4th July 2018

WORLD LEADER UGEN ONE OF 12 BRITS IN DIAMOND LEAGUE ACTION IN LAUSANNE

A total of 13 British athletes will be competing in Lausanne on Thursday, 5th July as the IAAF Diamond League heads to Switzerland.

Lorraine Ugen (coach: Shawn Jackson, Thames Valley Harriers), fresh from setting a World Lead of 7.05m (wind: 1.2m/s) in the women’s long jump at the Müller British Athletics Championships, heads to Lausanne looking to build on that performance.

She has already won one Diamond League meeting this year having jumped 6.85m (wind: 1.7m/s) in Stockholm last month, a then season’s best.

She’ll face off against fellow Brit Shara Proctor (Rana Reider, Birchfield Harriers) who claimed bronze at the trials with a best of 6.81 (3.8m/s), as well as World Indoor champion Ivana Spanovic (SRB) and Tianna Bartoletta (USA), who has the longest personal best in the field at 7.17m.

The last Brits in action are Dundee Hawkhill duo Laura Muir (Andy Young) and Eilish McColgan (Liz Nuttall), who join Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Melissa Courtney (Rob Denmark, Poole AC) and Laura Weightman (Steve Cram, Morpeth) in the women’s 1500m field.

The 18-strong field features Gudaf Tsegay (ETH), the second fastest over the distance in the world this year behind countrywoman, Genzebe Dibaba, while Caster Semenya (RSA) will hope to improve her 3:59.92 personal best, set this year.

Muir’s 3:58.53 clocked as she took in second in Stockholm, placed her third in the world this year and her personal best of 3:55.22 recorded in 2016 remains the fastest time set by a European over 1500m this century.

Lynsey Sharp (Terrence Mahon, Edinburgh AC) will be in an incredibly fast women’s 800m field, with three of the fastest four women in the world this year taking to the track.

World Indoor gold medallist Francine Niyonsaba (BDI), currently ranked second in the world behind Semenya, is the fastest on paper with a season best of 1:55.86, a shade outside her personal best of 1:55.47. Silver medallist at the World Indoor Championships American Ajee Wilson (USA) and Habitam Alemu (ETH), who turns 21 on Monday, will also provide stiff competition.

Sharp finished third in Lausanne in 2016 and seventh last year. She’ll be looking to improve her season’s best of 2:00.44 achieved in Loughborough last month and get close to her 1:57.69 personal best, set at the 2016 Rio Olympic Games.

Jodie Williams (Stuart McMillan, Herts Phoenix) will run in the women’s 200m, a non-Diamond League event, against 2018 Commonwealth Games 100m gold medallist Michelle-Lee Ahye (TTO) and 200m silver medallist at Gold Coast, Shericka Jackson (JAM).

Also in the non-Diamond League events will be silver medallist in the men’s 400m hurdles at the Müller British Athletics Championships Jack Green (June Plews, Kent) and Niall Flannery (Matt Elias, Gateshead).

T54 wheelchair racer Richard Chiassaro (Jennifer Banks, Harlow AC) will go in the men’s 1500m wheelchair race, which will kick off the live action, while Martyn Rooney (Graham Hedman, Croydon) and Owen Smith (Matt Elias, Cardiff) will race in the men’s 400m at 18:35.

Coverage begins on Eurosport 1 from 7pm. Highlights will be shown on Saturday, 7th July at 10:30am.

Full start lists can be found here.