With the Müller British Athletics Championships three weeks away, two more World Para Athletics champions – Aled Davies and Jonathan Broom-Edwards – and several reigning British outdoor champions including Morgan Lake and Sophie McKinna, join the journey to the event hosted at the Manchester Regional Arena on 4-5 September.
Aled Davies (coach: Ryan Spencer-Jones; club: Cardiff) secured his fourth consecutive world shot put title last season in Dubai, just a few weeks after becoming a father, and he’ll be throwing competitively for the first time since November. The Welshman has been a regular at the British Athletics Championships over the last few years, and he will face a strong field including defending champion Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson; City of York) who leads the entries as he seeks a sixth consecutive British outdoor title.
Another world champion to grace the in-field will be Jonathan Broom-Edwards (Graham Ravenscroft) who will compete in the men’s high jump. At the World Para Athletics Championships in the UAE, the Newham & Essex Beagles athlete scored his first title at that level in the T64 high jump. He’ll join 2019 British champion Allan Smith (Bryan Roy; Shaftesbury Barnet) who has already been confirmed.
In the women’s equivalent, Commonwealth silver medallist Morgan Lake (Eldon Lake; Windsor Slough Eton Hounslow) will target a fifth consecutive British outdoor title after dominating the event since 2016.
Sophie McKinna (Mike Winch; Great Yarmouth) contests the women’s shot put with the outdoor champion returning to action. The world finalist will take on 2020 indoor champion Amelia Strickler (Zane Duquemin; Thames Valley) who secured that title in Glasgow back in February.
Among the reigning Müller British Athletics outdoor champions who are returning to defend their title is Harry Coppell (Scott Simpson; Wigan & District) who cleared a remarkable PB of 5.71 metres in Birmingham last year to qualify for the men’s pole vault at the World Athletics Championships in Doha.
In the men’s discus, 2019 gold medallist Nic Percy (Vesteinn Hafsteinsson; Shaftesbury Barnet) will face a strong field including Lawrence Okoye (Croydon) who currently leads the 2020 UK rankings after a throw of 65.15 metres last month.
In the women’s equivalent, Kirsty Law (Zane Duquemin; Sale Harriers Manchester) will be aiming to retain her British crown and she goes up against current UK lead Jade Lally (Duquemin; Shaftesbury Barnet) who is also among the entrants.
Meanwhile, Jess Mayho (Birchfield Harriers) and Laura Whittingham (Tom Dobbing; Sale Harriers Manchester) return as the reigning British champions in the women’s hammer throw and javelin respectively.
With the championships being broadcast live on Friday night on BBC2, extended to 1800-2100, and Saturday afternoon on BBC1, 1315-1630, Britain’s best athletes will be lining up to provide athletics fans with their fix of the country’s favourite Olympic and Paralympic sport.
The format and shape of the competition and guidelines that will be adhered to for competitors and those helping to stage the Championships will be subject to the government guidelines in place.
The Müller British Athletics Championships will be broadcast live on Friday night on BBC2, 1800-2100 and Saturday afternoon on BBC1, 1315-1630.
Entry lists can be found here.
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Image & Words courtesy of https://www.britishathletics.org.uk/news-and-features/world-gold-medallists-and-reigning-british-champions-set-to-star-in-the-field-at-the-muller-british-athletics-championships/
