10 May 2013

The IAAF Diamond League season kicks off in Doha this evening (Friday 10^th May), with the meet boasting some outstanding fields, including a host of medalists from last year’s Olympic Games.

The British interest centres on the men’s high jump as Olympic bronze medalist and European champion Robbie Grabarz (coach: Fuzz Ahmed) aims to get his 2013 outdoor season off to a flying start as he defends his 2012 Diamond League title.

On the track, the Men’s 800m will be a highlight of the program, featuring Olympic champion & world record holder David Rudisha, alongside his only conqueror last year Mohammed Aman. Britain’s Olympic 800m finalist Andrew Osagie (Craig Winrow) and Michael Rimmer (Norman Poole) both ran sub 1.45 at this meet last year, so will be looking to impress again this year. 

Such is the quality of the field, European Indoor bronze medalist Mukhtar Mohammed (Mustafa Mohamed / John Nuttall) is in the pre-event 800m, where he will chase the World Championship A standard of 1.45.30.

Off the back of her best ever season opener, former Olympic champion and London 2012 silver medallist Christine Ohuruogu (Lloyd Cowan) will be amongst the favourites to make a winning start to this season’s Diamond League campaign as she goes head to head with world leader Amantle Montsho in the 400m. Ohuruogu ran a 50.58 at the IAAF World Challenge in Jamaica last weekend showing she is clearly in great shape and her winter speed work has paid off.

Fresh from the British Athletics Warm Weather Training Camp in Florida, Jack Green (Malcolm Arnold) opens his season in the men’s 400m hurdles, whilst Tiffany Porter (Rana Reider) lines up in the women’s 100m hurdles. 

Shara Proctor (Rana Reider) will take on a world class women’s long jump field, which includes all three medallists from the London Olympic Games, giving Proctor the chance to test the competition early in the season ahead of this summer’s IAAF World Championships.

Live coverage of the IAAF Diamond League in Doha will be available via the BBC on the red button between 17:00 – 19:00.  

Full start lists can be found on the Diamond League website.

Don’t forget you can watch some of the world’s best athletes in action this summer at the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham (29-30 June) and the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games (26-28 July). 

Tickets are still available for the Sainsbury’s Grand Prix – Birmingham – visit http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/march-2013/09-05-13-birmingham-ipc/ for further information.