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Müller Anniversary Games

CHANGE OF VENUE FOR MÜLLER ANNIVERSARY GAMES

written by Hugh

An agreement has been reached between LLDC and UK Athletics for the Müller Anniversary Games to be moved away from the London Stadium in 2021.

A spokesperson for LLDC commented: “This event is an important part of London Stadium’s summer schedule and will remain so in future years. However, because of the repercussions of the Covid pandemic on other events at the stadium, in particular the usual concert programme, it was important to reach an agreement with UK Athletics to remove the need to reconfigure the Stadium for one event. We are grateful that UK Athletics have agreed to a revised proposal that covers the costs of relocation and disruption to their plans.”

Joanna Coates, Chief Executive of UK Athletics added: “Our priority has been to stage the event at the London Stadium. Unfortunately, that has proven impossible. As a result, we have agreed to a settlement that allows us to mitigate losses and invest significant resource into the sport to help our athletes succeed. We will now be putting on a world class event at another UK stadium and will be announcing further details in the near future.”

9th May 2021 0 comment

Athletics

BRITISH ATHLETICS CONFIRMS CANCELLATION OF MÜLLER ANNIVERSARY GAMES

written by Hugh

British Athletics has today confirmed the cancellation of the 2020 Müller Anniversary Games – part of the Wanda Diamond League – scheduled for July 4-5 at the London Stadium.

The decision has been made in light of the ongoing global pandemic, with the safety of all athletes, coaches, volunteers, spectators and members of staff, at home in the UK and abroad, the upmost priority.

Joanna Coates, UK Athletics CEO, said:

“We are hugely disappointed to confirm the cancellation of one of the flagship events of the global athletics calendar, but we must place the safety of the entire athletics family at the forefront of every decision we make during these unprecedented times and ensure we are following Government advice.

“Cancelling the event will have a significant financial impact on UKA and the wider sport. The revenue we generate from events – through ticketing, broadcast and sponsorship helps administer the sport and provide the essential governance services that we, as an NGB, oversee.

“We’re incredibly thankful to our commercial partners, some of which are continuing to support us during these tough times but there will be a substantial reduction in income from the cancellation of this event and this will have an impact moving forwards.”

Müller Anniversary Games ticket purchasers will receive an automatic refund via the method of payment originally used to buy tickets and will not need to do anything or make contact. However, given the extraordinary circumstances and high volumes placed on banks during these times, the refund process may take slightly longer than usual.

British Athletics will continue to provide updates concerning the competition calendar and all other athletics activities, in collaboration with the Home Country Athletic Federations, as and when there is further information.

12th May 2020 0 comment

Athletics

100 DAYS TO GO UNTIL THE MÜLLER BRITISH ATHLETICS CHAMPIONSHIPS

written by Hugh

The countdown to the 2020 Müller British Athletics Championships has officially started, with just 100 days remaining until the nation’s biggest stars take to the track and field, with many aiming to secure a seat on the plane for the Tokyo Olympic Games.

The event is being held at the Manchester Regional Arena, the first time the city has hosted British Athletics’ flagship event since 2007.

With qualification for the Olympics on the line, the action can be expected to be as hotly contested as ever, with selection for the Tokyo Games and the British crown both on the table.

As such, this is one of the biggest events on the British Athletics calendar, and the country’s most revered names will all be competing for glory.

The competition has often provided a springboard for Britain’s best athletes to achieve glory on the global stage – and the 2019 edition was no different.

Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie; Blackheath & Bromley) and Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool) were among those to work their magic in Birmingham before going on to claim their maiden titles at the World Athletics Championships.

Sprint queen Asher-Smith, in particular, was tipped to challenge for medals in the 100m and 200m in Doha, but before she could realise her potential against the world’s best, she first had the small matter of defending her women’s 100m title at the British Championships to contend with.

It was a task the 24-year-old completed with clinical efficiency, though, seeing off a strong field that included Asha Philip (Steve Fudge; Newham & Essex Beagles) and Daryll Neita (Rana Reider; Cambridge) to retain her crown in a championship record time of 10.96 seconds.

Johnson-Thompson competed in four events at the British Championships at the Alexander Stadium which acted as the perfect preparation for Doha, where she would claim her first heptathlon title.

A second-place finish in the high jump behind Morgan Lake, and solid performances in the shot put, javelin and 100m hurdles, provided plenty of entertainment for the crowds over the two days of action.

