by Larry Eder
47 GLOBAL GOLD MEDALLISTS TO STAR AT THE SAINSBURY’S GLASGOW GRAND PRIX
Olympic champions David Rudisha, Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce, Carmelita Jeter and Ashton Eaton are just a few of the latest names to confirm that they will compete at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix at Hampden Park on 11-12 July.
The London 2012 gold medallists will join 22 world champions and 25 Olympic and Paralympic gold medallists, which represents the most impressive athletic line-up ever assembled in Scotland, just two weeks before the Commonwealth Games. Britain’s biggest stars , Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan) and Greg Rutherford (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) are already confirmed alongside Scottish stars Eilidh Child (Malcolm Arnold), Lynsey Sharp (Rana Reider), Chris O’Hare (Terrance Mahon) and Laura Muir (Andy Young).
With the USA and a host of other nations not competing at the Commonwealth Games, the Diamond League meet will offer fans the chance to see the world’s best competing at Hampden Park in the first ever IAAF Diamond League meet staged in Scotland. For those who missed out on Glasgow 2014 tickets, this is an unmissable opportunity to experience the world’s premier athletics series in the city.
Rudisha will be making his first appearance in the UK since breaking the 800m world record on his way to Olympic gold at London 2012, and he marked his return to form with a triumph at the New York Diamond League last weekend.
The 25 year old said: “I haven’t competed in the UK since winning gold at the Olympics, so to return to the UK for the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix is something that I’m really excited about.
“Winning gold at the Olympic Games and being the first ever athlete to go below the 1:41 barrier is my biggest achievement to date. Having only just returned to track action, my victory at the New York Diamond League has given me a lot of confidence and something which I will take with me to Hampden Park.
“The Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix will give me the best possible preparation for the Commonwealth Games. I know the field will include not only the best athletes in the Commonwealth, but the world too. I know I will have to perform at my best to secure another victory on the Diamond League circuit.”
Carmelita Jeter, the second fastest woman of all time over 100m will return to the UK after winning a complete set of medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games. The American, who won 4×100 gold, 100m silver and 200m bronze in Olympic Stadium is excited at the prospect of running in one of the best line-ups staged in the UK.
The 34 year old said: “The Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix will be one of the first meets of my outdoor season and I’m looking to put on a good show for the crowd in July. Even four weeks out, we have multiple Olympic and world champions confirmed for the event, which shows how high the standard will be and something which I will relish, being an athlete that thrives on the big stage.
“With the standard of women’s sprinting improving all the time, I’ve got to have my eyes on all seven of the athletes that line up against me on the start line at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix.
“The British crowd always treat me as one of their own and that is the main reason why I keep on coming back year after year.”
Eaton meanwhile not only won gold at London 2012, but also triumphed at last year’s World Championships, before going on to defend his World Indoor heptathlon crown in Sopot in March.
With no major championships scheduled for the 26 year old this year, Eaton has opted to test his hand at the 400m hurdles this year, and will be looking to take the scalps of another world-class field at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix in July. The world record holder made another piece of history this month by becoming the first decathlete to win an individual event at the Oslo Diamond League, as the American took a notable victory over 2011 world silver medallist LJ Van Zyl and has since lowered his personal best to 48.94 after just six races.
“2014 will give me a chance to recharge my batteries ahead of the World Championships in 2015 and Rio 2016, where I will be looking to defend my decathlon titles.
“To have the opportunity to compete in the UK at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix is something that I will relish. I have established myself in the decathlon as the one to beat, and I’m looking to continue this throughout the course of the outdoor season in the individual events.
“My aim is to go quicker still at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix; I want to keep pushing myself to the limit to see how far inside 49 seconds I can go. I know from Oslo that I can contend with a world-class field, but I’m expecting an even bigger test in Glasgow in July.”
Integrated into the IAAF Diamond League meet will be a series of para-events, which will star the likes of London 2012 gold medallists David Weir (Jenny Archer), Jonnie Peacock (Steve Fudge) and Hannah Cockroft (Jenni Banks), as well as Paralympic silver medallists Libby Clegg (Keith Antoine), Stef Reid (Reider) and the USA’s Richard Browne.
Rudisha, Fraser-Pryce, Jeter and Eaton will be joined at the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix by a whole host of current and former Olympic gold medallists including Felix Sanchez, Anna Chicherova, Blanka Vlasic, Jenn Suhr, Dayron Robles, Amantle Montsho, Aries Merritt, Tomasz Majewski, Sandra Perkovic, Andreas Thorkildsen, Keshorn Walcott, Christian Taylor and Sally Pearson in one of the greatest fields ever assembled in the UK.
Tickets for the Sainsbury’s Glasgow Grand Prix at Hampden Park on July 11-12 are available by visiting http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/sainsburys-glasgow-grand-prix/
