5th September 2019

NINE BRITS TO ROUND OFF DIAMOND LEAGUE FINALE IN BRUSSELS

Nine British athletes will take to the track and the runway in Brussels for the final round of Diamond League action in 2019.

After clocking a season’s best 22.08s (-0.4) as she finished second in Zurich last week over 200m, Dina Asher-Smith (coach: John Blackie; club: Blackheath & Bromley) switches her attention to the 100m in Belgium, a country where she races for the first time.

The Londoner finished as runner-up in last year’s final to Ivorian Marie-Josee Ta Lou (CIV) and the pair will reignite their rivalry again in Belgium as she goes in search of her first Diamond League crown.

World leader Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM) is bidding for a first Diamond trophy since 2015 and IAAF World Champion over 200m Dafne Schippers (NED) will provide strong competition for the Brit, with all three having run under 11-seconds this season.

World Indoor & European Indoor pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson (Bertrand Valcin; Liverpool) will continue to fine-tune her preparations for Doha as she heads into a loaded women’s long jump final.

Having set her season’s best of 6.85m at the Müller British Athletics Championships, she will once again test herself against some of the world’s best long jump specialists, including world leader Malaika Mihambo (GER), who has sailed out to 7.16m this year.

Joining Johnson-Thompson is British compatriot Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson; Thames Valley), who finished sixth in this meet last year, while defending Diamond League champion Caterine Ibargüen (COL) will hope to reclaim her title once more.

Having recorded a fifth-place finish in Zurich train station last weekend, Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson; Blackburn) continues her journey towards Doha in the women’s pole vault final.

Her effort last week was just one centimetre shy of her outdoor best this season and she goes in search of her first Diamond League trophy in a wide-open 13-strong field, headlined by Olympic, World and European gold medallist, Katerina Stefanidi (GRE), who goes in search of a fourth straight title.

World leader Jennifer Suhr (USA) and World Indoor champion Sandi Morris (USA), the only woman in the field to clear five metres, will also be bidding to become the first American female pole vaulter to win the trophy.

Andrew Pozzi (Santiago Antunez; Stratford-upon-Avon) is the sole British man in Diamond League action as he contests what is likely to be a rapid men’s 110m hurdles final.

Pozzi is yet to win on the Diamond League circuit this season, but has twice finished second in Rome and Rabat. His main competition comes from 2017 world silver medallist Sergey Shubenkov (ANA) and Daniel Roberts (USA), who is ranked second in the world this year.

Having worked her way into excellent form in the latter stages of the season, Lynsey Sharp (David Harmer; Edinburgh) continues her preparations for the IAAF World Championships in the final of the 800m.

Should Sharp come away with the Diamond Trophy, it would be the first time that a British woman has claimed victory in the final since Jenny Meadows in 2011, but she will have to come through a tough field to do so.

Diamond League leader and fastest in the field Ajee Wilson (USA) will hope that she can claim her maiden Diamond League title and improve on her season’s best of 1:57.72, while Hanna Green (USA), who won in Paris to book her place in Brussels, will look to follow that run up with another victory against her countrywoman.

Outside of the Diamond League action, Matthew Hudson-Smith (Lance Brauman; Birchfield Harriers) will continue his comeback trail in the men’s national 400m, taking on Commonwealth Games champion Isaac Makwala (BOT) and defending IAAF World Championship 4x400m gold medallist, Machel Cedenio (TTO).

T63 100m specialist Julie Rogers (Allen Adamson; Bedford & County) will take part in the ambulant women’s 100m for athletes who run with a blade, and faces main competition from double Paralympic Games silver medallist from Beijing, Annette Roozen (NED). In the T51 100m, wheelchair racer Bulbul Hussain (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets) takes on home favourite and Paralympic champion, Peter Genyn (BEL).

You can follow the action from 6:50pm on Eurosport Player and live on Eurosport 2 from 7pm.