TSB agree £4m deal

ATHLETICS : British athletics yesterday announced that TSB will be extending their sponsorship for a further two years in a deal which will be worth £4m to the sport overall, writes Mike Rowbottom.

The first sign of the new deal - which follows Monday's announcement of £500,000 worth of support from Mazda - will be the sponsoring of the British kit for the indoor international against Russia a week on Saturday.

The British line-up for the McDonald's International in Birmingham, also announced yesterday, contained at least one surprise. Colin Jackson, who vowed never to race over 60 metres flat again after securing the European indoor title at that event last March, is selected over 60m flat and 60m hurdles.

He and the world 200m silver medallist, John Regis, are the highest-profile Britons in a team which includes 10 athletes making their international debut. Kate Staples, of Gladiators fame, will compete in the first women's senior international pole vaultto be held indoors.