Allen Johnson, the four-time outdoor and three-time indoor World champion hurdler will compete at the IAAF indoor permit meeting in Birmingham, UK on 17 February 2007.

Johnson, the 1996 Olympic high hurdles champion, took the second of his three World Indoor 60m Hurdles titles on the National Indoor Area track, and so his return to Birmingham for the Norwich Union British Grand Prix will be a significant one for the 35-year-old.

In September, Johnson as a late inclusion to the USA team at the World Cup in Athens sped to a surprise victory over World 110m Hurdles record holder and Olympic champion, Liu Xiang of China. Johnson’s time of 12.96 seconds was his quickest since 1997 and that performance has been enough to convince him that retirement should not yet be on the agenda.

Johnson commented, “I may be fast approaching 36 (1 March 2007), but there’s no way I’m giving up yet. I think my win at the World Cup in September proved there’s plenty left in me, and I want to go to (next year’s outdoor) World Championships in Osaka in contention for medals.”
 
He will begin his European indoor tour in Glasgow, UK on 27 January at the Norwich Union International at the Kelvin Hall. Johnson is the latest big name to be announced for the American team that will compete at the annual Glasgow match for the first time in 13 years.

“This will be my first time at the Kelvin Hall for a number of years and I remember the last one well with Colin setting a World record (7.36 seconds in 1994). It’s great that the US will have a team at this match again and it’s great to be involved in that team.”

“I won an indoor World title in Birmingham in 2003, so clearly I’ve got happy memories of the track there” as well.

Kate McCall for the IAAF