Last Stop London For Track Stars

The world’s best athletes will touch down for the London Diamond League this weekend for one final pre-Olympic tune up, with NSW Institute of Sport (NSWIS) athletes leading an Australian contingent full of firepower.

Women’s Javelin (9:50pm AEST):

Doctor-by-day Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre) arrives in London fresh off a 64.74m seasons best in Monaco for second place, looking to go one better this weekend.

Landing the second best distance of her career on her opening throw of her European campaign, Little, who is a NSWIS athlete, knows the form is there but remains focused on building throughout the competition – holding the lead until the final round in Monaco until she was bettered by Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN).

Kitaguchi returns in London alongside Victoria Hudson (AUT) who has demonstrated strong form in 2024, with the competition set to provide Little with another simulation ahead of the Olympic Games – where she will look to translate her World Championships bronze to Olympic hardware.

Women’s Pole Vault (10:36pm AEST):

With a statement win in Monaco last week, reigning world champion Nina Kennedy (Paul Burgess & James Fitzpatrick) put the athletics world on notice.

Just weeks out from the Olympic Games, Kennedy piled the centimetres onto her seasons best to clear 4.88m on her first attempt, toppling a field including World Indoor champion Molly Caudery (GBR) and Katie Moon (USA) – who both return for a rematch in London.

London Stadium will be rocking for Caudery who will harness the support of the home crowd, while Kennedy will be out to spoil the party with back-to-back Diamond League meeting wins which would all but cement her as the favourite in Paris.

The Australian has progressed smoothly all season and after suggesting it is going to take a jump well over 4.90m to win the Olympic Games, Kennedy is ready and raring to raise the bar again.

Women’s 4x100m (11:16pm AEST):

Fresh off booking their ticket to the Olympic Games with a breakthrough fifth place finish at the World Relay Championships in the Bahamas, Australia’s 4x100m women are back in action.

Reaping the rewards of their investment in the relay program, the record-breaking group arrive in London with a squad of Ebony Lane (Chris Dale), Bree Masters (Ryan Hoffman), Ella Connolly (Andrew Murphy – NSWIS), Torrie Lewis (Andrew Iselin), Kristie Edwards (David Reid) and Aleks Stoilova (Tevin Hester) – having clocked times as fast as 42.83 seconds this season and now making a run for Paris buoyed by the support of the nation.

Australia will take on Great Britain, Canada, Netherlands, Switzerland and France in the event.

Men’s High Jump (11:21pm AEST):

Yual Reath (Paul Cleary) is set for flight in London.

The Australian champion’s Diamond League debut was marked with a 2.24m clearance for fifth place in Monaco last week, holding his own on the big stage as he prepares for his Olympic debut, once again taking on Oceania rival and World Indoor champion Hamish Kerr (NZL).

Adding to the flare in the field, Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT) returns to the Diamond League, with Reath’s 2.30m seasons best seeding him fourth in the field of eight.

Men’s 4x100m (11:24pm AEST):

Australia’s fastest men will combine to form a slick quartet in London when putting more high-level practice under their belt and bolstering their confidence ahead of Paris.

Punching their ticket to the Olympic Games in the Bahamas alongside the 4x100m women, the team featuring Sebastian Sultana (Greg Smith), Jacob Despard (Rolf Ohman), Calab Law (Andrew Iselin), Josh Azzopardi (Rob Marks), Christopher Ius (Andrew Murphy) and Lachlan Kennedy (Andrew Iselin) will shift the baton around the London Stadium much like their compatriots did when equaling the 38.17-second national record at the 2012 Olympic Games.

Australia will race against Great Britain, Japan, France, Canada and Netherlands.

Women’s 800m (12:08am AEST):

The closer Paris 2024 draws, the better Catriona Bisset (Ned Brophy-Williams) gets.

An experienced campaigner on the Diamond League circuit, Bisset returns to the scene of her 1:57.78 national record in 2023, facing off against Olympic favourite and hometown hero Keely Hodgkinson (GBR).

Hodgkinson looms as the drawcard of the day and will have the 50,000 seat stadium on their feet for the two-lap showdown which also features Jemma Reekie (GBR) and Laura Muir (GBR), with the Australian set to see how her form stacks up against the field headed by Hodgkinson’s 1:55.78 world lead.

Men’s Mile (12:19am AEST):

The Emsley Carr Mile is not short of history or Australians in 2024, with four of the nation’s best milers locked and loaded to do battle in a star-studded field.

Any Diamond League without the presence of the world-leading Jakob Ingrebrigtsen is an opportunity, and London is one that Commonwealth champion and NSWIS athlete Oliver Hoare (Dathan Ritzenhein), Olympic finalist Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau), Australian champion Adam Spencer (Mick Byrne) and Australian Under 20 record holder Cameron Myers (Dick Telford) will be out to capitalise on.

The quartet boast strong coverage in the field featuring the likes of Narve Gilje Nordas (NOR) Neil Gourley (GBR) and rising star Niels Laros (NED), but it will be every man for himself as they race for international and domestic bragging rights at London Stadium.

The Australian record belongs to Hoare at 3:47.48, the Australian Under 20 record belongs to Myers at 3:50.15, and the race belongs to whoever is willing to grasp it when the bell rings.

Australian viewers can tune in live and free from 11:00pm AEST this Saturday night (July 20) via the Diamond League YouTube channel. Full start lists and more information can be found HERE.

Article courtesy of Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia