The British Athletics’ (BA) Birmingham Grand Prix- the seventh stop of the 2013 IAAF Diamond League- will commence on Sunday 3oth June, 2013, at the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.
Double Olympic champion, Mo Farah heads the list of 11 London 2012 Olympic medalists, six of them were champions at the games.
Farah will run over 5,000m in the IAAF Diamond League meeting, and will be joined by Olympic long jump champion, Greg Rutherford, Olympic 400m silver medalist Christine Ohuruogu, and Olympic high jump bronze medalist Robbie Grabarz.
Farah, who won Olympic gold over 10,000m as part of ‘Super Saturday’ before going on to clinch gold in the 5,000m a week later, is looking forward to Birmingham where he was dominant winner in two miles last year and won over 5,000m in 2011.
“I have great memories of competing at the Alexander Stadium and it was great to celebrate my Olympic success here. I’ll be looking to run well there again and put on another good show for the fans.”
Greg Rutherford, who got off to a winning start in Perth, Australia last month before jumping 8.10 in Melbourne to add another win last weekend, is relishing the chance to compete on home soil again.
“I am really excited to get back to competing in front of a home crowd in Birmingham at the end of June. The experience of the Olympic Games showed me that the British fans are among the most passionate in the world, so I’m really looking forward to getting back on the runway again.
“I had a good start to the season in Perth, and I know after winning gold at the Olympics last year, there will be that expectation on me to perform. The long jump is extremely competitive at the moment, which was evident by the standard at the European Indoors. However I am confident in my ability, and irrespective of the field that I face in Birmingham, I know I have what it takes to come out on top.”
Among the list of international stars to compete in Birmingham are: Carmelita Jeter, the second fastest woman ever over 100m, former world 100m champion Kim Collins, Olympic 110m hurdles bronze medalist, Hansle Parchment and Kemar Bailey- Cole, a member of the Jamaica team that won 4×100m relay gold in London.
Among Jeter’s impressive record is her 100m silver, 200m bronze as well as being part of the USA team that broke the 4×100m world record in London. She is excited about returning to the track where she was victorious in a stadium record 10.81 last August.
“I’ve been fortunate to run in the UK twice this year already, so it’s going to be great to come back to Birmingham for the outdoors. I ran a meeting record there last year, so hopefully I can run even faster this summer.
“2013 is a very important year for me, with the aim of retaining my world 100m crown, so having that world- class opposition in the Diamond League will set me up for Moscow and my pursuit for another gold medal.”
Dai Greene, current World and Commonwealth champion will compete over 400m hurdles while recently crowned European indoor 400m and 4×400m relay champion Perri Shakes- Drayton will contest the women’s 400m hurdles. Holly Bleasdale, was also a gold medalist in Gothenburg, will take on Olympic champion Jenn Suhr of the USA and Olympic silver medalist Yarisley Silva of Cuba in the pole vault.
2009 World Championships bronze medalist Jenny Meadows, who recently returned to action after 18 month lay- off due to injury, will compete over 800m. In the men’s 800m, Olympic finalist Andrew Osagie will go head to head with Mukhtar Mohammed, who won bronze at the European indoor Championships last month, in the field that also includes two- time World indoor Champion Abubakar Kaki of Sudan and Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman who was sixth in London.
In the 100m hurdles, Olympic bronze medalist, Kellie Wells will take on compatriot and 2011 World Championships silver medalist Danielle Carruthers in the 100m hurdles.
In the fields, 2010 world Indoor Champion Teddy Tamgho of France will compete in the triple jump and two- time Olympic champion Tomasz Majewski of Poland will go up against David Storl, silver medalist in London, and 2009 World Champion Christian Cantwell in the shot put.
