Athletes from the Jamaican national team were on hand to mark the opening of the new athletics track at the University of Birmingham.

The new facility is an international standard training track and comprises a 400-metre, eight-lane floodlit track with a full range of throws and jumps.

The Jamaican team stayed at the University of Birmingham ahead of the 2012 Olympics in London and the team has returned to the city before the World Athletics Championships which starts in the capital tomorrow.

Among those training on the new track were sprinters Yohan Blake and Senoj-Jay Givans and hurdler Danielle Williams.

Located on the edge of the university's campus in Edgbaston Park Road, the track has been built on land leased from the Schools of King Edward VI.

It is home to the university's Athletics and Cross Country Club and will also be host to pupils from King Edward's School and King Edward VI High School for Girls, Birmingham Running, Athletics and Triathlon Club (BRAT) and a range of other groups.

Jamaican sprint hurdler Danielle Williams at the new track
Jamaican sprint hurdler Danielle Williams at the new track

The track's completion coincides with the selection of Sarah McDonald, a fourth year medical student, to represent Team GB in the 1,500m at the World Athletics Championships.

Earlier this year, the university opened its new £55 million Sport & Fitness Club in Bristol Road which contains a 50-metre pool.

University's director of sport Zena Wooldridge said: "We're very fortunate to have such a superb new athletics track on a magnificent leafy site.

"Athletics is a key sport for the University of Birmingham and it will make a huge difference to our athletes' training to have such a fantastic track so close to the main campus.

"I hope our student athletes and the young athletes from BRAT and local schools will be inspired by the new track and its Jamaican inauguration and we look forward to seeing more of our own stars of the future training here."