31st May 2019

SIX WORLD CHAMPIONS ANNOUNCED BY BRITISH ATHLETICS LEGENDS FOR MÜLLER ANNIVERSARY GAMES

  • Wayde Van Niekerk (RSA), Sally Pearson (AUS), Karsten Warholm (NOR), Mutaz Barshim (QAT), Katerina Stefanidi (GRE) and Christian Taylor (USA) to go head to head with the world’s best athletes in the London Stadium on 20-21 July
  • Tickets available via https://www.theticketfactory.com/british-athletics/online/

Six world champions from the IAAF World Championships London 2017 will return to the scene of their triumphs, at the Müller Anniversary Games in the London Stadium on 20 – 21 July.

Olympic and double world 400m champion Wayde Van Niekerk (RSA), London 2012 Olympic and double world 100m hurdles champion Sally Pearson (AUS), world and European 400m hurdles champion Karsten Warholm (NOR), world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim (QAT), Olympic and world pole vault champion Katerina Stefanidi (GRE), plus double Olympic and three-times world triple jump champion Christian Taylor (USA), will all compete in the London Stadium in July, as they prepare to defend their world titles at the IAAF World Championships in Doha later this year.

The ‘six from 2017’ were announced on twitter, by some of Britain’s greatest ever athletics stars, every hour from 1000 this morning.

Wayde Van Niekerk was the first athlete revealed today, by Britain’s greatest ever sprint hurdler and two-time world champion Colin Jackson. The South African sprint star will compete over 400m at the Müller Anniversary Games, in one of the most highly anticipated races of the weekend. It will be the first time Van Niekerk, the 400m world record holder, has raced in the London Stadium since his sensational 400m gold medal and 200m silver medal winning performances in 2017.

Sally Pearson, who was announced by former Olympic and three-times world champion heptathlete Dame Jessica Ennis-Hill, will line up against a top-class field, in what is sure to be one of the best 100m hurdles races in the world this year. The London stadium is a particularly special venue for the Australian hurdler, who won her Olympic gold medal there in 2012, before once again emerging victorious on this track to secure the 2017 world title.

The 400m hurdles will also be one to watch at the Müller Anniversary Games, with Karsten Warholm looking for another winning performance on British soil. The Norwegian athlete, who was announced by former European 400m champion Iwan Thomas, won a European Indoor 400m gold medal in Glasgow earlier this year to add to his world 400m hurdles title from London 2017 and the European outdoor title he won in Berlin last year.

Mutaz Barshim is expected, as always, to provide excellent entertainment in the men’s high jump at the Müller Anniversary Games. The Qatari athlete was announced today, by another great showman, former world and double Olympic decathlon champion Daley Thompson. Barshim has a strong record in the London Stadium winning his world gold medal there in 2017 and an Olympic bronze medal in 2012.

Katerina Stefanidi set a personal best of 4.91m on her way to winning her pole vault world title in London two years ago and will be looking to clear big heights at the Müller Anniversary Games. The Greek star and reigning Olympic champion, is a great entertainer who always puts on a good show and is very popular with the crowd. She was announced earlier today, by British Athletics Couch to 5k ambassador and television personality Nell McAndrew.

The last name to be revealed of the ‘six from 2017’ was triple jump superstar Christian Taylor. The American, whose outstanding record includes two Olympic and three world titles, was announced by an athlete with her own incredible tally of medals, former Olympic and world 400m hurdles champion Sally Gunnell. Taylor has won Olympic and world gold medals in the London Stadium and this year’s Müller Anniversary Games will be his first competition there since his victory at  London 2017.

 

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

“The Müller Anniversary Games is one of the world’s premier outdoor meets and always attracts the best athletes in the world, and I’m very excited that these six champions from the London 2017 World Championships will be competing in the London Stadium on 20-21 July.

“They will be joined by many more top stars, and we will see some spectacular performances as the countdown begins for the world championships later this summer. The Müller Anniversary Games will be an outstanding weekend of entertainment for all the family in the iconic London Stadium and is not to be missed.”

 Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games are on sale at www.theticketfactory.com/british-athletics