13th May 2016

Shanghai Diamond League

13 May 2016 

The second leg of the IAAF Diamond League will get underway tomorrow in Shanghai with four British athletes aiming to flourish in the Far East. 

Lorraine Ugen (Shawn Jackson), who recorded a career best jump of 6.93m to claim bronze at the IAAF World Indoor Championships in Portland in March, will return to the circuit after a breakthrough 2015. The 24 year old leaped to her best ever jump outdoors at the Doha Diamond League last year with a distance of 6.92m before an impressive fifth place finish at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing. Returning to China, Ugen will go head-to-head with world gold and bronze medallists Tianna Bartoletta and Ivana Spanovic.

In the discus, Jade Lally (Andrew Neal) will compete in her first IAAF Diamond League overseas after an excellent start to her 2016 campaign. In February, the Shaftesbury Barnet Harrier produced the two best throws of her career – 64.22m and 65.10m – propelling her to fifth in the world standings. Lally, who has gone beyond the Olympic A standard of 61m a total of four times will head into the competition full of confidence as she faces the top three in the world – Sandra Perkovic, Yaimi Perez and Denia Caballero.

2010 European 800m silver medallist Michael Rimmer (Jon Bigg) will make his first outing outdoors over 800m and will pit his wits against the likes of Olympic and world gold medallist David Rudisha in a competitive field in Shanghai.

Dan Bramble (Frank Attoh), sixth in Portland, will be determined to go beyond his season’s best mark of 8.14m as he competes in his first overseas competition of 2016. With home favourite and world bronze medallist Jianan Wang looking to put on a show, Bramble will be determined to spoil the party as he leads British hopes in the men’s long jump.

Among some of the international stars competing in Shanghai are: Shawn Barber, Renaud Lavillenie (both pole vault), Bohdan Bondarenko (high jump), Nicholas Bett (400m hurdles), Hellen Obiri (1500m), Shaunae Miller (400m), Thomas Rohler (javelin), Yenew Alamirew (5000m), Omar McLeod, Aries Merritt, David Oliver (all 110m hurdles). 

For full startlists, please visit: http://shanghai.diamondleague.com/programme-results/programme-results-shanghai/

Live action of the IAAF Diamond League in Shanghai will be shown on Eurosport  2 tomorrow from 12pm.

You can also watch highlights on BBC Two on Sunday from 13:00.

The IAAF Diamond League returns to the UK in June, with the Alexander Stadium hosting the Birmingham Diamond League on 5 June. The 10th stop of the world series will see world’s best athletes descend on London for the London Anniversary Games 22-23 July. For tickets and more information, please visithttp://www.britishathletics.org.uk/british-athletics-series/home/#