Men’s 100m/200m World Record (WR) holder, Usain Bolt leads an elite cast that will light up the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Stadium at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games in London on Friday, July 24th. Other WR holders competing at the event are David Rudisha, Aries Merritt and Renaud Lavillenie.
Bolt will be aiming to go under 10s for the first time this season as he makes a comeback after a month off due to injury. The world’s fastest man failed to go below 10s and 20s mark in both the 100m and 200m respectively. He narrowly won the 200m at the Diamond League in New York in 20.29s but the Jamaican would hope to regain the form that saw him win the 2013 edition of the Games in 9.85s.
He has his hands full against a respectable field that includes homeboy and national 100m champion Chijindu Ujah, European GOLD medallist James Dasaolu, World Indoor 60m winner Richard Kilty, and French national champion Jimmy Vicaut amongst many others.
Middle distance specialist Rudisha will make a come-back to the stadium that has a special place in his heart: the scene of his incredible run to win the 800m Olympic GOLD, setting a new WR in the process. The Kenyan would be up against Nijel Amos who beat him to the Commonwealth Games GOLD in Glasgow last year, and currently leads the Diamond League standings.
Olympic champion Aries Merritt faces a strong field in the 110 Hurdles that includes current world leader Orlando Ortega (12.94s), 2014 Diamond League winner Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (13.06s), countrymen Aleec Harris and Jason Richardson, and Britain’s David Omoregie. He comes with a Season’s Best (SB) of 13.12s.
Olympic Bronze medallist in the High Jump Mutaz Barshim, will be the focus in the field events as he hopes to get back to winning ways after his loss at the Oslo and Paris meets respectively. The Qatari may just be aiming for the Stadium Record of 2.38m. Another star appearance on the night is Pole Vaulter Lavillenie who got back to winning ways in Monaco, after losing in Paris and Lausanne respectively.
Meanwhile, Nigerians will be watching out for their sprints queen Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor, who has fond memories of the games after breaking the African 100m Record (AR) twice in the same stadium back in 2013.
Her first record was a semi-final victory in 10.86s, thereby eclipsing Glory Alozie’s Record of 10.90s before going on to defeat Olympic Champion Shelly Ann Fraser-Pryce, an hour later in the final with a new Record of 10.79s.
This time around, the Commonwealth Champion would be racing against the best of British sprinters such as 100m record holder Dina Asha-Smith and Commonwealth 200m silver medallist Jodie Williams. USA’s duo of English Gardner and Jeneba Tarmoh, European Champion Dafne Schippers and fierce African rival Murielle Ahouré , are also expected to be stiff competitors.
World 4x200m GOLD medallist, Regina George will be another Nigerian interest on the night. She races against a stacked field in the 400m that features World Champion Christine Ohuruogu, USA’s duo of Francena McCorory and Natasha Hastings, and Jamaica’s trio of Christine Day, Stephenie Ann-Mcpherson and Novlene Williams-Mills.
Makwala and Van Niekerk clash in the 400m
Africa is regaining its lost glory in the quartermile, and this recognition boils down to the outstanding performance of two men from the southern part of the continent: Botswana’s Isaac Makwala and Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa.
Van Niekerk, became a force to reckon with at the Paris Diamond League, where he beat Olympic Champion Kirani James in a 43.96s, thereby becoming the first African to dip below the 44s mark and setting a new African Record.
However, 24 hours later, Makwala regained his AR by running a scorching world lead of 43.72s at the Resisprint meeting in the Swiss city of La Chaux-de-Fonds, becoming the 5th fastest man ever over the distance, thereby positioning himself as a World Championship title contender in Beijing.
At the Olympic Stadium, Makwala and Van Niekerk would be going against each other for the first time this year and will probably go for the Meeting Record (MR) of 43.94s. Competing in the same field are British national champion Rabah Yousif, European GOLD medallist Martyn Rooney, Saudi Arabia’s Youssef Masrahi and Olympic medallist, Chris Brown of Bahamas.
