Brits head to Monaco ahead of Müller Anniversary Games

12 Britons will compete at tonight’s IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco, with the Herculis meeting seeing many athletes in action for the last time prior to next weekend’s Müller Anniversary Games in London.

Olympic and world champion Mo Farah (coach: Alberto Salazar) will continue his Rio preparations in Monaco this evening as he takes on three-time world champion Asbel Kiprop (KEN) over 1500m.In taking on current world-leader Kiprop, Farah will look to challenge his previous 1500m best, set at Monaco’s Diamond meet three years ago. The pair will be joined by British champion Charlie Grice, who will look to continue strong form heading into his first Olympic games in August.

Farah’s next competition will be the 5000m at the Müller Anniversary Games in London next Saturday.

The men’s high jump looks to be one of the hotly-anticipated events of the evening as the best in Britain, Robbie Grabarz (Fuzz Caan) and Chris Baker (Sharon Heveran), take on world champion Derek Drouin (CAN), European champion Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA), Olympic silver medallist Erik Kynard (USA) and world-leader Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT).  

Having enjoyed a great deal of success over 100m this year, James Ellington (Linford Christie) returns to the 200m field at the Stade Louis II. Churandy Martina (NED), Ellington’s victor over 100m last week in Amsterdam, and fellow sub-20 man Alonso Edward (PAN) will serve as stern competition to the Brit.  

Desiree Henry (Rana Reider) competes in her favoured 100m in a field with four sub-11 athletes, no doubt with ambitions of clocking a time within the ten second region herself.  Lane-side to Henry will be European champion Dafne Schippers (NED) and Tianna Bartoletta (USA), 4x100m Olympic gold medallist in 2012.

Eilidh Doyle (Malcolm Arnold) will return to her favoured 400m hurdles having played a key role in the British 4x400m gold victory in Amsterdam last week, whilst Lynsey Sharp (Rana Reider) will take on the heavyweights of the 800m field in Caster Semenya (KEN) and Francine Niyonsaba (BDI).

Stephanie Twell (Mick Woods) will run in her first 3000m of the year at the Stade Louis II, in doing so she’ll look to make ground on her personal best of 8:42.75 set in 2010. Rosie Clarke (David Harmer) will join Twell over the distance in her first ever competitive outdoor 3000m race.

Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson) will test herself against some of the world’s best pole vaulters’ ahead of Rio, with competition coming from world champion Yarisley Silva (CUB) and South American record holder Fabiana Murer (BRA).

The only non-Diamond race of the evening will see five-time British champion Michael Rimmer (Jon Bigg) tackle 800m against some of the world’s best, including Nijel Amos (BOT) and Adam Kszczot (POL).

Full startlists for the meeting are available via: http://monaco.diamondleague.com/en/home/

Live action of the IAAF Diamond League in Monaco will be shown on Eurosport this evening from 7pm (GMT).

The IAAF Diamond League returns to the UK next weekend, with the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park hosting the Müller Anniversary Games on Friday 22^nd and Saturday 23^rd July. The 10^th stop of the world series will see the world’s best athletes pit themselves against one another one last time before the Olympic games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Tickets for the Muller Anniversary Games can still be purchased via: