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Kate Howey on BBC’s Superstars

 

Superstars is back on BBC One after 19 years and Kate Howey will be trying to prove once again that Judo athletes are the strongest.

Based in La Manga in Southern Spain, Kate will be joined by top sports stars such as Colin Jackson, Dennis Wise, Stuart Pearce, Mark Foster, Annabel Croft and Katherine Merry.    They signed up to take part in a variety of disciplines, ranging from the infamous gym tests (dips and squats), to mountain biking, the 100m sprint, target golf and swimming.

Superstars returns as a six part series being hosted by Johnny Vaughan and Suzi Perry.   The men will battles it out over four heats with the top two contestants in each show claiming a place in the grand final.   The women compete in a special one-off championship, which will air on 13 November.

brian jacks

Judo champion Brian Jacks, perhaps the greatest ever Superstar athlete, won the title in 1978.

The original Superstars, presented by David Vine, ran for 11 years from 1974-1985 and featured memorable moments such as Judo’s Brian Jack’s gym performances and Malcolm Macdonald setting a record for the 100m.

So how will it work?   The aim of the game is simple. Athletes compete against each other in a wide range of disciplines, collecting points according to their score or time, and the winner is the man or woman with the highest aggregate total.

Ten points are on offer for a first-place finish in each event, seven go to second spot, four to third, two to fourth and one point goes to fifth place.

 

But there is a catch.   To prevent Mark Foster destroying all-comers in the pool, or Chris Boardman blitzing his heat in the biking, every contender is withdrawn from their "specialist" event (or event nearest to their specialist event).    In the interests of safety, athletes may then opt out of the discipline they fear most - so John Regis, for example, can spare himself the indignity of drowning by dropping the swim.

The events are 100m, 800m, 50m swim, Gym test – squats, Gym test – dips, Kayak, Mountain bikes, Football (men only), Golf (men's heats only), Archery (men's final and women), Tennis (men's final and women).

Kate said that she preferred the sprint and the bike ride, but was worried by archery and tennis.   We just want to see her in the Gym test – apparently she has been getting secret coaching from friend and mentor Brian Jacks!

The new series begins on Thursday 16 October on BBC One at 8pm.  

Men's heat one: 16 October
Mark Foster (swimming)
Phil de Glanville (rugby)
Colin Jackson (athletics)
Wayne McCullough (boxing)
Henry Olonga (cricket)
Stuart Pearce (football)
John Regis (athletics)
Greg Searle (rowing)
Johnny Searle (rowing)
Men's heat two: 23 October
Chris Boardman (cycling)
Darren Campbell (athletics)
Steve Claridge (football)
Steve Collins (boxing)
Dermot Reeve (cricket)
Peter Scudamore (horse racing)
Iwan Thomas (athletics)
Tony Underwood (rugby)
Rory Underwood (rugby)
Men's heat three: 30 October
Jimmy Adams (cricket)
Simon Archer (badminton)
Jamie Baulch (athletics)
Alain Baxter (skiing)
Jamie Delgado (tennis)
Richard Dunwoody (horse racing)
Gavin Hastings (rugby)
Paul Hunter (snooker)
Derek Redmond (athletics)
Men's heat four: 6 November
Graham Bell (skiing)
Martin Bell (skiing)
Ricky Hatton (boxing)
Brian Hooper (athletics)
Du'aine Ladejo (athletics)
Chris Lewis (cricket)
Martin Offiah (rugby)
Richie Richardson (cricket)
Dennis Wise (football)

Women's Final: 13 November
Zoe Baker (swimming)
Leander Cave (triathlon)
Annabel Croft (tennis)
Kate Howey (judo)
Fiona May (athletics)
Liz McColgan (athletics)
Lesley McKenna (snowboarding)
Katharine Merry (athletics)

Men's final: 20 November
Field to be confirmed.
   

For more information visit the Superstars website at www.bbc.co.uk/superstars

 

superstars female competitors

Kate Howey with the competitors from the Women’s special

 


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