Lee Thompson: Sheffield sprinter to make history in Toyko with Team GB's 4x400m mixed relay team

Sheffield sprinter Lee Thompson will make history on Friday when he anchors Great Britain’s 4x400m mixed relay team at their first-ever Olympic Games.
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Tokyo 2020 is the first time a mixed relay event will be held at an Olympics, with the GB team made up of athletes selected from the women’s and men’s 4x400m relay squads.

The heats get underway at 12pm tomorrow UK time, with the final scheduled for Saturday.

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Cameron Chalmers will lead off to Zoey Clark before Emily Diamond then takes over the baton and 24-year-old Thompson of Sheffield & Dearne Athletic Club completes the final leg.

Lee Thompson of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.Lee Thompson of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Lee Thompson of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

The Worksop-based sprinter, who also works full-time as an accountant, helped GB’s mixed relay team achieve Olympic qualification in May at the World Athletics Relays in Poland.

He also anchored a GB Men’s 4x400m Relay team to bronze at the European Indoor Championships in March.

Thompson’s coach, John Henson, said: “He’s really pleased, it’s been a long wait but he’s trained very well while he’s been out there [Japan].

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"He’s still in the mix for the men’s relay and hoping if he does perform well in the mixed event then he will get a spot in that team as well.”

Great Britain has selected five male athletes for the 4x400m Relay team – and have the option to call in a reserve should they qualify for the final a week on Saturday.

The heats for that event will take place next Friday.

Thompson jetted out to Japan on 15 July and took part in a 10-day training camp in Yokohama before travelling onto the athletes’ village.