by Alfonz Juck
LONDON (GBR): The Diamond League continues tomorrow in London, with a sell out crowd of 60,000 at the venue of the 2012 Olympic Games and 2017 World Championships. Amongst the highlights are expected to be the men’s 800m, at the venue of the current World Record, plus strong sprint fields featuring both Olympic 100m Champions. It is the last Wanda Diamond League meeting before the month-long break. The main program begins at 15:00 GMT.
Event by event previews
Women
200m: 100m Olympic Champion Julien Alfred is joined by training partners Rhasidat Adeleke of Ireland and Brit Dina Asher Smith, alongside fellow Brits Amy Hunt and Daryll Neita, Ashanti Moore of Jamaica and Australian Torrie Lewis.
800m (Diamond+): Brits Jemma Reekie, Georgia Hunter Bell and Laura Muir face Shafiqua Maloney, 2019 World Champion Halimah Nakaayi, Addison Wiley of the United States and Natoya Goule of Jamaica. Pre-race favourite and Olympic Champion Keely Hodgkinson has withdrawn as she recovers from injury.
1 mile: Gudaf Tsegay headlines the field after the withdrawal of former World Record holder Sifan Hassan. She is joined by Olympic 1500m silver medallist Jess Hull of Australia, Ethiopian Birke Haylom, Rome DL winner Sarah Healy of Ireland and home interest from Katie Snowden and Revee Walcott Nolan.
5000m: Ethiopian Medina Eisa has the fastest at 14:16.54, set at this meeting two years ago. Joined by compatriots Chaltu Dida, Hirut Meshesha and Fotyen Tesfay, Kenyan Margaret Adikor, Australian Georgia Griffith and Nozomi Tanaka of Japan. British interests include junior Innes FitzGerald, plus Olympic representatives Megan Keith and Calli Hauger-Thackery.
400m hurdles: Femke Bol returns to London for the third successive year, having run a Meeting Record of 51.30 last year. Jamaican Andrenette Knight, Jasmine Jones of the United States, Brit Lina Nielsen and Emma Zapletalova also compete, Jamaicans Rushell Clayton and Shiann Salmon have withdrawn.
High jump: World Record holder Yaroslava Mahuchikh competes in London for the first time. The Olympic Champion is joined by Paris bronze medallist Eleanor Patterson, Brit Morgan Lake, German duo Imke Onnen and Christina Honsel, Lamara Distin of Jamaica and American World Indoor Championship representative Charity Hufnagel.
Pole vault (D+): 2024 World Indoor Champion Molly Caudery competes at home against a field including Katie Moon, reigning World Indoor Champion Marie Julie Bonnin of France, European Champion Angelica Moser of Switzerland and Tina Sutej of Slovenia.
Long jump: Malaika Mihambo against Larissa Iapichino, both for their premiere DL season win, Katarina Johnson-Thompson in her first long jump of the season.
4x100m (non-DL): AUS seeking a confirmation of their Tokyo ambitions (currently qualified with 42.48) against GBR, JAM and CAN.
Men
100m (D+): Olympic Champion Noah Lyles faces 200m Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo, one week after racing each other over 200m in Monaco. Also in the field Ackeem Blake of Jamaica, South African Akani Simbine and British trio Zharnel Hughes, Louie Hinchliffe and World Indoor Champion Jeremiah Azu.
400m: Home favourite and Olympic medallist Matthew Hudson-Smith is joined by European Championship medallist Charlie Dobson, Botswanan duo Collen Kepinatshipi and Bayapo Ndori and American Vernon Norwood. Muzala Samukonga is a late withdrawal, replaced by Brit Toby Harries. Hudson-Smith set a MR of 43.74 last year.
800m: Another fast race is expected with Olympic Champion and World Leader Emmanual Wanyonyi headlining the field after running 1:41.44 in Monaco. Will he better the Meeting Record of 1:42.05 (Emmanuel Korir, 2018)? Or get closer to Rudisha’s World Record set in this stadium in 2012. Olympic silver medallist Marco Arop, Mohammed Attaoui, Bryce Hoppel and fellow American Donavan Brazier also compete, the latter in his first Diamond League since 2022. Home interest comes from Max Burgin and World Championship bronze medallist Ben Pattison.
1500m (D+): A strong British contingent will likely feature at the front of the field, led by World Champion Josh Kerr, 2022 World Champion Jake Wightman, George Mills (second fastest Brit all-time) and Neil Gourley. World U20 Record holder Phanuel Koech of Kenya also competes as do Australians Cam Myers and Commonwealth Games Champion Oliver Hoare, plus Selemon Barega the Tokyo 10000m Olympic Champion. Hicham El Guerrouj (3:30.2) has the MR from 2000.
Long jump: Olympic Champion Miltiadis Tentoglou, is joined by fellow Paris medallists Wayne Pinnock and Mattia Furlani, 2019 World Champion Tajay Gayle, and decathlete Simon Ehammer.
Discus: A strong field includes World Record holder Mykolas Alekna, Olympic Champion Roje Stona, World Champion Daniel Stahl, 2022 World Champion Kristjan Ceh and British Record holder Lawrence Okoye. Ceh holds the MR of 71.27m.
4x100m (non-DL): JAM trying for World Champs qualifying time (currently 38.20) against GBR and NED (currently qualified with 37.87).
