The Jamaican Track and Field Team will return to the University of Birmingham this month for their World Championship final preparation camp.
Following the highly successful pre-Olympic camp before London 2012, the team of 50 athletes will return to make use of the outstanding facilities available, ahead of the IAAF World Athletics Championships in London in August.
In 2012, the University hosted the powerhouse that is Team Jamaica for 12 days before they competed in the London 2012 Olympic Games – which saw the team achieve record-breaking success, including four Gold, four Silver and four Bronze medals, and the iconic smashing of the Olympic world record for the men’s 100m by Usain Bolt, in 9.63 seconds.
This year, the University welcomes back the team, including the 2011 youngest 100m world champion, Yohan Blake, and in-form 100m and 200m Olympic Champion from Rio, Elaine Thompson.
The facilities used in 2012 have been replaced, so the Jamaican team return to a brand new eight-lane athletics track and the University’s extensive new £55million Sport & Fitness club, which opened in May.
The IAAF World Athletics Championships in London will be the swansong for the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, who personally thanked the University for the support and facilities that helped him win a ‘triple’ gold medal in London, including a new world record for the Jamaican 4 x 100m relay team. The University of Birmingham is proud to be hosting Bolt prior to his final Championship.
For Zena Wooldridge OBE, Director of Sport, the return of the Jamaican team coincides with an historic milestone for University of Birmingham Sport, the opening of impressive new facilities.
“We are incredibly fortunate to have such amazing new facilities on campus, and very excited to have the opportunity of the World Athletics Championships in London to share our new track and indoor facilities with our Jamaican friends. We know how important this Championship is to Jamaica, and we hope we can contribute in some small way to their success in London by creating an ideal preparation environment here in Birmingham.”
The preparation camp also coincides with Birmingham’s bid to host the 2022 Commonwealth Games, in which the University’s campus could provide a range of training venues, and competition venues for hockey and squash.
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University of Birmingham’s track and field will be the home training facility for the University of Birmingham Athletics and Cross Country Club which includes international athletes such as British 1500m Indoor Champion, Sarah McDonald.
University of Birmingham Sport & Fitness opened in May 2017, it features Birmingham’s first 50m pool, six glass back squash courts, 200+ station gym, five activity studios, an indoor sports arena, 10m climbing wall and more.
The University of Birmingham is currently ranked in the top ten universities for sport in the UK.
The University have invested in new outdoor sport facilities which are planned to open this year including new pitches and a pavilion.
The University of Birmingham is ranked amongst the world’s top 100 institutions, its work brings people from across the world to Birmingham, including researchers and teachers and more than 5,000 international students from over 150 countries.