with a jump of 2.24m and agreed that the support from Club:Connect would be well received by Newham and Essex Beagles.

He said: “I think Club:Connect is a great idea; clubs deserve to be recognised for what they do and this is a brilliant way of doing it. I’m pleased I could help Newham and Essex Beagles win this grant and £500 will go a long way in helping to push the club forward."

British Athletics Major Events Director Cherry Alexander believes that the inaugural Club:Connect championships were a big success.

She said: “The first ever Club:Connect to be held at the Sainsbury’s British Athletics Indoor Championships was a huge success. The athletes really bought into the campaign and wanted to win points for their clubs which was great to see.

“Clubs play a huge part in helping to develop athletes at all levels and it’s therefore important that they are rewarded and recognised at a national level. Congratulations to Newham and Essex Beagles and Liverpool Harriers, I’m sure they will put their grants to good use.”