That is the primary piece by Stuart Weir on the upcoming World Indoor Champs in Glasgow, Scotland. Look ahead to day by day interviews coming Tuesday on, because of British Athletics and the fantastic writing expertise on Stuart Weir. We might be protecting Glasgow Dwell and distant!
Glasgow calls
The World Indoor Athletics Championships happen in Glasgow this coming weekend. Glasgow is the third greatest metropolis within the UK (after London and Birmingham), with a inhabitants of 635,000. Extra importantly, Glasgow is in Scotland. UK Athletics is the governing physique for the game within the UK, however there are additionally sub-federations with devolved powers – English Athletics, Scottish Athletics, Welsh Athletics, and Athletics Northern Eire. Whereas there’s a mixed British staff on the Olympics, European, and World Championships, the 4 nations have separate groups within the Commonwealth Video games. That 4 present GB star athletes – Josh Kerr, Laura Muir, Jemma Reekie, and Jake Wightman – are Scots provides to the hype for a worldwide championship being held in Scotland.
Laura Muir mentioned final week that she had by no means competed in a World Indoors in an Olympic 12 months, however the lure of an occasion not simply in Scotland however within the metropolis the place she had lived for the previous 8 years was too robust to withstand. Josh Kerr talked about his need to compete in world champs lower than an hour from the place he grew up, regardless of his coach’s preliminary concern that indoors might be a distraction within the Olympic 12 months.
Glasgow has a protracted athletics custom. It hosted the 2014 Commonwealth Video games and the 2014 “London” Diamond League whereas the London Stadium was present process diversifications to life after the Olympics. It has hosted elite indoor occasions for years. I keep in mind getting in 2012 to an indoor Grand Prix on the outdated Kelvin Corridor. The 2014 Commonwealth Video games noticed the constructing of the Emirates Area, which has hosted indoor athletics since. By the way, the Emirates Area consists of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, which commemorates Britain’s (OK, Scotland’s) greatest-ever Olympic bicycle owner. Hoy tried to enter Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome throughout the Commonwealth Video games however had forgotten his identification credentials and was refused entry! Being Sir Chris Hoy was not sufficient to get him into the Sir Chris Hoy velodrome!
Along with the common indoor grand Prix, Glasgow hosted the 2019 European Indoors, an impressive championship. Every thing means that the 2024 World Indoor Athletics Championships might be an impressive occasion.
