A look ahead to Sunday’s Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games held at Horse Guards Parade in London

With the Olympic Stadium out of action this summer, the annual Diamond League in London was moved to Glasgow earlier this month but British Athletics was still keen to stage an Anniversary Games in the capital city and using Horse Guards Parade and The Mall is an imaginative and hopefully popular choice.

A temporary stadium has been created around a purpose-built athletics track that will showcase sprints and hurdles, high jump and pole vault, plus long jump, while The Mall will feature one and two mile road races. While the Horse Guards Parade events are ticketed, the races on The Mall are free to watch.

Here we take a quick look ahead to some of the action on offer. See the July 17 issue of AW for more.

Ujah’s street sprint showdown

Chijindu Ujah, the young Briton who ran 9.96 for 100m earlier this season, faces a tough field including Nesta Carter of Jamaica, former world champion Kim Collins of St Kitts & Nevis and American Mike Rodgers in the 100m.

There is also a men’s ‘B’ 100m race, plus two women’s 100m events.

Rollins v Pearson in battle over barriers

In the women s sprint hurdles, Brianna Rollins, the world champion who ran a phenomenal 12.26 last year for 100m hurdles, races Olympic champion Sally Pearson and British champion Tiffany Porter. The ‘B’ race, meanwhile, includes heptathlete Brianne Theisen-Eaton of Canada and Brits Serita Solomon and Lucy Hatton.

Two men’s 110m hurdles races will also take place.

Athletes look to hit the heights at Horse Guards Parade

Another Olympic champion is in action in the men s pole vault with Renaud Lavillenie also the world record-holder. Britons Steve Lewis and Luke Cutts, together with American Brad Walker, also compete.

Similarly, Olympic champion Jenn Suhr of the United States is in the women s pole vault against Olympic silver medallist Yarisley Silva of Cuba and former world champ Fabiana Murer of Brazil.

Road race action on The Mall

Six-time Paralympic gold medallist David Weir takes on the likes of Canadian athletes Josh Cassidy and Brent Lakatos in a one-mile road race battle, while Genzebe Dibaba of Ethiopia, who smashed world records for 1500m, 3000m and two miles indoors earlier this year, also goes over one mile. Britons Steph Twell, Melissa Courtney and Helen Clitheroe are also entered.

For a more detailed preview see the July 17 issue of AW, while Channel 4 is due to televise the event from 1:30pm. The timetable can be found here

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