More than 50,000 spectators are expected at the London Stadium for the 11th leg of the Wanda Diamond League season this Saturday.
Here are five things to look out for at the Novuna London Athletics Meet.
Kerr’s world record attempt
World record attempts are a regular occurrence at Diamond League meetings, but few have ever been as hotly anticipated as Josh Kerr’s in the men’s mile this weekend. Never one to aim low, the British star is aiming to break Hicham El Guerrouj’s 27-year-old record of 3:43.13 and end one of track and field’s longest standing world record droughts in front of his home crowd in London. Kerr is already the British record holder with 3:45.34, a mark he set at the Diamond League meeting in Eugene two years ago. On Saturday, he will hope the home crowd can push him to sporting immortality.
Hodgkinson v Broeders-Bol
Kerr is not the only British middle-distance star in the spotlight on Saturday, as Keely Hodgkinson looks to return to winning ways in the women’s 800m. Despite setting a new British record in Stockholm last month, the two-time Diamond League champion is yet to win outdoors this season and has had to play second fiddle to in-form Swiss rival Audrey Werro in recent weeks. In London, her main challenger will be former 400m hurdles star Femke Broeders-Bol, who made a brilliant 800m Diamond League debut with 1:55.60 in Paris three weeks ago.
Duplantis’ return
Mondo Duplantis will make an emotional return to London in the men’s pole vault this weekend, competing at the London Stadium for the first time in eight years. The Swedish star was just 18 years old back in 2018, when he finished third behind Renaud Lavillenie and Sam Kendricks. Now, he is a two-time Olympic champion and 15-time world record breaker and is continuing to close in on Lavillenie’s record of seven Diamond League titles. A win in London would seal qualification for this year’s series final in Brussels, where Duplantis will hope to claim his sixth successive Diamond Trophy.
Seville stars again
Oblique Seville’s stunning 100m victory over Noah Lyles in London was one of the highlights of last year’s Diamond League season and kickstarted the Jamaican’s impressive charge to the world title. A year on, Seville is back in the blocks in the British capital, going up against the likes of Jordan Anthony, Kayinsola Ajayi and Gift Leotlela. He will be particularly keen to beat Ajayi, who shocked Seville with a brilliant Diamond League debut win in Eugene earlier this month.
Explosive Alfred
While Seville is out to extend his dominance in the 100m, fellow Caribbean sprint star Julien Alfred is looking to build on her recent explosion in the 200m. Olympic and Diamond League champion over the shorter distance, Alfred staked her claim to be one of the best 200m runners ever when she clocked the third-fastest time in history at the Diamond League meeting in Monaco last weekend. The St. Lucia star returns to action against an equally tough field in London, taking on Gabby Thomas, Shaunae Miller-Uibo and British stars Amy Hunt and Dina Asher-Smith.
