Team Ghana arrives at the Commonwealth Games village in Glasgow

Ghana's Commonwealth Games Team finally landed at the Commonwealth Games Village in Glasgow on Monday after spending about four weeks in training camp in

South Ayrshire, Scotland.

Team Ghana are expected to compete in disciplines such as athletics, boxing, fencing, hockey, judo, table tennis, swimming, cycling, weightlifting among others.

Led by the Chef de Mission, Chris Essilfie, the Ghanaian contingent expressed their appreciation to their host who helped facilitate their accommodation, transportation, training facilities and feeding during their stay in an emotional farewell to the city of Ayrshire in a ceremony at Belmont Academy on Sunday. The delegation also handed out pieces of Kente cloth and 'fugu' to their host to show their appreciation

Ghana's pre Games has been described by athletes and officials as one of the best by a Ghanaian contingent to a major competition in recent memory. The Ghana Olympic Committee undertook a similar exercise when the country's team to the 2012 Olympic Game spent three weeks in Plymouth prior to the opening of the competition.

Okagbare rises to victory in Paris after fall in Lausanne

Nigeria's Blessing Okagbare was back to winning ways this weekend in the Paris meeting of the IAAF Diamond League with a 200 metres victory over Olympic champion Allyson Felix and World champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce.

The 25-year-old overhauled Felix in the final couple of metres, clocking 22.32sec to the American's 22.34, just two days after failing to complete her 100m in Lausanne following a stumble. Fraser-Pryce, whose season has been undermined by a foot injury, could only manage fifth place in 22.63.

USA's Michael Rodgers won the last event of the night, the men’s 100m, in 10.00secs with 2008 Olympic silver medallist Richard Thompson placing second in 10.08secs. Kim Collins, who won the world title at the Stade de France back in 2003, showed that he still has plenty left in the tank at the age of 38 by finishing third in 10.10secs. Jamaica’s Nickel Ashmeade was disqualified for a second false start.

Olympic champion Sanya Richards-Ross finished strongly to pull away on the home straight and clock 50.10 for 400m victory ahead of a fast-finishing Stephenie Ann McPherson – runner up in New York – with a 50.40 season’s best.

Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands produced a surprise victory against a women's 1500m field which included Sweden's world indoor and outdoor champion Abeba Aregawi and Kenya's Hellen Obiri, number one and two in the world prior to the race. Neither of the two favourites were in the hunt at the bell, however, as Hassan tracked the 2011 world champion, Jenny Simpson of the United States, overtaking her to record a national record of 3:57.00.

Kenya's double world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop produced another of the Meeting Areva's standout performances as he demonstrated his basic speed by winning the 800m in 1min 43.34sec, the fastest time recorded this year, ahead of the Botswana's Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos, who clocked 1:43.70.

It was an emotional night for Croatia's  Blanka Vlasic winning the women's high jump with 2.00m on countback ahead of Russia's Mariya Kuchina. The double World champion returned to action after a serious Achilles tendon injury.

Jamaica’s Olympic bronze medallist Hansle Parchment sped to a world-leading time and national record of 12.94secs in the men's 110m hurdles beating Pascal Martinot-Lagard breaking local hearts. Despite his disappointment at being unable to win in front of his family and friends, Martinot-Lagarde got some consolation by shaving his personal best by 0.01 to 13.05secs.
 
The home crowd had plenty to cheer as Renaud Lavillennie, Olympic champion and world record holder in the pole vault, won at this meeting for the fourth consecutive time thanks to an effort of 5.70 metres.  

The men’s triple jump also made the home crowd happy by throwing up a surprise winner in the shape of French international Benjamin Compaore, whose 17.12m effort in the fifth round snatched the lead from Olympic champion Christian Taylor.

Kirani James wins big as Gay finishes second in comeback

Olympic champion Kirani James produced an outstanding performance to beat LaShawn Merritt in the 400m on thursday the 3rd of july as the next stage of the IAAF daimond league visited Lausanne, Switzerland once again.

The 21-year-old ran a time of 43.74sec making him the joint fifth fastest of all time in the event alongside Merritt, which was also a personal best and a national and Diamond League record. Merritt, who is the reigning world champion, ran a time of 43.92secs which was the second best ever recorded without winning. Their rivalry is one of the hottest in the athletics world at the moment

Tyson Gay's comeback race following his reduced doping ban ended in 100 metres defeat at the hands of fellow American Justin Gatlin.  world silver medallist who has been in very good form all season, stayed undefeated on the term when he flashed to a new world-leading time of 9.80secs, the second fastest time of his career. Gay clocked a respectable 9.93secs placing second on the night.


