11 June 2015

As the Bislett Games celebrated its 50th anniversary the fireworks continued on the track with two British winners at the Oslo IAAF Diamond League. Laura Muir (coach: Andy Young) was victorious in the 1500m and Olympic champion Greg Rutherford (Jonas Tawiah-Dodoo) took the three points in the long jump.

Muir produced a world-class display to win the 1500m after a gutsy piece of running which saw her as the only athlete to go with the pace-maker from the start. With a considerable lead with 600m to go, the Scottish athlete maintained her form and despite a late charge from Kenyan Faith Chepngetich Kipyegon, she held on for her first win in the Diamond League. She clocked a seasons best of 4:00.39, agonizingly close to her PB, but it was a great performance from the 22 year-old.

“I heard them coming as the crowd got louder but I managed to keep on running and win my first ever Diamond League. I think this is the biggest win of my career”, said Muir. 

“I wanted to run fast with the pacemakers and the others didn’t follow. I was aware that I was alone but the crowd supported me a lot.”

Laura Weightman (Steve Cram) pushed the pace behind the flying Scot but her efforts to bridge the gap saw a frantic last 100m and the Morpeth athlete finished sixth in 4:04.70.

Rutherford showed his class in the long jump to claim his second Diamond League victory of the week after winning at the Sainsbury’s Birmingham Grand Prix on Sunday. An 8.25m jump in the third round saw off the competition and the European champion extended his lead at the top of the Diamond Race standings. 

The 2014 Commonwealth gold medallist commented: “I jumped on Sunday so I wanted to monitor my body and rested after 8.25m. I was feeling that might be good enough to win but there were a lot of good jumpers who could attack my position so I stayed warm and was ready if something happened.”

“So far I must say I am very satisfied with the season.”

A trio of Britons took to the track in the 400m – all stepping up from the 300m race in Birmingham. Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas ran a career best to take the victory in 44.64 and pulled Matthew Hudson-Smith (Tony Hadley) along with him as the Birchfield Harrier claimed second place in 45.09, a seasons best. European champion Martyn Rooney (Rana Reider) was fourth in 45.46 with Delano Williams (Neil Harrison) seventh in 46.32.

Richard Kilty (Linford Christie), fresh from a 100m PB (10.05) on Sunday, returned to the track to make a rare appearance over 200m. He fared well as he collected a Diamond Race point after capturing third place in 20.54 behind the impressive winner, Christophe Lemaitre of France. Kilty’s team mate James Ellington (Christie) was seventh in 20.90.

Other results from the Brits in the Diamond Race events saw Eilidh Child (Malcolm Arnold) finish sixth in the 400m hurdles in a time of 55.97 behind the in-form Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica. Steph Twell (Mick Woods) was just outside the World Championship qualifying standard in the 5000m, finishing in 15:21.36 for tenth place. Asha Philip (Steve Fudge), who recorded a 100m PB of 11.10 at Hengelo last month, recorded 11.35 for fifth place in the women’s 100m.

In the earlier non-Diamond Race events, there were two British winners in the National 400m and 1500m. Andrew Steele (Chris Zah) took the 400m victory in a time of 46.88 against a Norwegian line-up. Melissa Courtney (Mark Pauley) won the 1500m in 4:17.49 ahead of fellow Briton Amy Griffiths (Woods) who recorded a time of 4:20.15.

Full results from the Oslo IAAF Diamond League can be found here: http://oslo.diamondleague.com/en/lists-results/timetable-2015/