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Birmingham Diamond League: Five impressive British athletes

Sports Mole picks out five British athletes that made an impression during yesterday's Diamond League event in Birmingham.

At yesterday's Diamond League meeting in Birmingham, British athletes found themselves up against some of the sport's biggest names.

Olympic champions Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis-Hill may have been absent for different reasons, but there was still plenty of performances for the home crowd to cheer.

Sports Mole was at the event at the Alexandra Stadium and here, we have picked out five of the British contingent that made a big impression.


Adam Gemili

England's Adam Gemili during the men's 100m heats on July 27, 2014© Getty Images

His race may have ended in unfortunate circumstances, but the 21-year-old was still upbeat after he had become the 100th male sprinter to break the 10-second barrier over 100m. The Blackheath & Bromley Harriers athlete had already set a new personal best of 10s flat in the heats when he went even better in the final, clocking 9.97s, which was just short of American winner Marvin Bracy.

As Gemili crossed the line, he crashed to the ground with a hamstring injury. Speaking shortly after he had been wheeled off the track, he said: "British sprinting is really stepping up and I'm glad to be a part of it. I felt my hamstring go as I dipped but I'm in good spirits. I can't make a comment on the injury yet."

Compatriot Richard Kilty also set a personal best in the final when he finished fifth in 10.05s.


Dina Asher-Smith

Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain crosses the finish line ahead of Hanna-Maari Latvala of Finland during the Women's 200 metres semi-final during day three of the 22nd European Athletics Championships at Stadium Letzigrund on August 14, 2014© Getty Images

It seems that every single time Asher-Smith takes to a track at present, she breaks one record or another. On this occasion the 19-year-old smashed her 200m personal best by over three-tenths of a second.

The young Brit matched four-time Olympic gold medalist Allyson Felix almost stride for stride, before ending up just one-tenth of a second behind the experienced American and Jeneba Tarmoh.

Speaking afterwards, Asher-Smith said: "It is a bit unbelievable really - I didn't envisage running a time like that going into the race. Outside the Olympic Games and World Championships, the Diamond League offers some of the most prestigious races so to come third in one of them is just amazing."


Greg Rutherford

Great Britain's Greg Rutherford, holding his national flag, celebrates after winning the Men's Long Jump final during the European Athletics Championships at the Letzigrund stadium in Zurich on August 17, 2014© Getty Images

Two of the famous trio from the famous Saturday night for British athletics during London 2012 had withdrawn, but Rutherford braved an injury that was still niggling at him to compete in the long jump.

Six leaps at full throttle may have been beyond the 28-year-old's fitness levels, but as it was, he only needed three. The winning jump, recorded at 8.35m, was Rutherford's longest on home soil and the joint-second best of his entire career. In winning Olympic gold three years ago, Rutherford, who was the only British victor in Birmingham, jumped four centimeters shorter.

He told Sports Mole after the meeting: "I'm over the moon. It's always great to win a Diamond League competition. I only had to take three jumps and one of them was the longest I've ever jumped in the UK, so I'm really happy with that."


Serita Solomon


When Asher-Smith was being interviewed in the mixed zone after her race, she broke off to focus on a television screen that revealed that Solomon had ran a personal best in the 100m women's hurdles. Asher-Smith was delighted for her roommate, who she revealed had been determined to record a lifetime's best time in Birmingham.

The 25-year-old's previous best performance was 13.04s, but she obliterated that by running 12.87s, which saw the Michelle Bovell-coached hurdler secure a spot at the World Championships in Beijing in the process.


Laura Muir

Laura Muir of Great Britain and Northern Ireland reacts after the Women's 1500 metres heats during day one of the 22nd European Athletics Championships on August 12, 2014© Getty Images

Just three days after she had finished fourth over 1,500m in Rome, Muir was back in action in the 800m in Birmingham. There had been suggestions in the build up to the meeting that fatigue could have been issue for the Scot, but her display dismissed that school of thought.

She finished second to World and Commonwealth champion Eunice Sum in a time of 2:00.42, which was a personal best for the the 22-year-old.

Muir said: "I didn't really know how the legs would fare today after racing in Rome but I was really pleased with my performance out there. I knew I was in PB shape and to do it on tired legs is a bonus."


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Greg Rutherford celebrates after winning gold in the Olympic long jump event at London 2012 on August 4, 2012
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