Anniversary Games
The London Diamond League, formerly known as the London Grand Prix and subsequently as the Anniversary Games, is an annual athletics event held in London, England. Previously one of the five IAAF Super Grand Prix events, it is now part of the Diamond League. As the London Grand Prix, until 2012 all editions were held at the National Sports Centre in Crystal Palace. The 2013 edition was renamed the Anniversary Games as it took place at the Stadium in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, exactly one year after the Olympic Games were held in the same venue and have been followed by an IPC London Grand Prix, making it a three-day event. In 2014 the meet was held in Glasgow, Scotland, as preparation for the Commonwealth Games held there later that month.
| London Diamond League | |
|---|---|
London Stadium, host of the event annually between 2015 and 2019 | |
| Date | July – August |
| Location | London, England (Glasgow, Scotland in 2014) |
| Event type | Track and field |
| World Athletics Cat. | GW[1] |
| Established | 1953 |
| Official site | London Anniversary Games |
Event names
The 2018 event will continue to be sponsored by Müller. It was formerly sponsored by Sainsbury's.[2]
| Years | Name | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 1953–1979 | International Games | Rotary Watches Ltd[3] |
| 1980–1988 | British Games | Peugeot / Talbot[3] |
| 1989 | British Games | Royal Mail[4] |
| 1990–1991 | British Games | Parcelforce |
| 1992 | London Grand Prix | none |
| 1993 | IAAF Grand Prix Final | |
| 1994 | London Grand Prix | Trustee Savings Bank |
| 1995–1996 | London Grand Prix | KP Nuts |
| 1997–1998 | London Grand Prix | none |
| 1999–2001 | British Grand Prix | CGU plc[5][6][7] |
| 2002–2007 | London Grand Prix | Norwich Union |
| 2008–2012 | London Grand Prix | Aviva |
| 2013, 2015 | Anniversary Games | Sainsbury's |
| 2014 | Glasgow Grand Prix | |
| 2016–2019 | Anniversary Games | Müller |
| 2020 | Not held[8] | |
| 2021 | British Grand Prix[9] | Müller |
| 2022 | Birmingham Diamond League | Müller |
| 2023 | London Diamond League[10] | |
Event locations
| Years | Venue | Region | Country |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1953–2012 | National Sports Centre | Crystal Palace, Greater London | England |
| 2013, 2015–2019, 2023 | London Stadium | Stratford, London | England |
| 2014 | Hampden Park | Mount Florida, Glasgow | Scotland |
| 2021 | Gateshead International Stadium | Gateshead | England |
| 2022 | Alexander Stadium | Birmingham | England |
Emsley Carr Mile
The Emsley Carr Mile remains a fixture at the annual meeting, with a history spanning back to 1953 at the White City Stadium. Emsley Carr, an athletics fan and the editor of The News of the World, created an annual mile race in the hope that the first four-minute mile would be achieved on British soil. Gordon Pirie won the first race, but Roger Bannister had run under 4 minutes in Oxford by time that the second race was competed. However, the tradition continued, with the winner signing his name in a red leather-bound book identical to the Bible used in Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. Derek Ibbotson achieved the first sub-4-minute run at the race in 1956, and many of the best middle-distance runners have won at the Emsley Carr Mile since, including Sebastian Coe, Steve Ovett and Hicham El Guerrouj.[11]
Millicent Fawcett Mile
The Millicent Fawcett Mile, a women's race, was first held in the 2018 Anniversary Games and won by Sifan Hassan in 4:14.71.[12] It commemorates suffragist Millicent Fawcett.[13] There had been a women's mile event at previous games, without this title, the previous record being held by Hellen Obiri who ran in 2017 in 4:16.56.
History
In 2009 pole vault favourite Yelena Isinbayeva lost for the first time in 18 competitions, beaten by Anna Rogowska. Kate Dennison set an eighth British record in the pole vault.[14]
On 24 January 2013 it was announced that London Grand Prix would be moved to the Olympic Stadium for 2013. The London Legacy Development Corporation had expressed interest in holding an athletics event at the stadium to coincide with the first anniversary of the start of the 2012 Summer Olympics.[15] After the 2013 event a return to Crystal Palace was ruled out as according to Ed Warner it would be a backward step. Hampden Park which was due to host the athletics events at the Commonwealth Games and a temporary venue in Horse Guards Parade and the Mall were mooted for the 2014 edition, before a return to the Olympic Stadium in 2015 due to a gap in the reconstruction schedule.[16] A four-year sponsorship deal with Sainsbury's was announced in January 2014.[17] In February 2014 it was confirmed that the Grand Prix event would move to Hampden Park and be known as the Glasgow Grand Prix. The event returned to London from 2015 and continued to be known as the Anniversary Games .
