The countdown is on to the World Championships in Tokyo and this week in Athletics we’ve had squad announcements and statements made in the Diamond League final.

GB Squad announced for Tokyo

Great Britain and Northern Ireland have officially announced their squad for this month's World Championships.

Following confirmation of 12 GB athletes achieving the required World Ranking positions a team of 64 athletes will now travel to Tokyo. 

The two omissions from the previously announced squad are the nations sole representatives in the 100m Hurdles Marcia Sey and 3000m SteepleChase champion Zak Seddon.

The squad announced has been selected through the brief of top eight placings in individual events with the relay teams being set the goal of medalling, 

The biggest headlines from the announcement include Georgia Hunter Bell’s confirmed switch to the 800m. The 1500m Olympic bronze medalist took the 800m national title as well as being pipped to the Diamond League title last week by Audrey Werro. 

Hunter Bell will join her training partner and Olympic Champion Keely Hodgkinson over two laps who made a return from a hamstring tear last month achieving two wins and meeting records at the Diamond League meets in Silesia, Poland and Lausanne, Switzerland. 

Hunter Bell spoke about the opportunity to do compete in both earlier in the season before just selecting the 800m;

"We (Hunter Bell & Hodgkinson) do a lot of training together, we obviously are very good friends and we have a great team vibe, so I think at the moment we're just taking it day-by-day.

"It will be interesting, if we both make the world final and we both have a chance of doing well, how we manage [the situation].

"But, at the end of the day, if Great Britain could win two medals out of three, and [our training group] M11 could go one-two, that would just be the coolest thing ever.

"We're all excited about the opportunity, rather than seeing it as anything negative."

Both World Champions from Budapest will be back to defend their titles as Josh Kerr takes to the track in the 1500m against his great rival Jakob Ingerbrigtsen who confirmed last week that despite injury doubts he will be competing in Tokyo. 

Katarina Johnson Thompson also returns in the heptathlon heading to her 7th World Championships. 

That same number is matched by Dina Asher-Smith. The 2019 200m World Champion Broke the British Championship record last month after returning to London following two years living and training in Texas. 

Asher Smith had a strong close to the Diamond League season. Competing in both the 100m and 200m finals. 

Men’s 4x400m athlete Toby Harries has also become a late selection for the 200m after failing to qualify over 400m individually.

Emile Caress is the sole Marathon runner whilst Tade Ojoro is GB’s sole representative in the sprint Hurdles. 

The major omissions from the squad include Laviai Nielsen and Jacob Fincham-Dukes who did not wish to be considered for selection as well as Olympic and European Relay medalist Hannah Kelly who misses out despite a strong domestic season. 

Brits Edged Out in Dramatic Diamond League Finale

The 16th season of the Wanda Diamond League concluded over two dramatic days in Zurich, Switzerland last week with 11 Brits in action. 

Wednesday saw the majority of the field programme take place in Zurich city centre with Morgan Lake making history following a 2.00m British Record Leap. 

Following the feat Lake said;

"It's crazy. I was so in the moment and then as soon as I cleared it I was just so emotional because it is something I've wanted to do my whole life. I'm so, so happy," Lake said.

"Tonight I was like 'I'm going to enjoy it and just jump as high as I can'. It just shows me what I'm capable of if I just believe in myself."

Australia's Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers claimed the Diamond League trophy with a best leap of 2.04m to defeat Olympic and world champion Yaroslava Mahuchikh (2.02m).

Max Burgin and Georgia Hunter-Bell were both agonisingly beaten on the line in the 800m Burgin was beaten by Olympic Champion Emmanuel Wanyonyi. While Hunter Bell was denied a maiden Diamond League title by home favourite Audrey Werro.

Dina Asher Smith impressed with two top three finishes as she doubled up in the 100m and 200m fellow Brit Amy Hunt finished in fifth.

Also finishing in fifth was indoor 400m World Champion Amber Anning who clocked an outdoor season’s best of 49.75.

Jeremiah Azu finished fourth in the men’s 100m (10.03). George Mills returned from injury finished seventh with Hannah Nuttall finishing 8th in the 5000m. 

Elsewhere Femke Bol took her fifth Diamond League title with Noah Lyles taking his sixth in the men’s 200m.

McLuckie and Teshome take Monument Mile Title’s

Up in Stirling the Monument Mile Classic returned for 2025 with some incredible racing. In the men’s race Henry McLuckie took the  title in a personal best of 3:53.99 ahead of Cameron Boyek who also ran a PB of 3:54.97.

In the Women’s race Tsige Teshome took the title with all three podium athletes also running personal bests. Ethiopian U20 Teshome won in 4:26.79 ahead of Olympian Megan Keith (4:26.85) and British 1500m Champion Sarah Calvert 4:27.30.