The women's 100m needed a photo-finish. Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye who had never before competed in an IAAF Diamond League meeting was a surprise winner of the women's 100m after catching and stealing pole position from double world silver medallist Murielle Ahoure of the
Ivory Coast, with both women clocking 10.98sec.

Panama’s Alonso Edward also stole the show in the 200m speeding to victory in 19.84secs, blowing away double Olympic silver medallist Yohan Blake on his return placing sixth in 20.48sec Jamaica's Nickel Ashmeade placed second and Frenchman Christophe Lemaitre third.

Ukraine's World high jump champion Bogdan Bondarenko won the latest high quality men's competition this season with an effort of 2.40 metres, taking the verdict on countback over fellow countryman Andriy Protsenko, for whom 2.40m was a personal best.

Pascal Martinot-Lagarde produced the performance of his life in arguably the highest-quality sprint hurdles race of the year so far to cross the line in a personal best of 13.06secs to move to fifth on the European all-time list in the 110m hurdles.

There was a dramatic finish to the men's 1,500m, where Kenyan Ronald Kwemoi sprinted to beat Silas Kiplagat, shaving some 11 seconds of his personal best in 3:31.48. The 18-year-old Kenyan has never lost a 1500m race. Kiplagat clocked 3:31.81, just a fraction ahead of James Magut (3:31.91) in a clean sweep for Kenya.

Olympic champion Greg Rutherford had to be content with second place in the long jump, with his 8.19m not enough to beat Diamond Race leader Jeff Henderson (8.31m) of America.

France's 2012 Olympic champion Renaud Lavillenie (5.87m) claimed the pole vault ahead of Brazilian Thiago Braz (5.72m).

Usain Bolt will be available to compete at this summer's Commonwealth games

Six time Olympic champion Usain Bolt has announced he would be available to compete for team Jamaica at this years summer Commonwealth games in Glasgow, Scotland.

The 27-year-old who is currently out with a foot injury confirmed on his official website that although he is unavailable for the national championships this weekend, he has informed the Jamaica Athletics Administrative Association (JAAA) he wants to feature in Scotland, but may only take part in the relay event.

"I do not wish to take the place of anyone who qualifies this weekend in an individual event, but am available for relay duty if the selectors feel I can be an asset to the Jamaican team in Glasgow," Bolt added in a statement on his website. 

There were fears Bolt would not be ready for the summer extravaganza which gets under way on July 23, having pulled out of events in Ostrava and Paris after being forced to miss training earlier in the year. This announcement will be a definite boost to Glasgow’s organisers as Bolt’s global appeal means he will be a star attraction at the Games, even if he is not competing in the individual races.

"I have received lots of requests, invitations and messages of support from my fans in Scotland who are looking forward to a great event,” he added.

Bolt has never raced in the Commonwealth Games, having missed the events in Melbourne in 2006 and Delhi four years ago.

High-quality sprint clashes set for IAAF Diamond league in Paris

The Stade de France in Paris will be the place to be on saturday the 5th of July when the next meeting of the  IAAF Diamond League is scheduled to take place. A women’s 200m field and men’s 100m line-up both worthy of a major championships final will be among the expected highlights.

For the first time since 2010, Allyson Felix will contest the 200m at the Stade de France where she won in a stadium record of 22.14. The Olympic champion and three-time world champion will be up against a host of top sprinters, including double world champion Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, world leader Tori Bowie, double world medallist Blessing Okagbare and 2010 European champion Myriam Soumare.

Felix, Fraser-Pryce, Bowie and Okagbare have already raced against each other over 200m this season. Bowie came out on top on that occasion with Okagbare setting a PB in second place and Felix running a season’s best of 22.44 in third.

The men's 100m line up features seven athletes who have all run under 10secs. Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson, who improved his own national record to 9.82 at last weekend’s national championships and the fastest man in the world this year, is one of seven men in the 100m field who have run faster than 10 seconds for the distance.

Among those set to take him on include world bronze medallist Nesta Carter, former world record-holder Asafa Powell, former US champion Michael Rodgers, 2003 world champion Kim Collins, European champion Christophe Lemaitre and European indoor champion Jimmy Vicaut.

Four World Leads the Highlight in Oslo’s Bislett Stadium

The ExxonMobil Bislett Games enjoyed four world leads on a beautiful Wednesday evening as the fifth stage of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League arrived in Oslo for the prestigious athletic event. 

Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills extended her current win streaks to three with a comfortable 50.06 season’s best. Later on she said “I admit it is time to go under 50-seconds now. The big goal is to win the Diamond Race.”

