by Alfonz JuckThe Muller British GP/ Birmingham Diamond League happens on May 21, 2022. It should be very exciting! The second Diamond League meet of the 2022 season has some fantastic fields. This is from EME News, the best daily athletics news service in the sport.
Trayvon Bromell, photo by Kevin Morris / @kevmofoto
Super men 100 m expected
BIRMINGHAM (GBR): Wanda Diamond League continues on Saturday with the second meet of the season. The Muller British Grand Prix will be held in Birmingham at the renovated Alexander Stadium. Several World leads are expected in the top line-up. Possible top highlight could be men´s 100 m and at the end of the meet, both 4×100 m men and women relay.
Short event by event previews
Women
100m – Five-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah is a late withdrawal but the line-up still features six sub-11 competitors including Olympic bronze medallist Shericka Jackson although the fastest based on season’s bests is Cambrea Sturgis with 10.87. Dina Asher-Smith will be looking for victory on home soil while Gabby Thomas steps down in distance after winning the 200m in Doha.
800m – Olympic silver medallist Keely Hodgkinson makes her outdoor season’s debut. The field includes fellow Olympic finalists Alexandra Bell and Natoya Goule.
1500m – This could be a head-to-head between Laura Muir and Jemma Reekie but Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji is likely to feature as well.
5000m – Francine Niyonsaba will be looking for back-to-back Diamond League wins after winning the 3000m in Doha. The line-up also features a strong Ethiopian contingent including Ejgayehu Taye, Girmawit Gebrezhair and Dawit Seyaum.
400m hurdles – Olympic silver medallist Dalilah Muhammad faces a field that includes four other Olympic finalists from Tokyo (Russell, Ryzhykova, Tkachuk and Woodruff). Home hope Jessie Knight.
Long jump – Malaika Mihambo contests her first long jump of the outdoor season. She faces reigning world indoor champion Ivana Vuleta and European indoor champion Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk.
Pole vault – After a recent bout of coronavirus, Olympic champion Katie Nageotte opens her season against Sandi Morris, Ekaterini Stefanidi, Holly Bradshaw and Tina Sutej
Discus – Olympic champion Valarie Allman and five-time European champion Sandra Perkovic lead the entry-list.
Men
100m – All nine entrants have run 10.00 or faster. Trayvon Bromell is the fastest based on the season’s bests with 9.92. Olympic 200 m winner Andre De Grasse is also there.
400m – Returning to form European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith takes on Isaac Makwala and Liemarvin Bonevacia on his home track.
800m – A wide-open field includes Olympic silver and bronze medallists Ferguson Cheruiyot Rotich and Patryk Dobek. Also World indoor champion Mariano Garcia is in the line-up.
1500m – Two-time world indoor champion Samuel Tefera takes on Olympic bronze medallist Josh Kerr and Olympic fourth-placer Abel Kipsang. The fastest entrant is Spain’s Mohamed Katir with 3:28.76.
110m hurdles – Reigning Olympic champion Hansle Parchment goes head-to-head with Jamaican teammate and 2016 Olympic champion Omar McLeod.
High jump – Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi will be looking to improve on his 2.20m in windy conditions in Doha.
Discus – All three Olympic medallists compete (Stahl, Pettersson, and Weisshaidinger) along with former world champion Andrius Gudzius and youngster Kristjan Ceh.
