Diamond League Birmingham Preview

The Diamond League this week features a pretty quick turnaround from Rome to Birmingham with only two days in between meets. Perhaps surprisingly there's a substantial amount of carry-over from Rome in the men's steeplechase, women's 800m and men's 200m. It's not quite as exciting a field as Rome--there won't be any world record attempts--but the fields might be more competitive--and the races more exciting--for it.

TV Information

Coverage, as is true for all Diamond League meets this year, can be found in the US through beIN Sports, which is also available through beIN Sports Connect and Sling TV. The broadcast will run from 8:55 am EST through 11 am EST, which means we won't get to see Mo Farah in the 3000m, taking place at 11:15 am.

Schedule (all times EST)

7:45 am -- Women's Pole Vault

7:55 -- Women's Javelin

8:27 -- Women's Triple Jump

8:41 -- Men's 100m

8:51 -- Women's 400m

8:56 -- Women's Shot Put

9:04 -- Women's 400m Hurdles

9:09 -- Men's High Jump

9:13 -- Women's 100m Heats

9:31 -- Men's Steeplechase

9:47 -- Men's Discus

9:50 -- Men's 1500m

9:57 -- Men's Long Jump

10:00 -- Women's 800m

10:08 -- Women's 100m Hurdles

10:17 -- Women's 5000m

10:37 -- Men's 400m

10:46 -- Men's 200m

10:53 -- Women's 100m Final

11:05 -- Men's 600m

11:15 -- Men's 3000m

Five Events to Watch

Women's 100m (9:13 am Heats; 10:53 am Finals)

Following a narrow defeat to Elaine Thompson in Rome, English Gardner will face another tall order when she faces off against Dafne Schippers on Sunday. Schippers hasn't looked quite as good this year as she did in Beijing las summer--talk about a tall order--but she's been respectable. She'll have to be more that respectable to take down Gardner.

Men's Steeplechase (9:31 am)

Another Diamond League meet, another Birech v. Consenslus Kipruto match-up. So far, Kipruto has had his number, going 3-for-3 against him in Doha, Rabat, and Rome. In Rome, it was looking like Birech had a good chance at it before he fell with about 300m to go to give Kipruto a huge margin of victory. Kipruto, we should note, has still never broken 8:00 in the event. Will Birmingham be the place that happens?

Men's 1500m (9:50 am)

This is one of the better 1500m fields you will see. It doesn't have any of the Americans, but most everyone else is there in Silas Kiplagat, Asbel Kiprop, Abdelaati Iguider, and Nick Willis. Iguider gave Kiprop a slight scare last weekend in the Bowerman Mile. Nick Willis hasn't raced a 1500 or Mile race this outdoor season. Nothing Asbel Kiprop has done--other than typical Kiprop being Kiprop shenanigans--has left any doubt that he is the best 1500m runner in the world. He should win again Sunday, even with guys like Iguider, Willis, and Kiplagat in the field.

Women's 800m (10:00 am)

The bulk of the notable talent from Rome is heading north to Birmingham as Ajee Wilson, Marina Arzamasova, and Francine Niyonsaba are all making the trip north. They'll be joined by Americans Laura Roesler and Chanelle Price in a competitive field. There's no Caster Semenya, so they hall have non-zero chances at a victory. The edge has to go to Niyonsaba, who has looked great this season coming off her indoor championship. Ajee Wilson will look to quickly erase her memories of Rome with a good performance in Birmingham.

Men's 200m (10:46 am)

Trayvon Bromell is at it again and, in so doing, is sending a clear signal that he very much intends to make the USA Olympic team in both the 100m and 200m races. The clock is ticking on him to unleash a performance to vault him into a real conversation for the US 200m team. Both Ameer Webb and Alonso Edward make the journey north from Rome with him. They will be joined, however, by Andre De Grasse, which will provide Webb with more of a test--perhaps a test he's set up to fail--than he faced in Rome.

Other Notable Things

Neither will be broadcast in the US, but the men's 600m has a good field with David Rudisha and Erik Sowinski. The men's 3000m features Mo Farah. He'll face competition from Bethwell Birgen and Hillary Maiyo no one.

The women's 100m hurdles probably deserves its own writeup with three of the four fastest hurdlers this year--Kendra Harrison, Kristi Castlin, Brianna Rollins--in the field along with Dawn Harper-Nelson and Tiffany Porter.