Posted: March 10, 2005

Athletics: Holmes To Headline Four-Meet UK International Series

From David Monti

(c) 2004 Race Results Weekly, all rights reserved RaceResultsWeekly.com

By Bob Ramsak

Kelly Holmes will be among the headliners at all four British international athletics meetings this summer, Fast Track, organizers of the UK televized series, announced today.

Holmes, who raced to a double middle distance victory at last summer's Olympic Games, has made herself available for the Norwich Union International on June 5 in Glasgow, and will then aim to qualify for August's World Championships at the Norwich Union World and Commonwealth Trials in Manchester on July 9-10. Appearances at the Norwich Union London Grand Prix on July 22 and the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Sheffield on August 21 will follow.

Holmes made two indoor appearances this winter, taking modest wins at the Norwich Union International in Glasgow in the 1500 meters in 4:14.74 and at 1000 meters at the Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix in Birmingham, clocking 2:35.39. She was forced out of last weekend's European Indoor Championships in Madrid after sustaining a minor hamstring tear during a training session at her South African base last month.

“Of course it was disappointing to miss out on Madrid," Holmes said, "but I’ll bounce back strong as ever from that with the match in Glasgow on June 5."

Holmes did not indicate which event she would contest at any of the competitions.

Since her double victory in Athens, Holmes has enjoyed high profile celebrity status in Great Britain. Yesterday she received her Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire insignia from Queen Elizabeth at a ceremony at Buckingham Palace.