Rivals will be out to get Sharp in Diamond League

Capital star Lynsey Sharp (Edinburgh AC) will clash with arch rivals Marilyn Okoro and Jemma Simpson in the 800 metres at the Aviva Grand Prix Diamond League meeting in Birmingham on Sunday.

Olympic semi-finalist Sharp has been training hard since the end of the Games and is determined to break two minutes before the end of the season but many people will still see Sunday’s race as an opportunity for the two Englishwomen who were overlooked by the selectors in favour of Sharp to state their case.

Also in the race are the Kenyan stars Pamela Jelimo the 2008 Olympic champion and Janeth Jephosgei and the new Olympic champion Mariya Savinova of Russia, who clocked 1:56.19 to win in London two weeks ago.

Last night in the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne Jelimo turned the tables on the Russian in 1:57.59.

It is unlikely to be any faster on Sunday with something around 1:58.00 more likely and Sharp, best of 2:00.52, may have to decide who to latch onto if she is to achieve her target.

Among other interesting entries is 17-year-old English runner Jess Judd, who has a best of 2:00.96 set in winning the silver medal at the World Junior Championships and who finished third behind Sharp at the UK Championships.

Pitreavie’s Eilidh Child goes in the 400m hurdles and will be looking for something under 56 seconds to finish her season on a positive note.

Emily Dudgeon (EAC), sixth in the World Junior Championship 800m in Barcelona last month, goes in the so-called “On Camp with Kelly” 800m, the Kelly Holmes initiative for promising young athletes and is the fastest in the line-up with her best of 2:03.32.