Eight Scots in line to compete at Diamond League opener at Gateshead

Friday 21st May 2021

Andy Butchart is preparing for his first track race in Britain since the summer of 2019 (Glasgow 2019 photo by Bobby Gavin)

Gateshead Diamond League programme

Eight Scottish athletes will compete in the Diamond League opener on Sunday evening – as top class athletics returns to Gateshead.

The venue in England’s north-east stepped in to stage the first event of the Diamond League programme only a few weeks ago as a replacement for Rabat in Morocco.

Laura Muir, after two quick 800m runs in America recently, is expected to be one of the headline acts in a Women’s 1500m race which closes off the event schedule shortly before 9pm.

Eilish McColgan is in that race, too, while Andy Butchart makes a welcome return to racing on British soil in a stacked field for the men’s 5000m.

High jumper Nikki Manson will also be looking to capitalise on her Diamond League chance on a weekend when she could well have been representing Scotland at Loughborough instead.

The Para programme takes in a number of races and offers welcome competition opportunities for our trio of Maria Lyle, Alexander Thomson, Libby Clegg and Ross Paterson.

BBC Sport are covering the event live on BBC Two (from 7pm to 9pm) and also across their website.

Here’s the schedule with Scottish interest:

5.50pm – Maria Lyle in Women’s 100m T20/35/38/64

5.55pm – Nikki Manson in the Women’s High Jump

6.12pm – Libby Clegg in Women’s 200m T11/38/44

6.18pm – Ross Paterson and Alexander Thomson in Men’s 200m T20/38/47/61

8.02pm – Andy Butchart in the Men’s 5000m

8.51pm – Eilish McColgan and Laura Muir in the Women’s 1500m

BBC coverage details here

🚨 ATHLETE ANNOUNCEMENT 🚨@lauramuiruns will race on home soil for the first time in 15 months when she tackles the 1500m at the #MullerGrandPrixGateshead on Sunday 23rd May

She'll take on @mcourtneybryant, @EilishMccolgan, @adelle_tracey and @HollyAArcher7 @Diamond_League

— Müller Birmingham Diamond League (@Birmingham_DL) May 10, 2021