POSTED: Thursday May 28th 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
LONG JUMP RIVALS SET FOR SUPER8 HEAD TO HEAD
The career head-to-head is 8-2 in Rutherford’s favour, but Tomlinson holds the UK record with 8.27m
Chris Tomlinson and Greg
Rutherford are set to renew their rivalry for British long jump supremacy at
the Super8 competition at the Cardiff International Sports Arena on 10 June.
It will be the first time they have gone head-to-head in competition since
joining forces in the same training group. 2007 World indoor silver medallist Tomlinson
joined 2006 European silver medallist Rutherford under the tutelage of
his long-term coach Frank Attoh at Brunel University in September 2008.
The career head-to-head is 8-2 in Rutherford’s favour, but Tomlinson
holds the UK record with 8.27m. An interested spectator will be Welsh athletics
legend and UKA Members Council President Lynn Davies, who was born in
nearby Bridgend and went on to win long jump gold at the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
Davies said: “I think it’s great that the two best long
jumpers in the country are coming together to compete at the Super8 competition
in Cardiff. Chris was fifth in the Athens Olympics and Greg reached the final
in Beijing, so they are two world class jumpers.
“The Welsh public regularly get to see top class football and top class rugby,
but rarely the chance to see top class athletics, so this is a wonderful
opportunity for them. I think it’s a great format and I’m really
looking forward to the night. I only wish I was competing myself.
“Cardiff is a brilliant sporting city and I have great memories of
competing there. I broke the UK record there in 1964, not long before going on
to the Tokyo Olympics and it really gave me the confidence to go and achieve
what I did.”
Rutherford, who will represent London North, said: “This type of
competition really appeals to me, it’s fast, exciting and looking at the
line-ups it should be keenly-fought. In my own event, I’m looking forward
to a good competition against Chris. We have a healthy rivalry which can bring
out the best in each other.
“We have been working really well together in training, but in
competition it is different. We are both ambitious and both want to win, so
we’ll both be giving everything we can to get one over the other.”
Tomlinson, who will compete for Newcastle said: “It’s
been a bad week for sport in the North East with two football clubs being
relegated from the Premiership. My own team is Middlesbrough and I was gutted
they went down, so as the North East team, we need to regain some sporting
pride at the Super8 competition.
“I’m really looking forward to the event. Myself and Greg are
thriving on training together and I’m hoping to translate that to
competition. I’ll be aiming for maximum points for Newcastle, but
I’m sure Greg will be hoping for the same for London North. It should be
a great contest.”
The exciting two-hour City versus City concept is being piloted in the
Welsh capital next month and several leading British athletes have confirmed
their participation.
The host city Cardiff will be hoping to be inspired by a big home crowd as they
take on all-star teams from London North, Birmingham, Manchester, Newcastle,
London South, Glasgow and Sheffield at the evening meeting which begins at 7pm
Wednesday 10 June.
Confirmed names for Super8 already include Olympic 400m hurdles bronze
medallist Tasha Danvers who will captain London South, Olympic 200m
finalist Christian Malcolm who will captain Cardiff, Olympic javelin
fourth-placer Goldie Sayers who will compete for London North and UK
Indoor 800m champion Jenny Meadows who will captain Manchester.
Sky Sports have also confirmed they will broadcast the event. More big names
will be announced in the coming days. Tickets are now on sale at £5 (seating)
or £3 (standing) for adults, U16s are free, provided they are accompanied by a
paying adult. Tickets can be purchased at www.uka.org.uk/super8
or by calling the ticket hotline on 0844 844 0808.
Super8 will consist of 100m, 110mh, 400m, 800m, 1500m, pole vault, high jump,
long jump, javelin, shot and medley relays (200,200,400,600). Super 8 will act
as the final selection event for the Aviva GB team for the European Team
Championships.
From 2010, cities will bid for franchises and will work closely with clubs in their area to produce each team. The Super8 format is one that can work at the highest level of the sport as well as at club and school level. UK cities will be invited to bid for Super 8 franchises and the right to host events. Over the coming years, the aim is that the competition will grow with each team hosting a fixture.
The Super 8 format is also designed to be adopted by schools where the curriculum makes the staging of a full scale athletics matches increasingly difficult. The two-hour format of Super 8 could be adopted for inter-class or inter-school competitions with boys and girls competing together in the same team.
The pilot
event in Cardiff will be preceded by a Super 8 schools pilot on the same day.
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Keywords · Athletics · Track and Field · Chris Tomlinson · Greg Rutherford · Frank Attoh · Lynn Davies · Tasha Danvers · Christian Malcolm · Goldie Sayers · Jenny Meadows
Name: Chris Broadbent
Organization: UK Athletics
Email:
Phone: +44.7701.099763
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