Diamond League 2013- Doha Meeting

Montsho steals the show from Felix on a quiet night for Great British athletes

After Olympic disappointment the 400m runner now seems in top shape for 2013!
 Photo:Supersport

Botswana's Amantle Montsho ended Double Olympic champion Allyson Felix's ten race winning streak in Doha with a World Lead time of 49.88 seconds, in what was a great opening night to outdoor athletics!

With 11 world leads and seven meeting records achieved, conditions proved to be perfect for athletes and showed great promise for the season ahead of athletics as it all builds up to the world championships.

The night was started off for team GB with British record holder Shara Proctor in the long jump. Although jumping her seasons best, Shara was only able to jump 6.82 and finished in a disappointing sixth position. On the bright side the season is still at a very early stage and I know that Shara will want to be at her best come world championship stage.

An upcoming athlete of team GB was invited to Doha in Mukhtar Mohammed. Mukhtar is still only 22 and showed true determination in the indoors to claim a European bronze medal. In what is a great experience to be invited to such meets the Sheffield based athlete produced a strong performance in a time of 1.47.40 and I expect to see big things of the two lap man come the British trials for Moscow.

Mohammed centre of the picture pushing to the line.

Back onto the field and it was Britain's surprise package of last year Robbie Grabarz who claimed bronze last year at the Olympics. Grabarz who is the reigning Diamond League Champion for High Jump will have hoped for a top three finish in Doha but just missed out, as he failed three attempts at 2.27 leaving him in fourth with a clearance of 2.24 well outside of his 2.37 joint british record of last year.

The first track event ended in disappointment for team GB as rising star Jack Green in the 400m hurdles failed to complete the race as he pulled up at the 200m mark. Green tweeted after the race saying: "Now I have a long flight home to reflect on what went wrong. Joy!" It is clear though Green has plenty of potential to compete at the highest level as he proved last year.

Two athletes in Michael Rimmer and Andrew Osagie then featured in a high class 800m race. As world record holder David Rudisha showed his class in the final 100m in relatively slow time for him of 1.43.87. Rimmer finishing in sixth and in an impressive time of 1.44.97 giving him the A standard for the world championships. It has been clear for a long time the Liverpudlian has what it takes to get to the top it is just a matter of when he will produce it! Osagie on the other hand seems to still be experiencing the Olympic hangover as he finished in a time of 1.45.41 and will want to get back to the stage he was at which got him to an Olympic final.

Finally I bring good news for a top GB athlete performance and probably the best of the night in the Women's 100m hurdles with Tiffany Porter! Porter a 100th second off second place and equal third position crossed the line in a time of 12.74 and showed she is more than ready to challenge for the top three spots come Moscow! Tiffany tweeted: "I'm pleased with today's performance overall. Things are definitely moving in the right direction. Next up: Manchester street race May 25th" Where i will definitely try to get a word with her!

And it seems Rana Reider has been got his athletes on the right wavelength in Loughborough as world and Olympic Champion Christian Taylor won the triple jump in style. Taylor from just a 12 step run up jumped an amazing 17. 25 28 cm better than his jump last year. The American is starting to prove he really could challenge Jonathan Edwards impossible world record come Moscow time in August. Meanwhile in other world news the 100m brought Nesta Carter, Michael Rodgers and Justin Gatlin together. It went with Carter with the quick start, Rodgers with the strong mid-phase but then Gatlin came together at the end to take the race in 9.97 with Rodgers and Carter respectively 9.99 in what technically wasn't the greatest of races. Trackwise Tyson Gay has looked the most promising with his 9.86 opener in what is still early season for the main track event.

Finally we come to the main attraction the Women's 400m. Without Olympic Champion Sanya Richards-Ross running it still held an extremely strong field with Felix, Montsho and Ohuruogu. Felix known for her blistering speed started like a steam train in the middle lanes in what seemed a run where she was wary of Ohuruogu's strong finish Felix cruised past the Brit half way through the race. Ohuruogu seemed slow out of the block but as we all know stays strong till the end. However no one saw Montsho and as Felix faded from the race with 100 metres to go the Botswana athlete who showed so much promise last year till the Olympics came through the strongest to take it. Ohuruogu will be happy with a time of 50.53 as a season opener on the world stage although with a quicker start i really could see push for that British record and much more.

Onwards and Upwards for team GB and also it seems things are only going to get quicker and more exciting as the season is now and truly under way!

For all the results of the Doha Meeting

I'll be back with a review of Shanghai in a weeks time!