Paris Olympics appetizer in London as the world’s best athletes compete at the London Diamond League

Two weeks before the athletics programme kicks off at the Olympics in Paris, many of the world’s top athletes will fine-tune their preparations at the London Athletics Meet on Saturday.

Femke Bol, Noah Lyles, and Ryan Crouser are among the international athletes at this Diamond League meeting. The biggest meeting in Britain this year includes domestic stars such as Keely Hodgkinson, Matt Hudson-Smith, Dina Asher-Smith and Molly Caudery. A complete day of entertainment also sees para-athletes in action and young athletes’ relays.

Twelve months ago at this meeting, Bol set a European 400m hurdles record of 51.65. On Sunday in La Chaux-de-Fonds, she improved that mark to 50.95. Clearly, in the form of her life, can she go faster in London again?

Her rivals include Shamier Little of the United States and Jamaicans Andrenette Knight, Russell Clayton, and Shiann Salmon, plus Brits Lina Nielsen and Jessie Knight. But surely it will be Bol against the clock.

Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita face a tough test in the women’s 100m in the shape of world indoor champion Julien Alfred of Saint Lucia, Irish star Rhasidat Adeleke, and Americans Jenna Prandini, Gabby Thomas, and Tamara Clark.

After missing the Diamond League in Monaco to focus on training, world 100m champion Lyles of the United States takes on world silver medallist Letsile Tebogo of Botswana, Akani Simbine of South Africa, Ackeem Blake of Jamaica plus British record-holder Zharnel Hughes, recently crowned British champion Louie Hinchliffe and Jeremiah Azu.

European 400m record-holder Hudson-Smith faces fellow Brit and European silver medallist Charlie Dobson in addition to London 2012 Olympic champion Kirani James of Grenada, Bayapo Ndori of Botswana, Vernon Norwood of the United States, and Christopher Morales Williams of Canada.

The men’s 400m hurdles, meanwhile, sees 2022 world champion Alison dos Santos of Brazil in action together with British champion Alastair Chalmers.

European champion Natalia Kaczmarek of Poland leads the women’s 400m entries with British champion Amber Anning and GB team-mates Laviai Nielsen and Victoria Ohuruogu also set to race.

Keely Hodgkinson was a last-minute drop-out 12 months ago due to illness but the crowd is hoping she starts this weekend in the women’s 800m.

Mutaz Essa Barshim has a long history of high jumping in London and recently announced that Paris would be his final Olympics. He faces Commonwealth champion Hamish Kerr of New Zealand, among others, with Britain’s Will Grimsey also due to jump.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson stretches her legs in the long jump in London ahead of her heptathlon in Paris. She will be striving to get as close to seven meters as possible but it might take further than that to win with the field led by Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany. Look out for Larissa Iapichino of Italy, too, the daughter of British-born two-time world champion Fiona May.

Haruka Kitaguchi, the world javelin champion from Japan, leads the entries from Mackenzie Little of Australia with Britain’s Bekah Walton also throwing.