Olympic star joins line-up for Leeds International Festival

She finished 0.56 seconds ahead of her closest rival when she became Britain's first solo Winter Olympics gold medallist for three decades.
By Paul Robinson
Published 15th Mar 2019, 14:38 BST
Updated 15th Mar 2019, 15:48 BST
Amy Williams.Amy Williams.
Amy Williams.

And now Amy Williams is set to give an audience in Leeds the inside track on the difference that fine margins regularly make in elite sport.

Amy, who took gold in the skeleton at 2010's Vancouver games, has been confirmed as one of the experts appearing at this year's Leeds International Festival.

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She will be speaking at Sport 2.0: Every Second Counts, a conference on May 10 exploring how technological innovations can give competitors a vital extra edge over their rivals.

Gemma Holsgrove at the Tetley launch event.Gemma Holsgrove at the Tetley launch event.
Gemma Holsgrove at the Tetley launch event.

Details of the conference were revealed as the full festival line-up was announced at The Tetley today.

Other newly-confirmed events include a panel discussion on May 7 focusing on the efforts being made by professional women to tackle the menace of acid attacks.

Dr Almas Ahmed, the inventor of the world's first acid-proof make-up, will be speaking at Facing Brave along with women's rights expert Danielle Cornish and skin scientist Dr Julie Thornton.

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Falling Light, an immersive art installation at the Corn Exchange being created by design studio Flat-e, is another new addition to the programme.

Dr Almas Ahmed.Dr Almas Ahmed.
Dr Almas Ahmed.

Names previously confirmed for the festival - which is also known as L19 - include punk poet John Cooper Clarke, evolutionary biologist and TV presenter Prof Alice Roberts, award-winning novelist Matt Haig and former world heavyweight boxing champion Frank Bruno, who will be talking about music and mental health.

Festival executive Gemma Holsgrove said: "We are so excited to divulge the 2019 full line-up. You can see that this year’s festival offers up a wealth of dynamic, industry-leading and innovative speakers, as well as ‘must see’ events, performers, installations, activities and workshops.

“L19 will present an amazing, eclectic line-up, which we think truly reflects the international appeal of Leeds.

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"Whilst big and renowned names appear on the bill, we also want to provide a platform for smaller, more diverse, local and underground voices, to showcase the breadth and rich cultural diversity of this amazing city."

Taking place for the third year in a row, the festival is funded by LeedsBID (Business Improvement District) and runs from May 2 to 12.

It will be staged in venues across the city, with a central 'hub' called The Village being set up at The Tetley with support from developer Vastint.

For further information, visit the www.leedsinternationalfestival.com website.