This week in Athletics there’s big wins in Grand Slam Track and Diamond League and we look ahead to this weekend's World Athletics relay championships in Guangzhou.

Kerr take Slam Title

1500m World Champion Josh Kerr took his maiden Grand Slam Track title in Florida over the weekend. In a rematch of the olympic podium the scot beat out Yared Nguse and Cole Hocker in 3:35.51s before finishing fifth in Sunday’s 800m which was enough for him to take the combined short distance title. 

Matthew Hudson Smith failed to retain the title he won in Kingston last month with a disappointing 7th placed finish in the 200m.

Diamond League Takes Keqiao

The second Diamond League meeting of the year took place in the chinese city of Keqiao on Saturday with many of those who opened the season in Xiamen the previous week returning. 

Akani Simbine maintained his incredible start to 2025 taking his third win in three races by edging out Kishane Thompson in the final metres to win in 9.98. 

Anavia Battle took her second consecutive win in the women’s 200m with Irish 400m runner Rashide Adeleke taking a surprising second with Brit Amy Hunt moving up one place from last week as she finished 4th. 

Armand Duplantis had a seeming return to form after a shaky few weeks with a vault of 6.11m in the men’s pole vault with an attempt at a WR height of 6.28.

Britain's Morgan Lake finished 6th in the Women’s High Jump, Erin Wallace ran a season's best of 2:00.30 to place 9th in the 800m.Jeremiah Azu failed to replicate his third place finish in Xiamen with a 10.19s 7th place finish.

GB Prepped For World Relays

10 months on from Alexis Holmes crossing the finish line in the Stade De France to bring an end to the relays and wider athletics programme at the Paris olympics, rivalries will be reunited in Guangzhou as the world's fastest battle for qualification for Tokyo 2025. 

Great Britain’s squad for the 7th relay world championships consists of a mix of new and proven talent with Darren Campbell, Head of Sprints, Hurdles and relays said alongside the announcement in March:  

“It is great to see a team combining World and Olympic medallists alongside several developing athletes to strengthen the depth of relay runners across the GB&NI team.

“I am looking forward to the squad developing their relay skills whilst performing their very best on the world stage and looking to secure a qualification spot for the Tokyo World Championships later this year.”

In the 4x100m Olympic silver medalists Amy Hunt, Bianca Williams and Desiree Henry are joined by 2-time Commonwealth Games champion Asha Phillips who returns from a long spell out with injury and is returning to World Relays for the first time since medalling in 2015. 

Though GB will be without the experienced heads of Daryl Neita and Dina Asher-Smith. They will be supported by former European U18 100m champion Nia Wedderburn-Goodison, 2023 British 200m champion Success Eduan, with this year's British 200m silver medalist Kissiwaa Mensah rounding out the lineup. 

Following their Bronze in Paris the men’s 4x100 team is also missing major names including Zarnell Hughes and Louis Hinchcliffe. The squad is headlined by newly crowned 60m World Champion Jeremiah Azu, fresh from his impressive start to the diamond league season that saw the welshman finish ahead of Letsile Tebogo and Christian Coleman in Xiamen in the men’s 100m. Azu is joined by Paris Bronze medalist and member of the iconic 2017 world championship winning squad Nethaneel Mitchel-Blake. The pair will be joined by Eugene Amo-Dadzie, 2022 European Champion Jona Efoloko, current European 100m bronze medalist Romell Glave, former European U20 champion Jeriel Quainoo and current British 200m champion Joe Ferguson.

The women’s 4x400 look to continue their strong start to 2025 following Europe indoor medals and will arrive in Guangzhou with almost the exact same squad that held on for that historic Bronze in Paris. Current 400m indoor world champion Amber Anning is the only major name not on the plane as Victoria Ohuogu, Nicole Yeargin, Laviai Nielsen, Ama Pipi, Lina Nielsen, Poppy Malik and Emily Newham all look to keep up Britain's remarkable record in the event. 

Current 400m Diamond League Champion Charlie Dobson leads the men’s side that also took bronze in Paris but will be without Alex Haydock-Wilson and Matthew Hudson Smith. Dobson will be joined by 2022 European Champion Lewis Davey and Rio Mitcham as well as Toby Harries, Bailey Swift, Sam Lunt and Efekemo Okoro. The men’s side will look to bounce back from a disappointing European championship in Appledoorn where they placed fourth.  

Birmingham Disciplines announced 

Following the conclusion of the European Athletics council meeting in Sarajevo, Bosnia on Sunday multiple new events have been confirmed to make their debut at the European Championships in Birmingham next year. 

Race walking events will be changed from 20km and 35km races to simpler half marathon and marathon distances. With only the half marathon distance taking place when the championships are held in olympic year. 

The council also approved the addition of the mixed 4x100m relay which will be held at a continental level for the first time in Birmingham.