10 November 2011

Two months out from 2012, UKA head coach Charles van Commenee has marked the forthcoming Aviva Series as vital preparation in the lead-up to next summer’s Olympic Games in London.

Van Commenee will head the Aviva Great Britain & Northern Ireland team at the launch event of the 2012 series, the Aviva International Match in Glasgow on 28 January, where his charges will go head-to-head with four international teams in their final competition on home soil before the Olympic Games.

The Glasgow event will be followed by the Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships in Sheffield, where British athletes will battle it out to earn a spot in van Commenee’s team selection for the World Indoor Championships in Istanbul in March.

The series will conclude with the Aviva Grand Prix in Birmingham on 18 February, an event widely considered to be the world’s premier indoor competition.

As tickets for the series went on sale, van Commenee has urged the British public to show their fantastic support to the athletes as the clock counts down towards London 2012.

“Next year is going to be a special year for athletics in this country and what better way to start than with three great indoor events,” said van Commenee.

“The Aviva Series 2012 will really encourage people to get behind the Aviva GB & NI team and give our athletes a bit of extra support in the lead-up to the Games.

“Athletics meets such as those within the Aviva Series 2012 are vital for athletes’ preparation for the season ahead. It gives them a chance to compete against their international rivals and to test themselves against a high quality field.”

The Aviva International Match will be at Kelvin Hall in Glasgow on 28 January. The Aviva Indoor UK Trials and Championships will be at the EIS in Sheffield on 11-12 February. The Aviva Grand Prix will be at the NIA in Birmingham on 18 February. For tickets or more information go to uka.org.uk/aviva-series or phone 08000 556 056.