28th August 2019
HOST OF BRITS CHALLENGING FOR DIAMOND LEAGUE GLORY IN ZURICH
British champions Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie; club: Blackheath & Bromley), Adam Gemili (Rana Reider; Blackheath & Bromley) and Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn) will headline the 13 British athletes in action in Zurich’s Diamond League final.
European Indoor silver medallist Bradshaw, who broke the championship record in the women’s pole vault at the Müller British Championships at the weekend, is the first athlete in action this evening, facing off against Olympic, World and European champion Katerina Stefanidi (GRE) and World Indoor champion, Sandi Morris (USA).
Fresh from breaking the 100m championship record in Birmingham, Diamond League leader Asher-Smith will turn her attention to the 200m in Switzerland tomorrow as she aims to secure her first Diamond League title of her career.
In what could easily be a World Championship 200m final, the Londoner, who finished second last year in the 100m, takes on the defending Diamond League champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo (BAH), world leader Elaine Thompson (JAM) and two-time world champion, Dafne Schippers (NED).
Gemili, who broke the 200m championship record at the Alexander Stadium, and British teammate Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills; Shaftesbury Barnet) will contest a stacked men’s 100m field, containing the fastest man over 200m this year, Noah Lyles (USA).
One-lap specialist Laviai Nielsen (Christine Bowmaker; Enfield & Haringey) will hope to continue her good run of form in Switzerland in the women’s 400m, while Scottish duo Eilish McColagan (Liz Nuttall; Dundee Hawkhill) and Jemma Reekie (Andy Young; Kilbarchan) will take their places on the 1500m start line.
Andrew Butchart faces off against a stacked men’s 5000m field in his first Diamond League finals and will take on some of the best sub-13-minute runners in the world including the 2018 Diamond Trophy winner and fourth fastest man of all-time, Selemon Barega (ETH), and the fastest man in the distance this year Telahun Haile Bekele (ETH).
Other Brits in non-Diamond League action include 110m hurdles duo David King (James Hillier; City of Plymouth) and Cameron Fillery (Michael Baker; Woodford Green Essex Ladies), both of whom are chasing the IAAF World Championships qualifying time following their top two finish at last weekend’s trials.
Danny Sidbury (Christine Parsloe; Sutton & District) and Nathan Maguire (Stephen Hoskins; Halton & Frodsham) contest their first international mixed wheelchair 3000m race as they step-up their own preparations ahead of the World Para Athletics Championships in Dubai, with multiple Paralympic, World and European medallist Marcel Hug (SUI) and Swiss compatriot Manuela Schar, the triple Paralympic Games medallist.
European U23 silver medallist Ellie Baker (Jon Bigg; Shaftesbury Barnet) completes the list of British athletes in action as she contests the 800m in the Swiss city.
The action kicks off tonight (Wednesday, 28 August) at 17:30 BST, while tomorrow’s action (Thursday, 29 August) commences at 17:15 BST and will be live on Eurosport 2 from 7pm BST.