Diamond league

Am i right in thinking there is a diamond league meeting today/tonight? If so is there any tv coverage?

BBC red button at 5pm I believe.

Cheers dj. Anyone in particular your looking forward to seeing? I cant wait to see if martyn rooney can better his early season time!

Interesting to see how all the Brits go.

Hopefully the 800 boys (Rimmer, Osagie) can run some decent times and get themselves A standards.

Looking forward to seeing PSD and the long jumpers too.

Yes il be keeping a close eye on the british athletes, long jump in particular if rutherford and tomlinson both hit the kind of jumps there capable of.

Osagie did really well, PB of 1.44.64 to come third. I assume that's A standard? PSD reasonable third place too, 55.25 A standard also? in fact does anyone have a list of the A standards?

Rooney went sub 45 again (just), but was only good enough for fourth. Still, it's good consistency to be running sub 45 regularly.

Rutherford a bit disappointing, consistency is the problem for him (well, that and staying injury-free of course).

scratch that, here are the qualifying standards

http://www.iaaf.org/mm/Document/Statistics/Standards/05/97/61/20110415082248_httppostedfile_EntryStandards_London2012_24135.pdf

as suspected, both Osagie and PSD's times are A standards

Kate Dennison's 4.50 in the PV also an A standard by the way...

Rimmer got the A standard in the 800 too.

The first time GB has had two sub 1.45 guys in the same season since 1993 apparently, and it's only May.

Go to the power of 10 website mad for chelsea, gives you the rankings for british athletes in all events plus shows how many are under the A and B standards. 2 sub 45s for rooney in his first 3 races is fantastic! Although merritt was just too good(shame hes a cheat).

Is there highlights anywhere? They don't seem to be on iPlayer?

From yesterday's Diamond League event at Rome;

Bolt takes 100m event in 9.76, running into a very slight headwind. Was clearly up for it and handed out a severe beating. Powell had an unusually bad start, leaving him in the uncharted territory of not having to lose the race in the last 3 metres. That said, saw a side to him that I hadn't seen before - some hard work against the odds and real graft and fight. Perhaps having to come from behind in the race helped to bring about a different mindset during the race [ though he still got no where near to Bolt ].

Worth a note; Paul Koech getting close to the World Record over the 3000m steeple Chase - 7:54.31. Third fastest time ever.

Have mentioned on another thread Robbie Grabbarz and Greg Rutherford. Bith did very well at Rome. Grabbarz took the high jump with a PB of 2.33m; while Greg just shy of his British Record with 8.32 in the long jump.

Other notable British performances coming from Osagie in the 800m [ 1:44.71 ] - huge rpogress this season and cause for a lot of optimism; Goldie sayers in the javelin - not far off PB [ 64.73m , starting to show good form], and Yamile Aldama in the Triple Jump [ 14.65m ].

A few great performances yesterday from brits! Anyone know what time tomorrows diamond league will be on at over here? And what channel it will be on?

Can I be first to critcize the coverage?

Why does the camera spend so long with our two intrepid reporters. They are surely two of the dullest man alive? Is Colin's job description just to nod
? I could do that, gizza job.

I particularly like it when a huge roar goes up ( HJ, LJ Jav who knows) but the camera resolutely refuses to leave their handsome faces

And what are they talking about, drug cheats, plastic Brits, Tiffany's captaincy of the UK team? I don't know I turned over.

And the countdown clock to Bolt's race. What's that about? I love sprinting but doing it this way suggests that we are all marking time until the big event happens. Near world-record in the chase- forget about it.

You forgot you were watching the Johnny and Colin show.

I was laughing my head off at how bad it all was. At least it was so bad it was funny. That is all the positiveness i can pull out of it. How many winners did they get to interview??? And they really didn't want to talk to them either.

One thing i noticed... on the great show top gear.... they don't have ear pieces telling them what to say (to their advantage or not)... it makes entertainment. The Johnny and Colin show are a pair of puppets just talking about whatever they're told to talk about, regardless of what is happening around them. Rutherford was making a jump at one point and Colin was trying to ensure he'd said everything before he landed. Crazy stuff.

You forgot you were watching the Johnny and Colin show.

I was laughing my head off at how bad it all was.

BBC coverage has always been bad. I would put it under the category tragi-comedy

Edwards, I don't mind...he can actually commentate and adds to the proceedings with his knowlddge; Jacko I cannot stand. He's inane and waffles into himself into a corner, whilst being able to hold his breath for two whole minutes. He also frequently gets his 'facts' wrong What Edawrds must be thinking, gawd knows

Jacko must've thought he'd won the lottery win he reitired, and whilst on his way to join the dole queue, someone offered him this He's on easy money. The producers must takes us all for fools

Great athlete turned Commentating Turkey

Get rid!!!

Agree with all those complaining about the commentary.

Jackson is bad. You'd expect much more from one of the World's best athletes. Denise Lewis is just as bad but thankfully she wasn't on show. Also thankfully not on the program was the ex-boxer who covers the field events.

Not quite as bad as Sally Gunnell was though couple of years back.

Part of the problem has to be the producer who thinks his audience wants to see these 'talking heads' when field events are taking place. Then when they are shown we are often told the result before seeing any of the events in question.

As to the running clock telling us all we were doing was going through the B list before Bolt turned up was insulting to the other athletes and to anyone watching with the slightest knowledge of track and field.

It seems that since Sally Gunnell was there. The new ones feel that as long as they don't do that bad they're still in with a job.

The truth is the BBC needs to desperately do something about it. When you put the diamond league format into context, it makes the BBC's performance even worse. The diamond league was created to make it better for TV watching. Reduced events, more events happening at the same time. It was supposed to be rapid fire entertainment. So the public will see what athletics is about.

Any potential new fan will think 'What a load of tosh. Who are these two muppets presenting it? oh they're two former champions. Isn't is sweet, they'd make a nice couple. Surely we should be seeing the events that are going on? Why have they been flown to Rome for this? They could do it from their bedroom. None of the athletes want to talk to them. They're hardly looking at any events going on. What is athletics about? Geez... I can't be bothered with this, I'll watch Jeremy Kyle instead.'

The BBC have taken this the other way, which is utterly incredible. Who are the management/producers of this show???? Its ridiculous.

Was at todays Birmingham Aviva Diamond League Event.

What a day!

Was sitting not far from the finishing line, so had a great of athletes crossing the line.

Was great to see, in person, a sub 13sec 110m hurdles; and a 10.81 sec wormen's hundred. Jeter is powerful and cannot see how she can't cope with Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

Amazing, too, watching the men's high jump - particularly, with Grabbarz winning!

Really enjoyed the men's 200m too. Especailly watching Tyson Gay. Hope he has a great winters training. if he can remain fit and healthy, then he has a chance of figuring next year! And well done to Gemili - a new PB of 20.53 [ in no wind ]. Feel he could've gone faster in the event this season, but has clearly focused on the 100m.

And MO of course; his kick over the last 200m of the 2 mile event was phenomenal. He really is now the man to beat.

Fantastic seeing Greg and Ohorugu compete. And so many other great international athletes!!! Awesome day!!! You had to be there!!!

Sounds like you had an amazing time SJ, am rather jealous of you! Was great to see such a big crowd there too, let's hope the buzz from the Olympics continues for a long time