Sotherton faces early Kluft duel

Sotherton (right) took bronze as Kluft won at the World Championships

Kelly Sotherton will compete against arch-rival Carolina Kluft in a special three-event contest at next month's Norwich Union Indoor Grand Prix.

Sotherton, 31, is to face the Olympic heptathlon champion in the 60m hurdles, long jump and 400m at Birmingham's National Indoor Arena on 16 February.

The World Indoor Championships start in Valencia three weeks later.

"With the World Indoors so soon it'll be really important to know I'm performing at my best," said Sotherton.

"I enjoy competing against Carolina as her performances always spur me on.

Kluft, also the current World and European heptathlon champion, beat Sotherton to the pentathlon title at the European Indoor Championships at the NIA last March.

"The three-event challenge against Carolina should be pretty exciting," said Sotherton, who won bronze at the 2007 World Championships.

"This is such an important year for all the athletes as we build up to the Olympics in the summer."