European Athletics (EAA) – News – Great contests on the cards at London Grand Prix

The London Grand Prix which is the last Diamond League meeting before the IAAF World Championships in Daegu has attracted a host of Olympic and world medallists to British capital. A number of strong contests are on the cards for the meeting split over Friday and Saturday 5-6.

Diamond race leader Silke Spiegelburg of Germany will be up against last years’ winner Fabiana Murer of Brazil in the women’s pole vault. Spiegelburg has reached 4.75m this season, but that mark is bettered by one other in the field – her German colleague Martina Strutz, who cleared 4.78m in Karlsruhe last month.

The trio will benefit from the absence of Russia’s Olympic and world champion Yelena Isinbayeva who made a strong statement of intent when she produced a victory in her Diamond League debut in Stockholm on 29 July, having returned to outdoor action after a long lay-off.

Similarly the absence of world discus champion Robert Harting will offer opportunity to Gerd Kanter, Estonia’s Olympic champion, and Lithuania’s former world and Olympic champion Virgilijus Alekna to gain ground on their German rival in the men’s discus. The field in London also includes Hungary’s Zoltan Kovago, who heads this year’s world lists with 69.50m, Britain’s European under 23 champion Lawrence Okoye, who set a national record of 67.63m this season, Germany’s Martin Wierig, who has thrown a personal best of 67.21m this year, all capable of victory.

Saturday’s women’s 100m hurdles features local star and European indoor medallist Tiffany Ofili Porter who will be up against a red-hot Shally Pearson of Australia, whose personal best of 12.48 set at last month’s Diamond League meeting in Birmingham puts her on top of this year’s world lists.

The fascinating women’s shot put between European champion Nadezhda Ostapchuk of Belarus and the Olympic and world champion Valerie Adams of New Zealand continues on Saturday.

The duo share the best 11 efforts this year with Ostapchuk leading the pack with 20.94m while Adams best stands at 20.78m.

Another huge competition is on the cards in the women’s javelin between Czech world record holder Barbara Spotakova and Germany’s Christina Obergfoll.

Spotakova won the Diamond League meeting in Monaco with a massive effort of 69.45m, which heads this year’s world lists. Obergfoll on the other hand has been the most consistent women thrower this year and is currently leading the Diamond Race for 2011.

The United States’ Jesse Williams who leads the world in the men’s high jump will have a tough task of holding-off the Russian challenge led by European and world indoor champion Ivan Ukhov. Compatriots Andrei Silnov and Aleksandr Shustov have all gone over 2.34m this year. The American managed a personal best of 2.37m this season.

Czech Republic’s Zuzana Hejnova who won the Diamond League meeting in Paris in a world-leading time of 53.29 will be up against this year’s Diamond Race leader Kaliese Spencer of Jamaica in the women’s 400m hurdles.

Also in the field are Olympic champion Melaine Walker, Britain’s Perri Shakes-Drayton, who not only won the 400m hurdles title at last weekend’s UK Championships and Trials but also won over 400m flat.

European champion Mo Farah, who heads this year’s world lists at both 5000 and 10,000m, will finish off the first day’s events over 3000m, while world triple jump champion Phillips Idowu faces the American champion Christian Taylor in what will be his last competition before setting off to defend his title in Daegu.

Teenage sensation Jodie Williams, who is fresh from her 100m and 200m gold medal wins at the European Junior Championships in Tallinn, is hoping to build on her success as she takes part in what will be her Grand Prix debut over 200m.

 European Athletics (EAA) – News