UK Athletics
Trayvon Bromell, the fastest man in the world this year, is part of a mouth-watering men’s 100m field at the Müller British Grand Prix in Gateshead on Tuesday 13th July.
The 25-year-old holds the world-leading mark for 100m in 2021 with 9.76 and he recently won the US Olympic trials in style.
But at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in North East England in less than a fortnight he takes on Olympic bronze medallist Andre De Grasse of Canada plus British athletes Adam Gemili (Rana Reider, Blackheath & Bromley), CJ Ujah (Ryan Freckleton, Enfield & Haringey), Zharnel Hughes (Glen Mills, Shaftesbury) and Reece Prescod (Marvin Rowe, Enfield & Haringey).
The power-packed line-up also includes Fred Kerley, who ran 9.86 for third place behind winner Bromell at the US Olympic trials last month.
Bromell said: “I am really enjoying my season so far and looking forward to racing 100 metres at the Müller British Grand Prix on 13th July. I remember running in northern England at a street athletics event in Manchester five years ago and the support was great from the fans so I am hoping there will be similar atmosphere in Gateshead.”
Back in 2016 Bromell won the world indoor 60m title and was touted as a successor to Usain Bolt, but injury struck and he spent time on the sidelines before rediscovering his form this year with a streak of victories and fast times.
De Grasse will prove tough opposition, though. The 26-year-old took silver behind Bolt in the 200m at the Rio Olympics and won 100m and 4x100m bronze at those Games as well, whereas he has been in fine form in 2021.
British sprinters will have home support, though. Gemili won the national 200m title last weekend and he said: “After the Müller British Athletics Championships in Manchester I’m looking forward to racing in front of a home crowd again, this time over 100 metres in Gateshead.
“It will be good to test myself against some of the best sprinters in the world too on the eve of the Olympic Games.”
Such is Gemili’s ability, he has broken 10 seconds for 100m and 20 seconds for 200m and finished fourth in the Olympic 200m final. Ujah, meanwhile, won the British 100m title last weekend and he has a best of 9.96, whereas Hughes is the European 100m champion and his best is 9.91.
They are all on their way to the Olympics as well after being named in the British squad this week. In addition, Prescod is part of Team GB in Tokyo and after a spell of injuries he is hoping to return to the kind of form that saw him run 9.94 for 100m in 2018.
Elsewhere, British star Dina Asher-Smith (John Blackie, Blackheath & Bromley) will be racing over 200m in Gateshead while Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands will compete in the women’s mile.
Johannes Vetter of Germany could give Jan Zelezny’s world record a scare in the javelin if conditions are good, while the women’s pole vault sees British record-holder Holly Bradshaw (Scott Simpson, Blackburn Harriers) taking on Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi, world outdoor champion Anzhelika Sidorova, world indoor gold medallist Sandi Morris and world leader in 2021 Katie Nageotte.
Gateshead staged the first Wanda Diamond League event of 2021 in May after it was moved from Rabat in Morocco to the North East of England and now, on 13th July, the same venue will host the seventh Diamond League of the season.
The Müller British Grand Prix will be broadcast internationally from 7-9pm with BBC showing the action live for domestic viewers.
For tickets, please visit britishathletics.org.uk.