LONDON, 2015-1-15 — /EPR Retail News/ — Katarina Johnson-Thompson has confirmed that she will compete at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham on 21 February 2015. The 21 year old will contest the long jump, the event in which she became world junior champion in 2012 and won a World Indoor Championships silver medal in 2014.
Johnson-Thompson (coach: Mike Holmes) led the world heptathlon rankings for 2014, despite an injury derailing her summer season, and the 21 year old will make her return to world class competition at Birmingham’s Barclaycard Arena.
The British junior heptathlon record holder has a good track record at the venue, where she won no fewer than twelve national titles during her teenage years, and is looking forward to continuing her build up to contesting the pentathlon at the European Indoor Championships in Prague in March.
Katrine Johnson-Thompson said: “I’m so excited to be back on the track at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix. I’ve competed in Birmingham before in the hurdles and I’m so happy to be going back to what I think is one of the best indoor competitions you can attend. Especially with the great home crowd I’m super excited to be back.
“At the moment I’m still in hard training but I’m sure by February I’ll be raring to go and hopefully starting back where I left last year because the last competition I did was a home event at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix.
“I’ve competed in Birmingham at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix once before and watched it on television every other year so I can see that it’s always a good turn out with the crowd getting behind the athletes. It feels like a major championship when competing there so it will definitely help me for three weeks later when it’s the European Indoor Championships in Prague.”
Tara Hewitt, Head of Sponsorship for Sainsbury’s, said: “Katarina has been one to watch for some years now and is a great example of a young athlete who has worked really hard to get to the top of her game. We were all sorry she wasn’t able to compete last season due to injury, but we’re delighted that her comeback will be at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix next month.”
Already confirmed as competing at the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix are: double Olympic, world and European champion Mo Farah (Alberto Salazar), European 100m champion James Dasaolu (Steve Fudge), Carmelita Jeter, Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie), Jodie Williams (Christine Bowmaker), Asha Philip (Steve Fudge), Aries Merritt, Dayron Robles, William Sharman (Jerzy Maciukiewicz) and Omo Osaghae.
For tickets to the Sainsbury’s Indoor Grand Prix visit britishathletics.org.uk. Sainsbury’s is proud to be a long-term supporter of British Athletics and a champion of inclusive sport for all, from grassroots to elite level.
Notes to Editors:
Sainsbury’s
Sainsbury’s is proud to be a long-term supporter of British Athletics and a champion of inclusive sport for all, from grassroots to elite level.
The partnership with British Athletics builds on Sainsbury’s support for the 2012 Paralympics and recognises that sport can unite and inspire children of all ages and abilities.
In addition to being the Major Event Series partner of British Athletics, Sainsbury’s sponsors the Sainsbury’s Schools Games, which sees millions of school children take part in competitive sport each year, with 1,600 young elite athletes competing annually in a high level multi-sport event.
Through the help of customers, Sainsbury’s has donated over £150million of sports and activity equipment and experiences, through its Active Kids programme. The company also proudly supports Comic Relief and raised £6.7m for its Sport Relief campaign in 2014.
For more information on Sainsbury’s commitment to inclusive sport visit: www.Sainsburys.co.uk/activekids
UK Athletics
UK Athletics is the national governing body of the leading Olympic and Paralympic sport in Britain. British Athletics is the sport we represent, the people, the athletes, the fans, the team.
We work closely with the home countries to develop and grow all areas of the sport including elite performance, coaching, major international events, competition and grassroots programmes within schools and clubs.
For more information visit www.britishathletics.org.uk
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