Multi-eventers to go head-to-head in the long jump while fellow heptathletes Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson are in hurdles action in Manchester

Morgan Lake and Dafne Schippers have been added to the list of multi-eventers who will be warming up for the Gotzis Hypo Meeting by competing at the Great CityGames Manchester on May 9.

The duo are set to go head-to-head in a long jump competition which will take place in a specially-constructed field arena in the city’s Albert Square. They will be joined in Manchester by fellow heptathletes Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson, who are also heading to Gotzis at the end of May and will contest hurdles events at the CityGames.

Johnson-Thompson had initially been due to compete in both the 200m hurdles and long jump, but the European indoor pentathlon champion will now solely concentrate on the hurdles event which will take place on a purpose-built temporary track that runs down the middle of Deansgate. Ennis-Hill is set to contest the 100m hurdles.

“The Great CityGames Manchester will be my first competition of the summer season and the only one I ll be doing before I go to Gotzis,” said double world junior champion Lake. “I haven t done a CityGames before. I ve always watched them on television and wanted to be involved, so I m excited about coming to Manchester to make my debut.

“It will be amazing to experience competing in front of such a big crowd in Manchester city centre and against Dafne. I competed against Dafne in Gotzis last year and it s great experience for me.”

The 17-year-old added: “I m also looking forward to seeing Jessica Ennis-Hill and Katarina Johnson-Thompson in action. I think it s great that heptathletes are testing themselves in individual events.”

Lake won gold in both the heptathlon and high jump at the IAAF World Junior Championships in Eugene last year, while Schippers secured a 100m and 200m sprint double at the European Championships in Zurich in August and followed that up by claiming the European indoor 60m title in Prague last month. As well as taking on the long jump, the Dutchwoman is also set to race the 150m in Manchester.

See www.greatcitygames.org

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