29th January 2019

MORE BRITISH STARS TARGET SPAR BRITISH ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Following the news that a number of major international medallists had accepted their invitations ahead of the SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships next month, a further host of World, European and Commonwealth medallists have now also confirmed their attendance ahead of the event heading to Arena Birmingham on February 9-10.

With the opportunity to qualify and represent Great Britain & Northern Ireland at the European Indoor Championships in Glasgow, more of Britain’s finest athletes are targeting the championships in less than two weeks.

Fresh from an equal British indoor record high jump mark of 1.97m, reigning Commonwealth silver medallist Morgan Lake (Fuzz Caan, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) is aiming to win a fourth consecutive British indoor title on the back of a spectacular season opener.

In the sprints, the presence of world 4x100m champion and European 200m silver medallist Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Lane Brauman, Newham & Essex Beagles) is sure to catch the eye in an event which seems wide open, the men’s 60m. There is a welcome return to the top-level of domestic competition for sprint hurdler and 2016 Olympic Games fourth placer Cindy Ofili (Woodford Green Essex Ladies) after a lengthy injury lay-off.

Elsewhere, European 4x100m champion and multi-international medallist Bianca Williams (Lloyd Cowan; Enfield & Haringey) is set to line up in women’s 60m sprint, while the ever-improving Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker, Enfield & Haringey) is joined by world and European medallists Zoey Clark (Eddie McKenna, Thames Valley) and Meghan Beesley (Michael Baker, Birchfield Harriers) in what is an increasingly stacked women’s 400m.

Another World and European medallist, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg, Windsor Slough Eton & Hounslow) will start as the gold-medal favourite in the women’s 800m following back-to-back international indoor medals in 2017 and 2018. Fresh from a world-leading pentathlon mark and European Indoor qualifying mark last weekend, Commonwealth Games heptathlon bronze medallist Niamh Emerson (David Feeney, Amber Valley & Erewash) will compete in both the long jump and 60m hurdles.

Previously confirmed to have accepted their invitations to the championships were the likes of double world indoor medallist Laura Muir (Andy Young, Dundee Hawkhill), reigning European Indoor champion and current 60m world leader Asha Philip (Steve Fudge, Newham & Essex Beagles) and multi-international medallist Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool Harriers).

Tickets for the 2019 SPAR British Athletics Indoor Championships are available to purchase from https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/events-and-tickets/spar-british-athletics-indoor-championships/