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Ohuruogu and Dobriskey lead English squad for Tyneside showdown
The English team start as the clear favourites for the first running of the Great North City Games against Australia
LED by Olympic 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu and world 1500m silver medallist Lisa Dobriskey, the English team start as the overwhelming favourites at the inaugural Great North City Games against Australia, which has been dubbed the Ashes of athletics.
Held in a similar format to the Manchester Bupa Great City Games, the two-way international will take place between September 18-19 on the Newcastle Gateshead Quayside and the programme will include the traditional pre-Great North Run road-races as well as 60m, 150m, 110m hurdles, pole vault, long jump and shot put for men and 150m and 100m hurdles for women.
Ohuruogu, who set a British record in the 150m at the Bupa Great City Games in May, will return to contest the same distance and the Olympic champion will be joined by British 100m record-holder Montell Douglas to face the Australian duo of Lauren Boden and Melissa Breen.
Commenting about the race, Ohuruogu felt confident about her chances: “I feel that I am racing better as the season goes on.” Since the World Championships, Ohuruogu won the British Grand Prix, finished second in Brussels and sixth at the World Athletics Final.
Another of the programme’s highlights will be the women’s mile and Dobriskey will be aiming for her third victory in this race and the Commonwealth champion is relishing the prospects of racing on the roads again: “The crowds are great and it's nice to do something different – a lot more refreshing than running round and round the track.”
In what looks to be a race dominated by domestic athletes, Dobriskey will face world bronze medallist Jenny Meadows and UK champion Jemma Simpson, who will both be moving up from 800m as well as Hannah England, who finished second at last weekend’s World Athletics Final, finishing ahead of Dobriskey.
English athletes will also expect to dominate the sprints due to the inclusion of Tyrone Edgar and Leevan Yearwood in the 60m and Andy Turner and world fourth placer Will Sharman start as the pre-race favourites in the 110m hurdles.
Among the most competitive events of the programme will be the men’s long jump as the British duo of Greg Rutherford and Chris Tomlinson face the talented 19-year-old Henry Frayne, who set his PB of 7.99m this season.
In the women’s two-miles, Katrina Wootton, Emily Pidgeon, Celia Brown and Charlotte Purdue face former world cross-country champion Benita Willis and Commonwealth 5000m fourth placer Eloise Wellings.
Mo Farah and Andy Baddeley face world 5000m finalist Collis Birmingham and Commonwealth 800m finalist Nick Bromley in the mile.
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