Sprinters to go head-to-head over 100m at the street athletics event in May
Richard Kilty and Chijindu Ujah are to return to race at the Great CityGames Manchester next month when, for the first time, the event is staged on a Friday evening, between 17:00 and 19:30 on May 20.
Kilty begins his preparations for the Rio Olympics in earnest with a tilt at the men’s 100m in Manchester, on the purpose-built track on Deansgate that brings elite athletics to street level.
The Middlesbrough sprinter clocked 10.29 on his way to second place on Deansgate last year, and feels that a good outing this year will set him up nicely for Rio.
“It goes without saying that the main event for me this year is the Olympics. Breaking the 10-second barrier over 100m is my goal, and this event is a perfect warm-up for that,” said the 26-year-old.
“I always enjoy these events, having the crowd right on top of you, and it’s a good opportunity for people to come down and see British athletes before the Olympics. Hopefully I can help put a show on for them.”
Ujah, the 2013 European junior 100m champion and only the fifth Briton to break 10-seconds for 100m, finished fourth in this event last year, but will be looking to improve on that with Rio just around the corner.
“It’s an exciting time to be a British sprinter and it’s a very competitive environment, especially with the Olympics coming up,” said Ujah.
“I’m looking forward to coming to Manchester to get the outdoor season up and running.”
The event provides a unique opportunity to see top athletes from across the globe compete in an urban environment. The meet takes place on the Great CityGames track on Deansgate in the heart of the city, and at the purpose built athletics arena in Albert Square.
The Great CityGames, which will be shown live on BBC Two between 18:00 – 19:30, is part of a weekend celebration of sport in Manchester. It is followed by the Junior and Mini Great Manchester Run on Saturday and Europe’s biggest 10km, the Great Manchester Run, on Sunday.
For more information and up-to-date athlete announcements visit greatcitygames.org/Manchester or search #GCGM2016 on Twitter.