The Olympic Stadium was lit up on the first evening of this year’s Anniversary Games with one World record and two British records being broken, together with numerous World Leading performances, Meeting Records, Personal Bests and Season’s Best.
In the women’s 1500m, Laura Muir took nearly half a second off Kelly Holmes’ British record, set when she won Olympic gold in Athens in 2004. Keeping up with the pacemaker, Laura ran a hard race to move clear of second placed Sifan Hassan and clock 3:57.49. Laura Weightman was fourth in a season’s best 4:02.66, Eilish McColgan ran a personal best of 4:03.74 and Steph Twell a season’s best of 4:06.20
Laura Muir keeps ahead of Sifan Hassan at the start of the last lap.
Laura Muir with a cheque for $5000 for breaking the British record.
Just as impressive were a GB & NI quartet of Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita who clocked 41.81 to win the 4x100m relay by nearly three tenths of a second better than their previous best set at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing in 2015. That run, which was also a world lead and a meeting record, will make the US and Jamaica teams in particular take some notice and sets them up perfectly for a tilt at a medal in Rio in August.
The French quartet in the women's 4x100m relay
Performance of the night though has to go to Kendra Harrison. The American hurdler who dipped out so badly at the US Olympic trials easily won her heat of the women’s 100m hurdles in 12.40 before going on to run away with the final in 12.20 to break the 28-year old World Record of Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova. In the same event, Tiffany Porter ran a season’s best 12.70 for sixth place with Jessica Ennis-Hill eighth in 13.04 after producing her second best time of 12.76 in her heat.
Jessica Ennis-Hill running 12.76 in her heat of the women's 100m hurdles.
And being very pleased with the result - her second ever best time in the event
Kendra Harrison on her way to winning her heat of the women's 100m hurdles in 12.40
And crossing the line
In the final she pulled away even more
Jessica Ennis-Hill came in eighth in 13.04
Kendra Harrison overcome with her World Record in a time of 12.20
The crowd though had come to see Usain Bolt return to the London track - his 200m race was last on the card. After a false start and a green card had added to the tension, Bolt broke away to take victory in 19.89 – a fine preparation for the defence of his three Olympic titles in Rio. Alonso Edward was second in 20.04 and Adam Gemili third in a season’s best 20.07.
Usain Bolt leading from the front in the 200m
Kim Collins suffered a rare setback to clock 12.08 in the final
James Dasaolu wins his heat in 10.14
As part of the stadium refurbishment the track had been replaced with one that matches Rio and the conditions seems to suit the athletes. Shaunae Miller stormed to women’s 400m victory in a world lead 49.55, with Stephenie Ann McPherson, second in 50.40. Christine Ohuruogu ran 51.05 for a season’s best in fifth, the fastest time by a British athlete this year. Emily Diamond was seventh in 51.63, Seren Bundy-Davies eighth in 51.81 and Anyika Onoura ninth in 52.34.
Shaunae Miller winning the final
Emily Diamond
Eilidh Doyle had to settle for fourth in the women’s 400m hurdles in 54.70 as she stuttered on the final hurdle - Dalilah Muhammad winning impressively in 53.90
Eilidh Doyle on the start line of the 400m hurdles
Dalilah Muhammad winning the 400m hurdles
Katarina Johnson-Thompson going over 1.95m
And very pleased with the result
It was a frustrating night for Morgan Lake though, despite her 1.92m clearance
There was a fast early pace in the men’s 800m which Frenchman Pierre-Ambroise Bosse took full advantage of to win in an impressive 1.43.88 season’s best. British 1500m man Charlie Grice was ninth, but his 1.45.53 bettered his PB by nearly 1.5 seconds
Wightman starts the Emsley Carr Mile
Kiplagat wins the Emsley Carr Mile
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