Great Britain’s medal prospects are in the final countdown to the World Championships in Budapest, which starts on Saturday.
They won seven medals but just one gold – Jake Wightman’s shock 1500m triumph – at last year’s rearranged edition in Eugene and will be looking to improve on that tally.
Here, the PA news agency looks at some of those who will be challenging for the podium in Hungary.
Hughes looking to make mark
Zharnel Hughes won the 100m and 200m at the British Championships (Martin Rickett/PA)
The fastest man in the world this year, Hughes is in the form of his life. He broke Linford Christie’s 30-year 100m record by running 9.83 seconds in New York in June.
Just a month later he broke John Regis’ 200m record – clocking 19.73 seconds – at the London Diamond League. His sights are now set on a first individual world medal, having claimed 200m European gold last year after 2018’s 100m European victory.
The 100m and 200m fields remain open. Defending 200m champion Noah Lyles and 100m holder Fred Kerley, along with Trayvon Bromell and Erriyon Knighton, will all fancy their chances, but Hughes can challenge.
Muir aims to bounce back
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The Scot – named Great Britain’s captain on Tuesday – suffered a shock defeat in the 1500m at the British Championships last month when she finished second to Katie Snowden.
Muir, who has won Olympic and World silver, split with long-term coach Andy Young earlier this year and has been coached by Steve Vernon in the build up to Budapest.
She was clearly upset after defeat in Manchester but has the experience and composure to recover and reach the podium this month having said she is now competing happy.
Daryll v Dina
Great Britain have a duo who, although they downplay their rivalry, can create some serious headlines.
Daryll Neita has beaten Dina Asher-Smith – the 2019 world champion – over 200m this year as she gets to grips with the event, while Asher-Smith remains one of the world’s best.
Neita’s decision to move to Italy under coach Marco Airale has paid off handsomely and she can now rival Asher-Smith to become number one.
Hodgkinson’s battle
The 21-year-old’s contest with Athing Mu and Mary Moraa for the 800m title could be one of the races of the Championships.
The United States’ Mu beat Hodgkinson to gold at the Olympics and last year’s Worlds, while Kenyan Moraa got the better of her in the Diamond League last month. Yet, this month, Mu’s coach admitted she had not committed to running in Hungary.
Hodgkinson, though, keeps improving and, having narrowed the gap on Mu last year, will be confident she can beat her this time around – if the American competes.
Johnson-Thompson eyeing her biggest comeback
The 2019 world heptathlon champion has had little luck since that glorious evening in Doha.
Covid postponed the 2020 Olympics just when she looked set to challenge Nafi Thiam for gold before an Achilles rupture later that year. She battled back to reach Tokyo, only for a calf injury to wreck her dreams in Japan but she did defend her Commonwealth title last year.
With defending champion Thiam out and Johnson-Thompson fit and ready, the podium is well within reach.
Maloney sets new national record to win 400m at Arkansas Twilight; Nugent, Lemonious also secure wins
St. Vincent’s Shafiqua Maloney and Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent and Phillip Lemonious all secured wins at Friday’s Arkansas Twilight in Fayetteville.
Maloney, unbeaten so far this season in the 800m both indoors and outdoors, showed her class on Friday in the one lap event, speeding to a new personal best and national record 50.75 to take top spot.
Her time was also an Arkansas Twilight record, bettering Britton Wilson’s 50.97 set in 2022.
American Kendall Baisden was way behind in second in 52.91 while Sudan’s Hiba Saeed was third in 53.45.
2023 NCAA Indoor and Outdoor champion and world championship finalist in the sprint hurdles, Ackera Nugent, tried her hand successfully at the 200m on Friday. She ran a season’s best 23.12 to win ahead of 400m podium finishers Hiba Saeed (23.49) and Kendall Baisden (23.58).
Phillip Lemonious, who also took sprint hurdles gold at the NCAA Championships last year, ran a season’s best 13.52 to win the event on Friday ahead of Arkansas’s Elijah Morris (13.70) and Brevin Sims (13.73).
Lyssons top INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Eastern Champs
Lyssons Primary Schools of St Thomas continued their dominance of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Eastern Championships winning their third consecutive title in impressive fashion winning by a massive 128 points at the Stadium East, on Friday.
Lyssons amassed 274 points and were well clear of Harbour View who are second for the second year with 146 points. Lawrence Tavern with their best showing were third on 139.5 points ahead of Hal-Way-Tree with 132 and St Richard’s rounding out the top five on 128.5 points.
Lyssons who are also the All-island champions, walked away with a whopping $350,000 with second-placed Harbour View of St Andrew collecting $250,000. Lawrence Tavern also of St Andrew received $200,000. The fourth to 10th-placed teams each got $100,000.
On a day when a plethora of records were broken, four boys shared the Overall Champions Boys title with 18 points each. Davere Walker and Mickoloy Saunders of Lyssons were joined by Samir McLarty of George Headley Primary and Joshua McWilliams of Lawrence Tavern all walked away with $30,000 each.
Arianna Lewis of Half-Way-Tree Primary was the Overall Girls Champion with 18 points. She broke the Class Three 150m record for the second time at the meet. Yesterday she ran 21.25 in the heats and went better in the final clocking 21.13.
Up next will be the Central Championship starting on Monday at the GC Foster College for the parishes of St Catherine, Clarendon, St Ann and Manchester. Spanish Town Primary are the defending champion.
Defending champion Lyssons hold the lead heading into final day of INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary School Eastern Championships
Defending champion Lyssons Primary of St Thomas have established a 19-point lead after 11 finals heading into the final day of the INSPORTS/Devon Biscuits Primary Schools Athletics Eastern Championships.
Lyssons, hunting their third straight title, raced to 86 points, with St Andrew’s Harbour View on 67 sitting in second and Rosseau Primary of Kingston in third on 49 points with a lot of catching up to do. Half-Way Tree Primary on 40, and Windward Road with 37 complete the top five.
Lyssons won four of the 11 finals with Kristina Bailey capturing the Girls’ High Jump Open with a leap of 1.45m, the same as second-placed Shaniel White of Windward Road. Cataleah Fitten of John Mills was third with 1.39m.
They also won three of the eight relays starting with the Girls Class I 4x100 relay in a record 52.36 seconds. Lessons also won the Boys’ Class Two 4x100 in 54.12 and the Girls’ Class 4 4x100 in 1:02.13.
Harbour View’s Vanessa Melbourne won the first final of the meet throwing 37.35m to win the Girls’ Cricketball Open. Harbour View also won Boys’ Class Four 4x100 relay in 1:01.31.
Half Way Tree Primary won two relays capturing the Girls Class Three 4x100 relay in record fashion clocking 55.49 and the Girls’ Class Two 4x100 in 53.90.
Windward Road were also in record-breaking form winning the Boys’ Class Three relay in 55.04 ahead of Harbour View with 55.53.
Rosseau Primary erased the Boys’ Class One 4x100 record of 51.94 lowering it to 50.54, the same time as second-placed Lyssons. St Richards were third in 51.12.
There will be 29 finals on the third and last day starting with the Girls’ long Jump Open at 9:00 am and concluding with the 4x200m relays at 3:30 pm.
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