ALL-CONQUERING BRITS CONFIRMED STARTERS
ENGLAND’S two world indoor champions will relocate to Queensland next week to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.
Men’s 60m hurdles gold medallist Andrew Pozzi and heptathlon winner Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be part of the airlift of England athletes who will train at the Queensland Sports and Athletics Centre before the April 4 start of the Gold coast Games.
Pozzi, who will contest the 110m hurdles at a March 28 meet at QSAC, and JohnsonThompson will have to adapt to outdoor conditions in Queensland after winning Britain’s only golds at the world indoor titles which finished yesterday in Birmingham, England.
Pozzi confirmed he would travel with England’s track and field squad.
“I’m only here for one more week and then we go to the Gold Coast, but I wasn’t going to miss out on this,’’ he told the BBC.
Australia’s best result in Birmingham was a fourth place from Perth pole vaulter Kurtis Marshall on the last day of competition with his 5.80m personal best behind French winner Renaud Lavillenie (5.90m).
Jamaica has yet to advise of its strong track and field team for the Gold Coast, but their Rio Olympics sprint double champion Elaine Thompson was advanced enough in her season to place fourth in the 60m final in Birmingham.
Johnson-Thompson will be one of the favourites in the multi-event heptathlon, with she and England’s 800m world indoors bronze medallist Shelayna OskanClarke confirmed as Gold Coast Games starters.