World indoor silver medallist, Martinot-Lagarde added to his victory in the IAAF Eugene Diamond League in May with a swift 13.12 world-leading and lifetime best performance in the 110m hurdles.  

World indoor record holder and Olympic champion, Renaud Lavillenie continued his pole vault dominance with a comfortable 5.77m victory.

Allyson Felix strode home in front in the women’s 200m. Felix looked more like her old self as she pulled gracefully away from the field down the home straight in a modest time of 22.73.

Following 400m hurdles wins in Eugene and Rome, World indoor 400m silver medallist, Kaliese Spencer added another victory to her 2014 campaign with first place 54.94.
The 27-year-old Jamaican - and Olympic fourth placer over the barriers – pipped Bahrain’s Kemi Adekoya in a tight finish, with the 21-year-old Doha IAAF Diamond League winner clocking 54.96.

Carl Lewis was present as Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson stole the show in the 100m to close the evening’s proceedings winning by 0.02 in 10.02 from Frenchman Jimmy.
The 29-year-old 2008 Olympic silver medallist – who ran 9.95 in Hengelo last weekend – managed to hold off the fast-finishing Jimmy Vicaut, who was timed at 10.04 in the runner-up position.
The 22-year-old Frenchman improved on his third place in Eugene, whilst Great Britain’s Adam Gemili finished third with 10.11. Russia’s world indoor champion, Mariya Kuchina made up for finishing fourth in Eugene by claiming the high jump honours with a 1.98m personal best.
The 21-year-old won on count-back from Croatia’s two-time world indoor and outdoor champion, Blanka Vlasic who opened her outdoor campaign in style and rekindled her fond memories of winning in Oslo on four previous occasions.

Will Claye maintained his impressive winning streak following victories on the IAAF Diamond League circuit in Eugene and Rome with a win over his American counterpart Christian Taylor who put on a battle royale for the crowd, snatching back the triple jump lead in the sixth and final round with a 17.41m leap.

Olympic champion, Taylor registered a best of 17.15m for his third-consecutive runner-up spot.

  
Kenya’s Eunice Sum, who stormed to victory in the 800m in a swift 1:59.02 season’s best.
The 25-year-old world champion – who also finished first in Doha and Rome – came home clear of the USA’s Ajee Wilson, who registered a 1:59.68 season’s best, whilst Great Britain’s 19-year-old Jessica Judd placed third in 1:59.77 lifetime best.

Finally, Olympic and world decathlon champion and world record holder, Ashton Eaton sped to a respectable 49.16 victory in the men’s 400m non-IAAF Diamond League event. The 26-year-old American set a 49.07 lifetime best as he uses the 2014 ‘off season’ as an opportunity to try a new event and revitalise his form before the world championship year. 

Injured Bolt confirms hw wouldn't compete on the 5th of July in Areva

Six-time Olympic champion sprinter Usain Bolt has confirmed he won’t be competing on 5 July at the 2014 edition of the Meeting Areva, the French stage of the IAAF Diamond League, due to inflammation of his foot.

It is an injury that has hampered him for much of the spring. “As reported a few weeks ago I had to miss some training in late March and early April due to a foot injury,” said the multiple world and Olympic champion and world record-holder.

“Thankfully my foot is 100% healthy now and I am back in full training. Unfortunately due to the training that I missed I am behind where I am at normally at this time of year and will not be ready to race in the Ostrava Golden Spike meet or the Meeting Areva in Paris. These are great events that I have competed in many times in the past and I plan to run in many times in the future. I have a lot of support in both countries and always get a good reception there.”
Bolt has yet to confirm whether he will compete in this summer’s Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Meanwhile, in Bolt’s absence, the organisers have put together a great line-up. The full international field will be revealed nearer the time, but the top French stars were announced.
Topping the bill is Renaud Lavillenie. The Olympic pole vault champion has made his annual bid for victory at the Stade de France a speciality. This year, he’ll appear in front of a French audience for the first time since breaking the world record with his indoor 6.16m clearance.

2014 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 9 May
Shanghai, CHN – 18 May
Eugene, USA – 31 May
Rome, ITA – 5 Jun
Oslo, NOR – 11 Jun
New York, USA – 14 Jun
Lausanne, SUI – 3 Jul
Paris, FRA – 5 Jul
Glasgow, GBR – 11-12 Jul
Monaco, MON – 18 Jul
Stockholm, SWE – 21 Aug
Birmingham, GBR – 24 Aug
Zurich, SUI – 28 Aug
Brussels, BEL – 5 Sep