The 2021 event, due to be held on 13 July was moved away from London Stadium to Gateshead International Stadium due to the difficulty of reconfiguring the stadium for a single athletics event.[18]
World records
Over the course of its history, a number of world records have been set at the London Grand Prix.
| Year | Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | Pole vault | 4.90 m | Yelena Isinbaeva | Russia |
| 2005 | Pole vault | 4.96 m | Yelena Isinbaeva | Russia |
| 2005 | Pole vault | 5.00 m | Yelena Isinbaeva | Russia |
| 2016 | 100 m hurdles | 12.20 (+0.3 m/s) | Kendra Harrison | United States |
| 2018 | 3000 m walk (track) | 10:43.84 | Tom Bosworth | Great Britain |
| 2018 | T34 100m | 16.80 | Kare Adenegan | United Kingdom |
| 2018 | T38 200m | 25.93 | Sophie Hahn | United Kingdom |
Meeting records
Men
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Place | Ref | Video |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 9.78 (-0.4 m/s) | Tyson Gay | United States | 13 August 2010 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 200 m | 19.76 (-0.4 m/s) | Usain Bolt | Jamaica | 26 July 2008 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 400 m | 43.98 | Michael Johnson | United States | 10 July 1992 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 800 m | 1:42.05 | Emmanuel Korir | Kenya | 22 July 2018 | Stratford | [19] | |
| Mile | 3:45.96 | Hicham El Guerrouj | Morocco | 5 August 2000 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 3000 m | 7:27.64 | Mohamed Katir | Spain | 13 July 2021 | Gateshead | [20] | |
| 5000 m | 12:55.51 | Haile Gebrselassie | Ethiopia | 30 July 2004 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 110 m hurdles | 12.93 (+0.6 m/s) | Aries Merritt | United States | 13 July 2012 | Crystal Palace | [21] | |
| 400 m hurdles | 47.12 | Karsten Warholm | Norway | 20 July 2019 | Stratford | [22] | |
| 3000 m steeplechase | 8:06.86 | Brimin Kiprop Kipruto | Kenya | 27 July 2013 | Stratford | [23] | |
| High jump | 2.41 m | Javier Sotomayor | Cuba | 15 July 1994 | Crystal Palace | ||
| Pole vault | 6.03 m | Renaud Lavillenie | France | 25 July 2015 | Stratford | [24] | |
| Long jump | 8.58 m (+0.2 m/s) | Luvo Manyonga | South Africa | 22 July 2018 | Stratford | [25] | |
| Triple jump | 17.78 m (+0.6 m/s) | Christian Taylor | United States | 22 July 2016 | Stratford | [26] | |
| Shot put | 22.43 m | Reese Hoffa | United States | 3 August 2007 | Crystal Palace | ||
| Discus throw | 68.56 m | Daniel Ståhl | Sweden | 21 July 2019 | Stratford | [27] | |
| Javelin throw | 90.81 m | Steve Backley | United Kingdom | 22 July 2001 | Crystal Palace | ||
| 3000 m walk (track) | 10:43.84 | Tom Bosworth | Great Britain | 21 July 2018 | Stratford | [28] | |
| 4 × 100 m relay | 37.60 | Chijindu Ujah Zharnel Hughes Richard Kilty Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake | Great Britain | 21 July 2019 | Stratford | [29] | |
| 37.46 | Racers Track Club Daniel Bailey Yohan Blake Mario Forsythe Usain Bolt | Antigua and Barbuda / Jamaica | 25 July 2009 | Crystal Palace | [30] | [1] |
Women
| Event | Record | Athlete | Nationality | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 m | 10.77 (+0.7 m/s) | Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce | Jamaica | 27 July 2013 | [31] |
| 200 m | 22.10 (-0.3 m/s) | Elaine Thompson | Jamaica | 25 July 2015 | [32] |
| 400 m | 49.05 | Sanya Richards-Ross | United States | 28 July 2006 | |
| 800 m | 1:58.19 | Brenda Martinez | United States | 26 July 2013 | [33] |
| 1500 m | 3:57.49 | Laura Muir | Great Britain | 22 July 2016 | [34] |
| Mile | 4:14.71 DLR | Sifan Hassan | Netherlands | 22 July 2018 | [35] |
| 3000 m | 8:21.64 | Sonia O'Sullivan | Ireland | 15 July 1994 | |
| 5000 m | 14:20.36 | Hellen Obiri | Kenya | 21 July 2019 | [27] |
| 100 m hurdles | 12.20 (+0.3 m/s) | Kendra Harrison | United States | 22 July 2016 | [36] |
| 400 m hurdles | 52.79 | Kaliese Spencer | Jamaica | 5 August 2011 | [37] |
| 3000 m steeplechase | 9:10.64 | Hiwot Ayalew | Ethiopia | 12 July 2014 | [38] |
| High jump | 2.05 m | Kajsa Bergqvist | Sweden | 28 July 2006 | |
| Pole vault | 5.00 m | Yelena Isinbayeva | Russia | 22 July 2005 | |
| Long jump | 7.02 m (-0.5 m/s) | Malaika Mihambo | Germany | 21 July 2019 | [27] |
| Triple jump | 15.27 m (+1.2 m/s) | Yamilé Aldama | Sudan | 8 August 2003 | |
| Shot put | 20.90 m | Valerie Adams | New Zealand | 27 July 2013 | [39] |
| Discus throw | 69.94 m | Sandra Perković | Croatia | 23 July 2016 | [40] |
| Javelin throw | 68.26 m | Barbora Špotáková | Czech Republic | 9 July 2017 | [41] |
| 4 × 100 m relay | 41.82 | Asha Philip Desiree Henry Dina Asher-Smith Daryll Neita | Great Britain | 22 July 2016 | [42] |
References
- ^ "IAAF World Ranking Calendar". IAAF. 2019.
