BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championship to be Test Event for the ‘Greatest Show on Earth’

LONDON – British Universities & Colleges Sport (BUCS) and The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) have been working together over the last twelve months to establish the BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships as a test event for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Karen Rothery CEO for BUCS said, “BUCS is very proud to be announced as the test event for the athletics competition at the London 2012 Olympics. The athletics programme at BUCS is truly excellent. The outdoor event is growing in size and is also highly competitive, the perfect competition to test operations in advance of the Games. This is credit to the BUCS Sports Team and an amazing team of volunteers that deliver and will continue to deliver excellent events well after the Olympic Games has finished.”

The BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships plays host to over 1,200 competitors who will now, instead of competing in Bedford in 2012, make the journey to the Olympic Stadium in East London. Athletics like many of BUCS Championship sports has seen world class performances from Olympic athletes, with Jessica Ennis (Sheffield University), Perry Shakes Drayton (Brunel University), Montell Douglas (Brunel University), Simeon Williamson (Middlesex University) and Lisa Dobriskey (Loughborough University) just a few athletes that have competed at the BUCS Outdoor Athletics Championships and may well be lining up in London next August with Olympic medals at the fore front of their minds.

Peter Bovill, Chairman of the BUCS Athletics and Cross Country Sports Management Group commented: “We are delighted to have reached this significant milestone with London 2012. For our competition to be chosen as the test event for the Olympic Stadium is a huge honour. It is testament to the level of competition and organisation that our event exhibits every May. I know our student competitors will recognise the privilege of participating in this event next summer. The opportunity for our athletes to be able to compete in the stadium, less than 12 weeks before the opening ceremony, will be a great advantage for those competing in August as well as a chance for others to be able to tell their grandchildren that Usain Bolt ran in my footsteps! Over half of Team GB in Beijing were university students or graduates so using the BUCS Championships as the test event makes great sense as well as forming a tangible part of the Olympic legacy for 2012, 2016 and beyond.”

(Source: Vikki Scott, BUCS Major Events Manager)