The London Athletics Meet, held on a warm July evening at the Olympic Stadium in Stratford, delivered the kind of electric, noise-drenched spectacle that has made it one of the most anticipated events on the global track and field calendar. A capacity crowd of 60,000 filled the stands that once hosted the 2012 Games, and they were rewarded with a programme that combined world-class performances, dramatic finishes and the particular, partisan energy that a home crowd brings to a British athletics evening.
The headline event, the men’s 100 metres, lived up to its billing. The British sprinter, who has emerged over the past two seasons as one of the fastest men in Europe, produced a blistering run of 9.89 seconds to finish second behind the reigning world champion. The time, a personal best and the fastest by a British sprinter in three years, was greeted with a roar that seemed to lift the roof of the stadium. The sprinter, breathing heavily and grinning broadly, took a lap of honour draped in a Union Flag, acknowledging the crowd with the slightly bewildered expression of a man who has just run very fast in front of a great many people.
The women’s 100 metres was equally compelling. The British champion, who has been in outstanding form this season, clocked 10.82 seconds to win her race, the fastest time by a British woman since the early 2000s. Her celebration, a full-throated scream directed at the stands where her family and coaching team were seated, was one of the images of the evening. “I could hear them from the blocks,” she said afterwards. “My mum was screaming so loud I thought the starter would recall the race.”
The distance events provided a different kind of drama. The men’s 5,000 metres was a tactical, surging affair, decided in the final 200 metres by a devastating kick from the Kenyan favourite. The British entrant, running with courage and intelligence, held on for fifth place in a time that qualified him for the World Championships later in the summer. The crowd’s appreciation was warm and genuine, recognising that in distance running, a personal best in a world-class field is an achievement worthy of celebration.
The field events, often overshadowed by the track in a sprint-heavy programme, produced their own moments of brilliance. The British long jumper, competing in front of a home crowd for the first time this season, leapt 8.21 metres to win the competition and secure his place at the World Championships. The women’s high jump saw a thrilling three-way contest that was resolved only at 1.98 metres, with the British competitor clearing the bar on her third and final attempt to the delight of the stands.
