BIRMINGHAM – Getting off the airplane at Birmingham airport, I was the only person wearing shorts and a t-shirt. The 50 degree weather and rain were not the ideal welcome to Europe, but things are expected to clear up for Sunday’s meet with a forecasted high of 72 degrees. (I should start getting used to temperatures in Celsius.)

MEN’S 100-METER HURDLES
Top Contenders 
Aires Merritt
Ryan Brathwaite
Mikel Thomas

The first event on the track to kick off Sainsbury’s Grand Prix will be the men’s 110-meter hurdles. Last weekend, World Record holder Aires Merritt just barely made the United States team headed to Moscow with his third place at the U.S. Outdoor Championship in Des Moines. Still far from that 12.80, Merritt is slowly working his way down by getting competition over the hurdles and checking in with his German doctor. Top Caribbean talent in Ryan Brathwaite of Barbados (13.19, 5th in the world) and Mikel Thomas of Trinidad and Tobago (13.19, 6th in the world) look to hold off Merritt’s first win since April. 

MEN’S 100-METER DASH
Top Contenders
Michael Rodgers
Kim Collins
Isiah Young

In the men’s 100-meter dash, Michael Rodgers is out for revenge after just missing the U.S.’ 100-meter dash team finishing fourth in the final. Rodgers continues to make his rounds on the Diamond League circuit with Birmingham being his 12th 100-meter dash race of the year. Saint Kitts and Nevis sprinter Kim Collins finished just ahead of Rodgers in Ostrava on Thursday with his 10.08 just behind Asafa Powell in 10.06. Fellow American Isiah Young is also slated to race.

Lots of hype will surround Yoshide Kiryu. The 17-year-old from Japan who ran a World Junior Record of 10.01 on April 29 will be making his second Diamond League appearance. He finished third to Rodgers in Tokyo on May 5, where he ran 10.40.

MEN’S 1,500-METER RUN
Top Contenders 
Abdelaati Iguider
Aman Wote

Scotland’s Chris O’Hare continues to dip into international waters. Coming off a 3:44.23 victory at the Folksam Challenge in Sweden, the field is much tougher at Alexander Stadium. Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco and Aman Wote of Ethiopia are the only two runners in the field under the 3:34 mark. Wote won their head to head contest with a second place finish at the Prefontaine Classic’s Bowerman mile. Iguider has not raced since finishing 14th in Eugene and could have an impressive rebound performance in the works. 

MEN’S 400-METER HURDLES



Top Contenders
Felix Sanchez
Michael Tinsley
Javier Culson

Five Olympic finalists including all the medalists will face off in the first rematch since London. Gold medalist Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic will make his outdoor season debut in the 400-meter hurdles. Starting late is nothing out of the ordinary for Sanchez. He opened with a 50.28 on June 30 in Lausanne in 2011 and finished fourth in Daegu. Last year, he got started with a 48.93 in Rabat after setting the world record during indoors. 

Mike Tinsley is coming off a weekend where he ran the world leading time of 47.96 at the U.S. Championship. His undefeated season could continue, if Sanchez shows signs of rust. Puerto Rico’s Javier Culson is having a season of redemption after settling for bronze last year. He has no wins to his credit in 2013 after losing to Tinsley and Johnny Dutch in New York and Rome respectively.

WOMEN’S 100-METER HURDLES
Top Contenders
Sally Pearson
Dawn Harper-Nelson
Kellie Wells

12.67 was easy for Sally Pearson as she took the victory in Ostrava for her season debut over hurdles. Her first real challenge comes against Dawn Harper-Nelson and Kellie Wells. The Olympic bronze medalist failed to make the team headed to Moscow after finishing fourth with a season best of 12.54. Harper-Nelson is well rested after running just one round at the U.S. Championship. Pearson showed she is healthy in Ostrava, now it’s just a matter of having a challenger push her.

WOMEN’S 400-METER DASH
Top Contenders
Amantle Montsho
Natasha Hastings

Natasha Hastings and Amantle Montsho are the only two women under 50 seconds in the race. Montsho remains undefeated with her last four wins coming from Diamond league events in 50.01 or faster. It will take a strong race from Hastings to upset the reigning World Champion from Daegu. Hastings won each of her sections en route to her U.S. championship crown with a seasonal best of 49.94.

WOMEN’S 200-METER DASH
Top Contenders
Carmelita Jeter
Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce

Carmelita Jeter was excused from the U.S. Championships and granted a medical waiver for her wildcard spot to Moscow. One week later, she’s ready to face off against Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce in her season debut over 200-meters. Fraser-Pryce has the world’s best time of 22.13 from the Jamaican National Championship. If this was over 100-meters and we’re guaranteed a healthy Jeter, the match-up would be more enticing. 

WOMEN’S 1,500-METER RUN
Top Contenders
Abeba Aregawi

Abeba Aregawi 3:56.60 seasonal best from Doha. Next best personal best in the field, Nancy Langat at 4:01.41. Another race for second place? 

Morgan Uceny struggled at the U.S. Championship going from 4:13.82 in the semifinals to 4:31.32 in the finals. Fellow American Gabriele Anderson, posted the third fastest time in Des Moines, but would fade to 11th in the final with a time of 4:32.93. Both hope to rebound and get in the mix for a top five finish in Birmingham.

MEN’S 800-METER RUN
Top Contenders
Mohamed Aman
Andre Oliver
Erik Sowinski

Duane Solomon’s world leading time was safe after Mohamed Aman of Ethiopia ran 1:43.78 in Ostrava. Three days later, the assault to get back on top of the world list continues. David Rudisha is the only person on the year that can claim a victory over Aman. Andre Oliver of South Africa took second in the same race less than a second behind Aman. Since Jeremiah Mutai’s 1:43.9 has looked like a fluke against elite competition, Erik Sowinski and Andrew Osagie become candidates to go up in front with Oliver. Sowinski is riding a weekend in which he set a personal best twice.

MEN’S 5,000-METER RUN
Top Contenders
Yenew Alamirew
Hagos Gebriwhet
Mo Farah

Alexander Stadium will erupt as Mo Farah runs in front of a British audience just one week after closing the final 400-meters of his 5,000-meter race in 50.89 at the European Team Championships. While the closing speed impressed, the overall time of 14:10 is way off his seasonal best of 13:05.88 at the Prefontaine Classic, where he lost. 

Farah currently sits at 11th on the world list for 2013. If he wants to make the case for medaling at the World Championship, he needs to stick with Ethiopian Yenew Alamirew and then see how much closing speed is left in the tank after 11 laps or so. Alamirew has the world leading time of 12:54.95 from the Diamond League meeting in Rome. 

But who can forget Hagos Gebriwhet, who was right behind him and finished in 12:55.73 for second place. Gebriwhet was not at Prefontaine, so this will be the first meeting between him and Farah since the Olympic final, where Farah took gold and Gebriwhet placed 11th. 

Before the Olympics, Farah only went under the 13-minute mark one time. His race in London was more of a tactical effort with 13:41.66. For coach Alberto Salazar and Farah, everything appears to remain according to plan.