06 May 2016 

The opening IAAF Diamond League of the year got underway this evening in Doha with a number of British athletes in action. 

European Champion Eilidh Doyle (Malcolm Arnold) got her 2016 campaign off to a flying start with a world-leading 54.53 in the 400m hurdles. In what was her fastest ever season opener, the 29 year old disposed of a strong field that included World Indoor Champion Kemi Adekoya and Jamaica’s Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kaliese Spencer.

Doyle’s teammate Meghan Beesley (Nick Dakin) had to dig deep running from lane seven crossing the line in 55.72 for a sixth place finish.

Olympic bronze medallist Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan) made a solid start to his outdoor season with a fourth place finish in the men’s high jump. Grabarz, who won silver at the World Indoor Championships in Portland cleared 2.29m but was unable to match the performance of USA’s Erik Kynard, who won the competition with 2.33m.

After running an Olympic 5000m qualifying standard last weekend, Eilish McColgan (Liz McColgan) recorded a second personal best in a week finishing in 10th place in the women’s 3000m. McColgan, who has switched from the 3000m steeplechase to the flat beat her previous best by over four seconds clocking 8:43.27.

In the women’s 800m, world finalist Shelayna Oskan-Clarke (Jon Bigg) and Adelle Tracey (Craig Winrow) finished fifth and eighth respectively. Oskan-Clarke posted a time of 2:01.04 and Tracey 2:02.30, in a race won by South Africa’s Caster Semenya in a world-leading time of 1:58.26.

Needing a top four placing to qualify for the final three jumps, Nathan Douglas (Aston Moore) exited the competition with a best of 16.43m in the triple jump. 

You can also watch highlights from the IAAF Diamond League in Doha on BBC one on Saturday 7 May at 13:00.