Published Date:
03 June 2009
By Simon Downes
Craig looking forward to Super8 Series
Shenley Lodge sprinter Craig Pickering is backing next week’s UK Athletics Super8 Series to be a big success.
Launching next Wednesday with a pilot in Cardiff, the new midweek competition features the cream of British athletes, with eight teams all competing against each other during two hours of non-stop competition, incorporating a total of 10 events and relays.
Representing their ‘home’ city – or as near as they can get to it – mixed teams of men and women will compete for significant prize funds in both the individual and team events.
After the pilot competition – which takes place at the Cardiff International Stadium – other UK cities will be invited to bid for Super8 franchises and the right to host events.
Over time it is hoped the competition will grow to eight events, with each team hosting either an indoor or outdoor fixture.
The teams for the pilot event – which will also double up as the final selection opportunity for the forthcoming European Team Championships – will be Cardiff, Glasgow, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Newcastle, London North and London South.
And Pickering – who will race for North London in the 100m and 4x100m relay – is confident the competition will prove a big success.
“It’s probably a bit more for the fans than the athletes, but it should turn out to be quite fun,” said the Marshall Milton Keynes Athletics Club sprinter.
“UK Athletics are taking it all very seriously and really sound positive about it being a major competition for the future, so I’m guessing if it goes well in Cardiff that we’ll see it again.”
Dubbed as athletics’ answer to cricket’s Twenty20 competition, the Super8 Series has been met with mixed reactions.
But Pickering thinks that any competition that brings the best of British together on a regular basis can only be a positive thing for athletics in general.
“It’s definitely a good idea to have a regular domestic event in the calendar,” he said.
"There is prize money in each of the events ranging from first to eighth place and other prizes for the teams.
“So it seems a good idea, but as athletes we’re obviously used to only worrying about what we do as individuals, and that won’t change.”
The 22-year-old’s year didn’t get off to the best of starts when he was disqualified in the semi-finals of the 100m at Sheffield’s European Indoor Trials and UK Championships in February.
And he described not winning a medal at the European Indoor Championships in the following month as ‘a huge disaster.’
But after running 15.42s in the 150m event at a Loughborough International meet a fortnight ago, Pickering says he’s hopeful of a good summer season, with the action coming thick and fast over the coming months.
“I’m feeling pretty good about things at the moment and just looking forward to some exciting competitions,” he said,
"I’m flying all around Europe to race in the next few weeks as my build-up to the World Trials continues so I’m really busy.
“And now that my studies are over I can conentrate everything I have on athletics and hopefully improving further.”
http://www.miltonkeynes.co.uk/athletics/Pickering-backs-new-event-for.5332042.jp