Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Leeds Beckett graduate aims to secure Rio place
Bosworth, who graduated in 2013 after studying BSc (Hons) Sports Performance, is competing at the British Grand Prix of Race Walking and British Olympic 20km Race Walk Trials staged on Woodhouse Moor in Leeds on Sunday (5 June).
The event – free to all spectators on the compact one-kilometre circuit - has attracted an international field with athletes from Australia, Ireland, Norway, Spain, Hong Kong and Slovenia taking part.
Among them is Bosworth who has enjoyed a breakthrough year with a British Record of 80.41 and needs to finish in the top two British athletes to secure his selection for his first Olympic Games.
He is joined in the 20km by fellow Brit Dominic King who has already secured his Team GB place over 50km and will be looking to bounce back from disqualification in the 20km World Race Walking Team Championships in Rome last month. He is challenged by Norwegian Joakim Saelen who has a personal best of 88:05.
British 2016 OL 20km #RaceWalking Trials
— La Marcia.com (@LaMarciaCom) June 1, 2016
Leeds 5Jun2016https://t.co/taKDc70fcD @iaaforg @EuroAthletics @TomBosworth pic.twitter.com/tweooK2faT
In the Women’s 20km Welsh Record-holder and Leeds University Graduate Bethan Davies will target the British Olympic Qualifying time of 93.00. She set her Welsh record of 96.07 last October in Hillingdon and was in great form in the spring.
She set a British record when winning the British Indoor Championships over 3,000 metres, clocking 12.44.99, and moved to second on the UK All Time list over 10km with 44.59 in Coventry.
Siu Nga Ching of Hong Kong will be chasing her national Olympic standard of 96.00. She was close to this mark in Naumburg two weeks ago when she clocked 96:49 and finished 70th in Rome in 99:39.
The supporting Junior 10 kilometres will see a host of Britain’s best juniors targeting qualifying times for the World Junior Championships or the European Youth Championships.
Cameron Corbishley from Leeds set a personal best of 43.05 in Podebrad, Czech Republic in April. He will be looking to target the British qualifying time of 42.20 to join World Team Championship fourth-placer and Leeds Beckett University student Callum Wilkinson on the plane to Bydgoszcz.
Co-Event Director and Director of Communications, Ian Richards said: “This is a great opportunity for the public to come and experience a world class athletics event for free on their doorstep.
“Unlike a 10km running race or Marathon they will be able to see the whole race unfold. This is a great warm up for next weekend’s ITU World Triathlon Series Leeds.
“It will be great to see Tom Bosworth qualify for Rio on home territory. To put the speed Tom operates into perspective for those of you that run, his British records over five Kilometres is 18.54 and 39.36 over 10 Kilometres, which are good time for lots of runners.”
In just over 2 months the Olympics get underway. One hoping to be there is Tonbridge's @TomBosworth #RoadToRio pic.twitter.com/RmntPDV7P4
— BBC South East (@bbcsoutheast) June 1, 2016
The action starts at 9.30am. You can find more information here.