BBC Sport has announced details of its biggest ever offering of live international athletics during the summer of 2013.
Gabby Logan takes over the lead presenting role on BBC TV’s coverage which brings the very best track and field events from across the UK and Europe.
Reaffirming the corporation’s status as the home of athletics, the BBC will take audiences every step of the journey through to the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014 with more hours of coverage than ever before.
BBC TV’s live track and field coverage this summer is headlined by the return of the IAAF World Athletics Championships to the corporation this summer, after they bought the rights back from Channel 4 after they covered Daegu 2011.
The 2013 edition in Moscow begins on August 10, with Jonathan Edwards presenting morning session coverage while Logan takes over for the prime-time evening sessions.
All coverage will be anchored live from Moscow across BBC One and BBC Two during the nine-day championships.
The presenting team will be joined by Olympic legend Michael Johnson, who will offer his expert insight as the world’s top competitors fight for track and field honours.
BBC Sport’s expert team also features a number of Olympic medal-winning heroes and former competitors from the world athletics stage.
Steve Cram, Denise Lewis, Paula Radcliffe, Colin Jackson and Brendan Foster a will be just some of the legends of track and field regularly contributing to the BBC’s TV coverage, while highly experienced sports broadcasters Paul Dickenson and Andrew Cotter are also part of the line-up.
Gabby Logan replaces John Inverdale as the BBC’s main athletics anchor. He held the role for three years and led the BBC athletics presentation at last summer’s Olympic Games in London.
After making her BBC athletics debut covering the closing Diamond League meetings in 2012, there were rumours earlier this year that Logan would take over the main presenting role.
Commenting on her new BBC post: “What better way could there be to help grow the nation’s interest and excitement in athletics than by offering coverage of the world’s most awe-inspiring track and field events all under one roof, here at the BBC.
“I’m honoured and excited at the prospect of leading the coverage and looking forward to some exciting competition ahead.”
Alongside her new athletics role, Logan will also present ‘Inspire’, a new monthly Olympics series on BBC One.
Outside the IAAF World Championships, there is plenty of top international athletics taking place across the UK and Europe.
BBC Two and BBC Three will have more action from IAAF Diamond League events than ever before, plus there will also be full coverage of the European Team Championships in Gateshead (June 22/13) – the first major athletics championship in the UK since London 2012.
After the success of the London 2012, the BBC returns to the Olympic Stadium for the Sainsbury’s Anniversary games (July 26-27) featuring superstars Jessica Ennis-Hill and Usain Bolt.
They willl be live action on BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Radio 5 live as well as live streaming, news, videos and highlights on the BBC Sport website.
Then as the summer draws to a close the BBC will also turn its eye to Gateshead’s Great CityGames and Great North Run in September, Glasgow’s Great Scottish Run in October, European Cross Country from Serbia (December 8) and Edinburgh (January 2014) and the IAAF World Indoor Championships from Poland (March 2014).
As well as coverage being shared across BBC One, BBC Two and BBC Three, athletics fans will once again be able to make the most of a rich multi-screen viewing experience through access to online and interactive services.
This includes; the Red Button, connected TV and live streaming, live text commentaries, news, reports and highlights via the BBC Sport website.
Barbara Slater, Head of BBC Sport, says: “We’re looking forward to channelling the passion and pride seen during London 2012 into a new wave of events set to capture the imagination of a country of athletics lovers.
“We’re very proud of the amount of coverage BBC Sport is able to offer audiences, given the athletics calendar including the exciting London Anniversary games and the World Athletics Championships.”
Radio 5 live’s summer of Athletics climaxes in Moscow with full commentary from the World Championships.
The commentary team will be led by BBC’s Athletics correspondent Mike Costello who will be joined by Steve Backley, Allison Curbishley and 5 live reporter Sonja McLaughlan.
Mark Pougatch will host 5 live’s programmes from Moscow and will also present the network’s coverage of the London Anniversary Games.
Radio 5 live and 5 live sports extra has also committed to extensive coverage of Paralympic Athletics in 2013 with full commentary on the IPC World Championships from Lyon in July. These will be covered extensively on television by Channel 4.
Luzhniki Stadium, Moscow (RUS) BBC One / BBC Two Thursday 22nd August Diamond League – Stockholm BBC Red Button Thursday 29th August Diamond League – Zurich BBC Three Friday 6th September Diamond League – Brussels BBC Two Saturday 14th September Great North CityGames: Gateshead BBC One Sunday 15th September Bupa Great North Run BBC One Sunday 6th October Great Scottish Run BBC Two Sunday 8th December European Cross Country Championships – Serbia BBC Two