Meanwhile, on the men’s side, Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley) recorded a championship record (20.08s) on his way to winning the British 200m title in Birmingham.

With the fire back in his belly, the 2014 European champion agonisingly missed out on a medal in Doha, but his fourth-place finish suggests he will be a force to be reckoned with moving forward.

Another star of the 2019 event was Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn), who claimed a championship record 4.70m clearance in the pole vault, and she will be looking to defend her title with the Olympic podium firmly in her sights in 2020.

Meanwhile, in the men’s pole vault, a stunning clearance of 5.71m from Harry Coppell (Simpson; Wigan & District) equalled a championship record and secured him a spot in Doha.

Other big moments over the two days came courtesy of Callum Wilkinson (Enfield & Haringey) breaking the British record in the men’s 5000m race walk, while Abigail Irozuru (self-coached; Sale Harriers Manchester) leapt a personal best to win the women’s long jump and reach her maiden world championship team.

There were also the likes of Grand Slam para athletics champion, Hollie Arnold (David Turner; Blackheath & Bromley), and 2017 world champion Olivia Breen (Aston Moore; City of Portsmouth), integrated into the fields across the two days as they prepared for the World Para Athletics Championships later in the year.

With the Olympic and Paralympic Games now firmly on the horizon, the 2020 Müller British Athletics Championships will provide extra impetus for the likes of Asher-Smith, Gemili and Johnson-Thompson to produce the goods in Manchester, with two days of scintillating action drawing ever nearer.

Tickets for the Müller British Athletics Championships are currently SOLD OUT, sign up here if you wish to hear more about this event.

12th March 2020 0 comment

Athletics

WORLD RECORD HOLDER MONDO DUPLANTIS HEADS TO LONDON THIS SUMMER

written by Hugh

Fresh from breaking the pole vault world record in Glasgow just two weeks ago, 20-year-old superstar Mondo Duplantis will return to the UK this summer to compete at the Müller Anniversary Games in London on Sunday 5^th July 2020 of the Müller Anniversary Games weekend.

One of the biggest young stars in world athletics, Duplantis’ rise to prominence has come on the back of a number of major medal wins and record-breaking feats over the course of the last few years.

Most recently, Duplantis historically revised the pole vault world record twice in the space of one week, first with a clearance at 6.17m in Torun, Poland on February 8 before then going 1cm better at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow with 6.18m on February 15.

During his breakthrough as a senior athlete, Duplantis backed up becoming the youngest world finalist for some 34 years at London 2017 with European gold in 2018, the winning height a hugely notable one given the mark of 6.05m saw him set a huge personal best as well as revise his own under-20 world record.

World silver followed last October in Doha following a gripping shoot-out for a first global senior gold. Now with the world record his own, Duplantis is targeting an eye-catching performance in London this July as part of his preparation for a debut Olympic Games come Tokyo 2020.

The news follows previous announcements confirming the attendance of Britain’s reigning world champions Katarina Johnson-Thompson (coach: Bertrand Valcin, club: Liverpool Harriers) and Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley) at this year’s event.

World record holder and multi-global medallist, Mondo Duplantis spoke of his excitement ahead of returning to London:

“I’m hugely excited to be heading back to the UK to compete at the Müller Anniversary Games this summer. The memories I have of vaulting in the UK – from competing at my first world championships in front of tens of thousands of people to breaking the world record in Glasgow a few weeks ago – are unforgettable, so to have another opportunity to return to the UK is huge for me.”

“Both of my previous performances in London and Glasgow owed so much to the support of the British crowd, and I’ll definitely be looking to feed off that support and produce an amazing performance in London come July.”

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

“We’re incredibly excited to have Mondo heading back to the UK. At just 20, his world-record breaking performance in Glasgow has cemented him as one of the most exciting athletes to watch in the world both at current and for years to come, so the British fans are in for a real treat when he heads to London this summer.

“Having Mondo confirmed on the bill for the Müller Anniversary Games alongside two of our homegrown heroines in Kat and Dina is magnificent news for the event, and is ultimately part of our ambition and commitment to building the best fields in the world, for the best fans in the world.”

The Müller Anniversary Games is the 10^th stop on the 2020 WANDA Diamond League calendar, which also features Gateshead’s Müller Grand Prix on 16 August.

Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games (4 & 5 July) are now on sale and available via britishathletics.org.uk.

4th March 2020 0 comment