Athletes for Olympic Test Event

Athletes to Compete at Olympic Stadium

UKA has announced the athletes who will compete in the London 2012 athletics test event, at the Olympic Stadium on 4 – 7 May 2012.

More than 140 athletes, including London 2012 hopefuls Holly Bleasdale (coach: Julien Raffalli-Ebezant), Perri Shakes-Drayton (Chris Zah), Jack Green (Malcolm Arnold, Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Ahmed) and William Sharman (Malcolm Arnold), will be testing out the Stratford venue as the Capital gears up for the biggest sporting spectacle in the world this summer.

The athletes will compete at the Olympic Stadium alongside the BUCS Visa Outdoor Athletics Championships, in a programme of events organised by UKA.

The occasion will be the first time the stadium will be open to the general public for an athletics competition and ticket sold out quickly at the start of April.

Track athletes and those competing in the vertical jumps will contend stand-alone UKA events, whilst horizontal jumpers and throws athletes will participate in the BUCS competition fields.

UKA’s Head Coach Charles Van Commenee said:

“Preparing our athletes for what to expect when they walk into the Olympic Stadium at Games time is almost impossible. The noise of an Olympic Stadium when a home favourite walks out just cannot be replicated. This test event will form an important part of some athletes’ preparation.

“At this event they will get the chance to familiarise themselves with the Olympic Stadium and we can remove a number of unknown factors for them. We are looking forward to our first experience in the magnificent Olympic Stadium.

Athletes currently confirmed to be participating in the Olympic test event are as follows:

MEN

100m: David Bolarinwa, Greg Cackett, James Dasaolu, James Ellington, Rikki Fifton, Ryan Scott, Nigel Thomas, Leevan Yearwood

200m: Jonathan Browne, Chris Craig, James Ellington, Luke Fagan, Jordan Kirby-Polidore, Julian Thomas, Sam Watts, Elijah Winn

400m: Richard Buck, Chris Clarke, Tom Druce, Jack Green, Graham Hedman, Luke Lennon-Ford, Robert Tobin, Conrad Williams

800m: Ed Aston, Niall Brooks, Jonathan Cook, Steve Evison, Charlie Grice, Ed Jackson

Ben Scarlett, Gareth Warburton

3000m: Frank Baddick, David Bishop,Steve Davies,Thomas Lancashire,Johnny Mellor,Mark Mitchell, Ross Murray, David Proctor, Ricky Stevenson, Jonathan Taylor, Ieuan Thomas pacemaker), Frank Tickner, Richard Weir.

110mH:  Julian Adeniran, Alex Al-Ameen, Richard Alleyne, Chris Baillie, Lawrence Clarke, Nicholas Gayle, Allan Scott, William Sharman

400mH:  Tom Burton, Richard Davenport, Niall  Flannery, James Forman, Jack Green, Lloyd Gumbs, David Hughes, Ben Sumner, Richard Yates

High Jump:  Chris Baker, Robbie Grabarz, Samson Oni, Tom Parsons, Matt Roberts, Allan Smith

Pole Vault:  Luke Cutts, Max Eaves, Joe Ive, Gregor MacLean, Andrew Sutcliffe

Long Jump: Ezekiel Ewulo, JJ Jegede

Triple Jump:  Larry Achike

Discus:  Abdul Buhari, Brett Morse, Lawrence Okoye, Chris Scott

Javelin:  Lee Doran, Mervyn Luckwell

Hammer: Mark Dry, Alex Smith

WOMEN

100m: Kadi Ann Thomas, Katherine Endacott, Corinne Humphreys, Annabelle Lewis, Marilyn Nwawulor, Sophie Papps, Torema Thompson, Abbi Tyson

200m:Kadi Ann Thomas, Louise Bloor, Marilyn Nwawulor, Nadine Okyere, Sophie Papps, Helen Pryer, Bianca Williams

400m:  Eilidh Child, Laura Langowski, Kelly Massey, Kirsten McAslan, Mica Nottingham

Marilyn Okoro, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Laura Wake

800m: Karen Barewood, Charlotte Best, Tara Bird, Rowena Cole, Dawn Hunt, Jessica Judd, Alison Leonard, Celia Taylor, Charlene Thomas

3000m: Elle Baker, Julia Bleasdale, Lauren Deadman, Hannah Doran, Faye Fullerton, Annabel Gummow, Gemma Kersey, Abby McGhee, Laura Muir, Emma Pallant, Emily  Pidgeon, Beth Potter, Emily  Stewart, Jessica  Sparke, Naomi  Taschimowitz*, Laura  Weightman, Katrina Wootton

100mH: Gemma Bennett

400mH: Lauren Bouchard, Eilidh Child, Nisha Desai, Tracy Duncan, Hayley McLean, Aisha Naibe-Wey, Emily Parker, Perri Shakes-Drayton

Pole Vault:  Holly Bleasdale, Katie Byres, Kate Dennison, Sally Peake

Triple Jump: Nadia Williams

Discus:  Eden Francis, Jade Nicholls

Hammer: Zoe Derham, Sophie Hitchon