Channel 4 has confirmed its on-screen line-up for the forthcoming IAAF World Athletics Championships in Daegu, South Korea.
Four-time Olympic gold-medallist athlete Michael Johnson will be part of a winning line-up of sporting greats hosting the channel’s live and exclusive coverage of the IAAF World Athletics Championships.
The world-famous, nine-time world champion, who is also a regular BBC pundit, will join main presenter Ortis Deley on the flagship programme to give his views on the action from the track.
Johnson is universally recognised as one of the greatest athletes in the history of track and field, and will bring his own experience and expert knowledge to the IAAF Championships.
His appointment as a champion pundit reflects Channel 4’s commitment to delivering fresh and high-quality coverage of the IAAF Championships.
Deley will make his sports presenting debut as the host of the live programming in the studio, and will front a winning line up of talent covering the championships.
Expert commentators John Rawling and Rob Walker will cover the action from the commentary box, with Sonja McClaughlin reporting on all the news from trackside.
Rick Edwards, who co-hosts Channel 4’s ‘That Paralympic Show’, will present the peak-time highlights shows.
Channel 4 has appointed a host of world-class athletes to the commentary team.
World Championship relay gold medallist Iwan Thomas continues his work for Channel 4 following his presentation of That Paralympic Show.
Olympic medal-winning 400m sprinter Katharine Merry and World Championship and Commonwealth Games multi-medal-winning decathlete Dean Macey also feature in the Channel 4 commentary line-up.
Jamie Aitchison, Editor, Live Sports, Channel 4, said: “Michael Johnson is renowned for his frank, incisive and illuminating views and we are delighted to have him as our lead analyst in our exciting team.”
To promote Channel 4’s exclusive coverage of the IAAF, the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt, has taken to the starting block to star in a specially-made ident, which is due for transmission prior to and throughout the IAAF World Athletics Championships.
Channel 4 will show almost 65 hours of coverage of the 2011 IAAF World Athletics Championships, which take place from 27 August to 4 September in Daegu, South Korea, including all sessions plus a regular highlights programme in prime time.
There will be a dedicated website for the championships on Channel4.com, and via Twitter – @C4Athletics.
The broadcaster snatched the rights to the championships from the BBC last September, breaking the corporation’s hold on the TV rights to the event since 1983.