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News11 May 2017


Harrison set for London return – IAAF Diamond League 

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Sprint hurdles sensation Kendra Harrison of the US is promising a spectacular show when she returns to the London Stadium for the Müller Anniversary Games on 9 July, the ninth stop of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League series.

Harrison, who missed out on a place in the US Olympic team for Rio, clocked an incredible 12.20 to break Bulgarian Yordanka Donkova’s 28-year-old 100m hurdles world record in London last July.

“Last year’s race was the highlight of my career so far and I can’t wait to get back on that track to relive that experience," Harrison said. "The Müller Anniversary Games will be like the World Championships in one day and this year it’s even more important to be there.”

More sparks are set to fly this year when she faces a line-up that includes 2012 Olympic champion Sally Pearson, Olympic silver medallist Nia Ali and a British trio that includes 2014 European champion Tiffany Porter, Cindy Ofili and Katarina Johnson-Thompson.

Harrison kicked off her IAAF Diamond League season in Doha last weekend with a dominant 12.59 victory which came soon after she broke a bone in her hand during warm-ups.

"I’m so excited about coming back to the London Stadium to compete at the Müller Anniversary Games," she added. "Hopefully I can do something special again, to set me up for the World Championships in August.”

USA's 2012 Olympic champion Aries Merritt will also return to the scene of his greatest triumph to take on a world-class 110m hurdles field. 

After a challenging few years battling a kidney condition, which included major surgery just days after earning world bronze in Beijing two years ago, the world record-holder is looking to make his mark again.

However, he will face a strong field which includes Olympic silver medallist Orlando Ortega, Olympic bronze medallist Dimitri Bascou, 2013 world champion David Oliver, Rio fourth-place finisher Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Britain’s European indoor champion Andrew Pozzi.

"I really want to get back to my best for the World Championships, so the Müller Anniversary Games will be an important race for me in the build-up to that, with the World Championships only four weeks later," Merritt said. "The field is really strong but this is the kind of competition I love, and it is the closest you can get to the World Championships in one day.

“It’s been a tough few years for me and I have been working hard to get back to top form. But I know I have some great performances to come, and I want to show people that I'm back to my top level. The London Stadium is very special to me as it’s where I won my Olympic title, so I can’t wait to get back in front of the great British crowd in July.”

Organisers for the IAAF

2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar:
5 May – Doha, QAT
13 May – Shanghai, CHN
27 May – Eugene, USA
8 Jun – Rome, ITA
15 Jun – Oslo, NOR
18 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
1 Jul – Paris, FRA
6 Jul – Lausanne, SUI
9 Jul – London, GBR
16 Jul – Rabat, MAR
21 Jul – Monaco, MON
20 Aug – Birmingham, GBR
24 Aug – Zurich, SUI
1 Sep – Brussels, BEL