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Rooney and Hudson-Smith pit their wits against James

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There will be quite a test for Great Britain’s European 400m heroes at the IAAF Diamond League in Birmingham on Sunday afternoon.

Martyn Rooney, the gold medallist in Zurich, and Matthew Hudson-Smith, who was second, both take on Grenada’s Olympic, world and recently-crowned Commonwealth champion Kirani James in what should be one of the races of the day.

The British team had a record-breaking time last week when they finished top of the medal table with 23, their greatest performance at a European Athletics Championships.

Rooney was one of 12 golds as he achieved the first major title of his career by holding on to the beat British teammate Hudson-Smith, winning in a European lead of 44.71 from his rival in 44.75.

Kirani poses a different challenge but one that Hudson-Smith is relishing while also competing against Rooney again.

He told British Athletics: 'Because I took a gap year I have just been watching Kirani on my computer. I have always watched their races and now I am racing against them.'

Mo Farah, who won double gold in Zurich with his glory in the 5000m and 10,000m, and fellow Olympic champion, long jumper Greg Rutherford, who won the European title, are also in action in this 12th Diamond League meeting of the summer.

Farah runs over Two Miles and he will face his fellow Briton Andy Vernon, who finished second behind him in the 10,000m and then third in the 5000m at the championships.

Rutherford has had a fantastic summer, winning the Commonwealth title in Glasgow before a jump of 8.29m brought gold in Zurich.

The long jump field includes leading American Jeff Henderson and Rutherford said: 'I have had a week off in the build-up to this to recharge my batteries a bit. That could work fantastically well or it could go the opposite way. But I am really excited to be jumping here and looking to jump well.'

Bohdan Bondarenko needed only four efforts to win high jump gold in Zurich with 2.35m and once more the event will be of the highest standard in Birmingham - and this time with more than just victory at stake.

Ukrainian Bondarenko leads the high jump's Diamond Race with 14 points from Mutaz Essa Barshim with eight but the Qatarian world indoor champion is having quite a summer too.

He is joint top of the world rankings with Bondarenko with their spectacular 2.42m from the Diamond League in New York in June - the Ukrainian’s effort equalled the European record - and then on Friday in Eberstadt, Barshim cleared 2.41m.




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