Brits taking on world-class opponents at Birmingham

One week ahead of the British Championships, many leading domestic athletes face some of the world’s best tomorrow as the 11th Diamond League of the season moves to the Alexander Stadium, Birmingham.

For many world-class athletes the meeting has added importance with next Saturday’s Diamond League in Paris the only other remaining qualifier ahead of the finals in Zurich (August 29) and Brussels (September 6).

Scottish 800m record holder Lynsey Sharp, seventh in the 800m season’s rankings, contests the two-lap race against Ajee Wilson (US), so far the only Diamond League finalist for Brussels.

UK sprint record holder Dina AsherSmith has qualified for the 200m final in Zurich alongside two-time world champion Dafne Schippers (Netherlands).

Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo is ninth in the standings after her 22.09 victory in Monaco but another win in Birmingham would be sufficient for the Bahamian to qualify for Zurich where she could defend her Diamond League title. With all three racing. The 200m promises to be one of the event’s highlights.

Eilish McColgan (Dundee Hawkhill) and Jemma Reekie (Kilbarchan) contest the women’s mile, a qualifier for the 1,500m Diamond League Final in Zurich. Hawkhill’s Laura Muir will be absent having already booked her place in the 1,500m final, while of those running in Birmingham, only Gabriela Debues-Stafford (Canada) has already secured qualification.

Scottish 1,500m record holder Chris O’Hare contests the non-counting Diamond League 1,500m coming up against fastest in the field this season Ronald Musagala (Uganda) with a time of 3:30.58 to O’Hare’s season’s best of 3:36.57.

The World’s fastest man Christian Coleman (US), winner of the 100m in Oslo and Eugene, has qualified for the final in Zurich, as has London winner Akani Simbine (South Africa).

Both will line up alongside the likes of US runner Mike Rodgers, China’s Xie Zhenye and Japan’s Yuki Koike while British hopes rest with Adam Gemili and Harry Aikines-Aryeetey.