Athletics: Stars head for Kelvin Hall

SOME of the hottest names in British athletics, including World Championship medallists Jess Ennis, Lisa Dobriskey and Jenny Meadows are in Scotland tomorrow for the Aviva Indoor International at Glasgow's Kelvin Hall Arena.

World Heptathlon champion Ennis leads the GB team against the might of the United States, Germany, Sweden and a Commonwealth Select in Scotland's biggest indoor track and field meeting of the year.

Ennis, who celebrated her 24th birthday yesterday, will compete in the high jump as a match competitor and as a guest in the 100 metres hurdles as she steps up her preparations for a bid for the World Indoor pentathlon title in Doha in March.

The Sheffielder, who is joint holder of the UK outdoor high jump record of 1.95m, will probably be happy with anything over 1.90m in the tight confines of the Kelvin Hall. She could be ready for a new best in the 60m hurdles where already in 2010 she has trimmed her personal best to 8.12 seconds.

Dunfermline's Scottish Nick Smith, the Scottish champion who again has a guest lane, faces tough opposition in the 60m.

As well as Britain's first choice Craig Pickering, who has excelled at this meeting in the past, there is the American Indoor champion Mark Jelks and Britain's former World Junior and Youth champion Harry Aikines Areetey, who, along with Pickering, has been training in South Africa: "I've never been to Scotland so I'm really looking forward to it," said the Loughborough student, who will represent the Commonwealth Select.