• Athletics team trial for 2020 Olympics, to take place on 20-21 June 2020, sells out online in just three days
• Lancashire’s pole-vault star Holly Bradshaw delivers skills session for children from Abbey Hey Primary School at Manchester Regional Arena
• Bradshaw says sell-out of event demonstrates appetite for athletics in the North West
• Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games, on Saturday 4 July and Sunday 5 July 2020, remain on sale at https://www.theticketfactory.com/british-athletics/online/

British pole-vault record holder Holly Bradshaw (GBR, coach: Scott Simpson, club: Blackburn Harriers) has praised athletics fans in the North West after tickets for next summer’s British Athletics Championships – the athletics team trial for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games – sold out just three days after going on general sale to the public.

The event, which takes place on 20-21 June 2020, is returning to Manchester for the first time since 2007 when the Manchester Regional Arena will host a weekend of high-stakes athletics, with athletes looking to book their place on the plane to Japan.

Bradshaw was speaking at an event this morning (Thursday 21 November) at the Manchester Regional Arena, where 12 Abbey Hey Primary Academy children from years 5 and 6 were taught the basics of pole-vaulting in a session delivered by Bradshaw herself and coach Scott Simpson.

11-year-old Angel said:

“It was fun and different because I’ve never done anything like this before. It was an amazing experience because not many people get to meet Holly. It’s inspirational seeing how high she can vault – if she can do it, maybe one day I can do it as well”.

The Championships will be the first  outdoor British Athletics event hosted in the UK in 2020. It will be followed two weeks later by the Tokyo 2020 send-off – the Müller Anniversary Games in London on Saturday 4 July and Sunday 5 July. Following the Olympic Games the homecoming Diamond League meeting, the Müller Grand Prix Gateshead will take place on Sunday 16 August.

Speaking at this morning’s event, Bradshaw said:

“It’s so important that we get young people involved in athletics – and excited about our sport – and that’s why sessions like this morning are so special.

“They seemed to really enjoy what we put on for them – having fun is essential in sport and it was great to see how enthusiastic they were.

“I hope today has inspired these children from Abbey Hey Primary School to take their interest in athletics further – maybe one of them will break my British record one day!”

On the British Athletics Championships, Bradshaw said:

“It’s fantastic that the British Athletics Championships have sold out so quickly – it really does demonstrate the popularity of the sport not only in the North West, but across the UK as well as the excitement around the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo.

“This is going to be a brilliant event for all athletes looking to secure their place in Tokyo. Sold-out crowds create atmospheric stadiums – that tends to be when we all perform at our best, and with so much talent in the UK at the moment, everyone will need to raise their game to make the team.

“Tokyo 2020 would be my third Olympic Games. I grew up in Preston so to qualify for Japan in a local area for me would be so special – I’m really excited and I can’t wait to compete in front of this crowd”.

Major Events Director for British Athletics, Cherry Alexander OBE said:

“By the time the British Athletics Championships come around in June 2020, it will have been 13 years since Manchester last hosted them – and it seems athletics fans in the North West have missed it!

“We are very excited to share our major athletics events across the UK – we are taking both the Müller Indoor Grand Prix and British Athletics Indoor Championships to Glasgow in February 2020 – and we’ll be returning to Gateshead for the Müller Grand Prix on 16 August.

“There is clearly a passion for the sport in the North West and it is brilliant that our athletes will be competing in front of packed crowds during such an important phase of their build-up to Tokyo 2020”.

Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games are on general sale. To secure your place, visit britishathletics.org.uk.