Brooks Beasts' Josh Kerr headlines Saturday's London Diamond League 1500m race...
LONDON--Josh Kerr of Seattle's Brooks Beasts (photo courtesy Grand Slam Track) is the headliner for Saturday's Novena London Athletics Meet, the eleventh stop of the Wanda Diamond League tour at London Stadium in the British capital.
The Brit is already assured of competing in September's World Athletics championships in Tokyo as the defending world champion in the men's 1500 from Budapest two years ago.
"I've had a very smooth last five or six weeks since the last Grand Slam. I'm looking forward to running something fast."
"I'm here to run fast, number one, but I'm also here to win. I want to go out aggressive and see what we come up with...I''m not here for a slow race"
When asked about the pace for Saturday's race, Kerr, who as one of the top seeds, has requested the pacemakers go through 800 in about 1:51, which would put him in a position to threaten the British record of 3:27.79, which he holds from last year's Olympic final in Paris.
Kerr will face a field that includes countrymen George Mills, Jake Wightman, Elliot Giles, and Neil Gourley, along with Ethiopia's Selemon Barega,
Kerr has not competed at all in any of the Diamond League meets, as he was one of the featured athletes of the Grand Prix Track circuit, which cancelled its final meet of the season in Los Angeles after three meets in Kingston, Miami and Philadelphia.
The men's 1500 is the final race of the meet, which is set for 7:48 am Pacific time (4:48 pm London time).
Former Pullman resident and defending world champion Katie Moon is entered in the women's pole vault, where she'll face fellow American Emily Grove, along with Great Britain's Molly Caudery, and New Zealand's Olivia McTaggart.
Moon is third in the Diamond League standings in the pole vault with 23 points.
The women's pole vault starts before the television window opens at 5:53 am Pacific.
Shortly after the television window opens at 6 am Pacific, Washington alum Gianna Woodruff runs in the women's 400 hurdles against one of the featured athletes, Femke Bol of The Netherlands.
Woodruff currently stands fifth in the Diamond League standings in the 400 hurdles with 13 points.
Former Washington State standout Louie Hinchliffe, who has raced very sparingly this season, is entered in the men's 100, where he'll face defending world and Olympic 100m champion Noah Lyles, and defending Olympic 200m champ Letsile Tebogo of Botswana.
They race at 7:27 am Pacific.
Flotrack ($) will stream the meet in the USA, starting at 6 am Pacific.
WASHINGTON'S SOFIA COSCULLUELA AND JULIA DAVID-SMITH COMPETE AT EUROPEAN U23 CHAMPS IN BERGEN...
Cosculluela will represent Spain and compete in the first day of the heptathlon, which gets underway at 1:00 am Pacific time (10 am local time with the 100 hurdles.
She'll also contest the high jump, shot put and 200 Saturday, before returning Sunday for the long jump, javelin and 800, which starts Sunday at 1:00 am (10 am local time).
David-Smith will represent France in the 5000 meters, which starts at 7:35 am Pacific (4:35 pm local time).
European Athletics is streaming the meet via its website. You can also access the start lists and live results there also.
STUMPTOWN TWILIGHT IS A LAST CHANCE QUALIFYING MEET FOR USA CHAMPIONSHIPS...
Saturday night's Stumptown Twilight is a final shot for those on the cusp of qualifying for the USATF Championships at the end of the month, as the qualifying period for the national championships ends Sunday.
Among the big names with Washington ties entered in the meet includes NCAA 1500 meter champ Nathan Green of Washington, who won his first pro meet Tuesday night at the Harry Jerome Track Classic in Burnaby.
Green is entered in both the men's 800 and 1500, though he told reporters at the Harry Jerome that he was leaning towards just running the 800 Saturday night.
Like the Jerome meet, many of UW coach Andy Powell's pro group are entered in both the 800 and 1500, with decisions on which event(s) to run most likely happening on site.
On the women's side, Washington alum Claire Yerby and Teagan Schein-Becker of the Brooks Beasts are entered in the 800, while Marta Pen Freitas of the Beasts is slated for the 1500.
The meet starts at 5 pm with the women's steeple, and concludes at 7:35 pm with the men's 5000.
WSU'S ROYAL HALEY OPTS FOR ARIZONA INSTEAD OF SOUTH FLORIDA...
The commitment lasted a week, as Arizona posted on its Instagram account Friday that the Phoenix native will instead continue with the Wildcats.
Haley reunites with Cougar teammates Mason Lawyer, Parker Duskin, John Paredes, Brooke Lyons, and coach Gabe Mvumvure.
NOTE: The Wanda Diamond League, European Athletics, Portland Track and the University of Arizona sports information office contributed to this report.
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