Triple European gold medallist Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie, club: Blackheath & Bromley) today launched the 2019 British Athletics outdoor season, in her home city of London, and confirmed that she will compete at the Müller Anniversary Games at the London Stadium this summer (20-21 July).
Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games go on sale at 10:00am tomorrow morning (Wednesday 27 February).
The Müller Anniversary Games is one of the top outdoor athletics events in the world and the only event in the 2019 IAAF Diamond League series which hosts a two-day meeting. Many of the world’s best athletes will go head-to-head at this year’s must-see event, which will mark the start of a ten-week countdown to the IAAF World Championships in Doha (28 September – 6th October).
Asher-Smith enjoyed the most successful year of her career to date in 2018, winning both 100m and 200m European titles in British records of 10.85 and 21.89 seconds respectively, plus a gold medal in the sprint relay in Berlin in August; to add to the 200m Commonwealth bronze and 4x100m relay gold medals she won on the Gold Coast in April. The 23-year-old sprint star also finished the year ranked as the fastest woman in the world.
Asher-Smith said:
“I love racing at the Müller Anniversary Games, it’s one of my favourite meets in the world and holds some really special memories for me, like breaking the British 100m record and going under 11 seconds for the first time in 2015. That race was a pivotal moment in my career and something I’ll never forget.
“It’s always an amazing experience for me to compete at the Müller Anniversary Games in the London Stadium because it’s in my home city. Even though I’ve been something of a regular at the event for a few years now, I still get goosebumps when I have my name called on the start-line and hear the crowd respond.
“This year is all about getting the balance right and choosing my races carefully, so with the Muller Anniversary Games being held at a key point in the season ahead of the World Championships it’s an event that will serve as a big part of my preparations for Doha. The aim will be definitely be to lay down a marker ahead of then and give our amazing British fans something special to cheer for.”
The Müller Anniversary Games has seen history made on numerous occasions in recent years, with some memorable performances from British names such as Sir Mo Farah, Laura Muir and Asher-Smith, while para athletics stars Kare Adenegan and Sophie Hahn both broke world records there in 2018.
Major Events Director for British Athletics, Cherry Alexander said:
“The Müller Anniversary Games is one of the world’s best athletics meetings and this year’s two day event will be even more special, with world-leading British stars like Dina spearheading the challenge against the best athletes on the planet.
“We know that the world’s top athletes want to compete in London, so we can guarantee an outstanding line-up with the most exciting head-to-heads, on the doorstep for British sports fans, ahead of the World Championships in Doha. The Müller Anniversary Games will be an unmissable and unforgettable weekend of entertainment for all the family.”
Tickets will also be available tomorrow for the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham (18th August) and Müller British Athletics Championships (24-25 August) which will take place at the Alexander Stadium on back-to-back weekends. The Müller British Athletics Championships will be the qualification event for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland team ahead of the IAAF World Championships.
Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games, Müller Grand Prix Birmingham and Müller British Athletics Championships are on sale from 27th February via <link http: www.britishathletics.org.uk>www.britishathletics.org.uk.
