Traffic’s a big hurdle, says Olympic champ

AN Olympic gold medal-winning hurdler says Birmingham is ready to host a major global sporting event like the 2022 Commonwealth Games, but feels the city has a long way to go to solve its traffic congestion.

America’s 100m hurdler Dawn Harper-Nelson gave a massive thumbs up to Birmingham and its sporting facilities when she arrived at Alexander Stadium to begin final training for the World Athletics Championships, which start in London tomorrow (Friday).

The 33-year-old has been to Birmingham five or six times to compete, including in Diamond League events and in the run up to London 2012, and says she enjoys the train- ing facilities, the hotels and visiting our cinemas and restaurants.

She said: “I do love coming here, I don’t have to worry about not having things – Birmingham have done it right. You have the perfect facilities with for indoor and outdoor here.

“I don’t have to worry how the weather will be – the track is great, the hurdles are here and the blocks.”

She said Birmingham could definitely stage a major event like the Commonwealth Games but admitted sharing the traffic frustrations with thousands of Brummie commuters.

“When they’ve held Diamond Leagues time and time again they’ve had the practice. But there’s one thing for us, which we always think of, is timing and traffic.” She said the UK’s traffic can be ‘intense’.

“Your facilities are great, the fans are great, you’ve had the surveys to see what the athletes want, you handle the visits very well here, it’s just that traffic.

“When you’re in that bus and trying to get to your destination and you have to leave an hour ahead.”

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