- ^ "Sainsbury's announced as sponsor of Anniversary Games at Olympic Stadium after agreeing deal with UK Athletics". Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ a b COMPILATION NOTES GBRathletics. Retrieved on 2013-03-08.
- ^ Astute Pascoe strikes corporate gold The Herald (1989-07-15). Retrieved on 2013-03-11.
- ^ Turnbull, Simon (1999-07-18). Athletics: Palace doubt for mile master The Independent. Retrieved on 2013-03-11.
- ^ Norwich Union London Grand Prix Euromeetings.org Retrieved on 2013-03-08.
- ^ 2001 Review Brits lining up for victory 2013-08-20 at the Wayback Machine Diamond League London. Retrieved on 2013-03-08.
- ^ "Anniversary Games 2020 cancelled because of coronavirus". BBC Sport. 2020-05-12. Retrieved 2021-04-18.
- ^ Henderson, Jason (27 May 2021). "Diamond League in London moves to Gateshead". Athletics Weekly. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
- ^ "UK ATHLETICS LINES UP THRILLING LONDON STADIUM RETURN IN JULY 2023". British Athletics. Retrieved 8 August 2022.
- ^ Powell, David (2003-08-07). Emsley Carr Mile stands test of time. The Times. Retrieved on 2009-07-31.
- ^ "Programme 2018 and results". Muller Anniversary Games. Diamond League. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ "First ever Millicent Fawcett Mile to be held at Muller Anniversary Games". British Athletics. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 23 July 2018.
- ^ Brown, Matthew (2009-07-24). Against the wind Bolt blasts 9.91, Isinbayeva's win streak halted at 18 – London Day 1 – IAAF World Athletics Tour. IAAF. Retrieved on 2009-07-25.
- ^ "Olympic Stadium to host Diamond League meeting". BBC News. Retrieved 7 February 2013.
- ^ "Athletics could return to the Olympic Stadium in 2015 due to a gap in its rebuilding schedule". Retrieved 24 July 2016.
- ^ http://www.britishathletics.org.uk/media/news/2014-news-page/january-2014/01-01-14-sainsburys-sponsorship/[dead link]
- ^ "CHANGE OF VENUE FOR MÜLLER ANNIVERSARY GAMES". UK Athletics. Retrieved 10 May 2021.
- ^ "800m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- ^ "3000m Result" (PDF). sportresult.com. 13 July 2021. Retrieved 22 July 2021.
- ^ "110 Metres Hurdles Results". IAAF. 13 July 2012. Retrieved 15 July 2012.
- ^ "Warholm smashes European 400m hurdles record with 47.12". European Athletics. 20 July 2019. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
- ^ (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 27 July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
- ^ "Pole Vault Results" (PDF). static.sportresult.com. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ "Long Jump Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- ^ "Triple Jump Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ a b c Bob Ramsak (21 July 2019). "Obiri and Fraser-Pryce shine in London - IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 31 July 2019.
- ^ "3000m Race Walk Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 21 July 2018. Retrieved 3 August 2018.
- ^ "4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 21 July 2019. Retrieved 28 July 2019.
- ^ Matthew Brown (21 July 2009). . www.bleacherreport.com. Archived from the original on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 30 July 2013.
- ^ (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 27 July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
- ^ "200m Results" (PDF). static.sportresult.com. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 25 July 2015.
- ^ (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 26 July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 26 July 2013.
- ^ "1500m Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ "Mile Run Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
- ^ (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2016. Archived from the original (PDF) on 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
- ^ (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 5 August 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 25 March 2012. Retrieved 5 August 2011.
- ^ Matthew Brown (12 July 2014). "Rudisha delivers in Glasgow, Ayalew leads the world over the barriers – IAAF Diamond League". IAAF. Retrieved 13 July 2014.
- ^ (PDF). Diamond League. Omega Timing. 27 July 2013. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 September 2013. Retrieved 27 July 2013.
- ^ "Women's Discus Throw Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 23 July 2016. Retrieved 23 July 2016.
- ^ "Javelin Throw Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 9 July 2017. Retrieved 9 July 2017.
- ^ "Women's 4×100m Relay Results" (PDF). sportresult.com. 22 July 2016. Retrieved 22 July 2016.
External links
- Diamond League – London Official Web Site