Nine British athletes were in action at the Wanda Diamond League in Rome, Italy on Thursday evening.

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson, Blackburn Harriers) cleared 4.60m to match her season best to finish the women’s pole vault competition in equal second place overall.

The Olympic bronze medallist cleared 4.40m and 4.50m on her second attempts, but she comfortably moved over 4.60m at the first time of asking. As Sandi Morris (USA) – the eventual winner – went over 4.70m on her second attempt, the Briton bowed out with three fouls at that height which saw her take a share for second place with Italy’s Roberta Bruni.

In a battling contest, Laura Muir (Andy Young, Dundee Hawkhill) was third in the women’s 1500m as Hirut Meshesha (ETH) added a second consecutive Diamond League win to her collection after she won in Rabat last Sunday.

After negotiating some pushing and barging in the first 200m, Muir settled into her running as she sat on Meshesha’s shoulder for the opening 800m, but Axumawit Embaye (ETH) kicked on the pace with 700m to go. As they hit the bell, Meshesha took the lead with Embaye and Muir following her every move and well in contention. But they could not close the gap and it remained in that order as they crossed the line, the Ethiopian duo in 4:03.79 and 4:04.53 respectively, and Muir in 4:04.93.

In one of the most highly anticipated races of the meeting, Shericka Jackson (JAM) won the women’s 200m, while Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie, Blackheath and Bromley) pushed Olympic champion, Elaine Thompson-Herah (JAM) all the way, but was just edged into third place in a season best of 22.27 (1.3).

Jackson was a surprise winner in a time of 21.91 which broke the meeting record, while Asher-Smith was just 0.02s behind Thompson-Herah. In lane one, Beth Dobbin (Leon Baptiste, Edinburgh) was ninth in a time of 23.36.

Lina Nielsen continued her excellent 2022 form as she sliced a further 0.03s off her personal best in the 400m hurdles. The Shaftesbury Barnet athlete had lowered her PB to 54.76 in Jacksonville back in April, and she was back in lifetime best form in Rome as she crossed the line in fourth place in 54.73. Femke Bol (NED) won by over a second in 53.02.

There was a fifth-place finish for Lawrence Okoye (John Hillier, Croydon) in the men’s discus; his furthest throw came on his first visit to the throwing circle, and that measured at 64.72m.

On her fifth and final jump, Jazmin Sawyers’ (Lance Brauman, City of Stoke) leapt to 6.61m to finish seventh in the women’s long jump. She had earlier jumped 6.60m and 6.45m in her series.

As Olympic champion Athing Mu (USA) dominated the women’s 800m to win in a world lead of 1:57.01, Jemma Reekie (Andy Young, Kilbarchan) came home in a time of 2:00.28 for ninth position.

Elsewhere, there was a season’s best for Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake (Newham & Essex Beagles) in the 200m where he finished fifth in 20.59 (-0.1).

Results