BRITISH ATHLETICS: ONE MONTH TO GO UNTIL THE 2023 UK ATHLETICS INDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

Today marks one month to go until the UK Athletics Indoor Championships return to the Utilita Arena in Birmingham across the weekend 18-19 February 2023.

With the event acting as the Official Trials for the 2023 European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, athletes will be looking to book their places on the plane to Turkey.

Athletes have started accepted invitations to compete at the Championships next month with strong fields starting to assemble.

Following his breakthrough performance at the outdoor European Championships last August, Alex Haydock-Wilson (coach: Benke Blomkvist, club: Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) is on the entries for the 200m and 400m in Birmingham. The 23-year-old won individual 400m in Munich last year, and also played a key role in the 4x400m relay gold medal success at the same Championships.

Commonwealth 400m hurdles bronze medallist Alastair Chalmers (Matt Elias, Guernsey) has also accepted his invitation for the 400m, as has Joe Brier (Matt Elias, Swansea) who represented Wales at Birmingham 2022 last summer.

2017 European Indoor 60m champion and six-time UK Indoor champion Asha Philip (Amy Deem, Newham & Essex Beagles) will be looking to start the 2023 season in style as she takes to the track in the second city. Two-time UK Indoor 60m winner, Andrew Robertson (Sale Harriers Manchester), and Jeremiah Azu (Marco Airale, Cardiff) – who won European 100m bronze in 2022 – are among the early acceptances for the men’s short sprint event.

In-form Issy Boffey (Luke Gunn, Enfield & Haringey), who ran a European Indoor qualifying standard in Sheffield at the start of the month, is in the line-up for the women’s 800m. She ran an outright personal best of 2:00.99 in Sheffield earlier this month, so will be looking for a top two position at the Championships to confirm her place on the team. Boffey was a finalist at the European Indoors in 2020.

Jemma Reekie (Andy Young, Kilbarchan) has accepted invitations for the 800m and 1500m, while 2020 European Indoor champion Amy-Eloise Markovc (Rob Denmark, Wakefield) will face the 3000m alongside another past European medallist over the distance, Melissa Courtney-Bryant (Denmark, Poole)

In the women’s high jump, four-time UK indoor champion Morgan Lake (Robbie Grabarz, Windsor Slough Eton and Hounslow) will be targeting a strong start to the season. Joel Clarke-Khan (Grabarz, Thames Valley), who represented GB & NI at the World and European Championships last year, headlines to men’s high jump field.

Olympian Scott Lincoln (Paul Wilson, City of York) will be favourite as he looks to retain his men’s shot put title, while Paralympic champion Aled Davies (Ryan Spencer-Jones, Cardiff) begins his campaign as he looks towards the summer’s World Para Athletics Championships in Paris.

Other athletes who have accepted invitations so far include European Indoor silver medallist Jamie Webb (800m) (Adrian Webb, Liverpool), European Para champion Zak Skinner (Long Jump) (Aston Moore, Loughborough Students), World Indoor finalist David King (60m Hurdles) (Tim O’Neil, City of Plymouth), and European Indoor relay medallist Ama Pipi (400m) (Marco Airale, Enfield & Haringey).

Thousands of tickets have already been snapped up by fans, get hold of your tickets so you don’t miss out on the return of athletics to Birmingham next month. Tickets start from just £13 for adults, £11 for seniors/students and only £8 for juniors with an exclusive hospitality package also available.

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Photo credit: British Athletics