Commonwealth Games: athletics starts

The athletics is underway at the Alexander Stadium.

Alexander Stadium
Author: Kellie MaddoxPublished 2nd Aug 2022
Last updated 2nd Aug 2022

It's day one of the athletics competition at the Birmingham Commonwealth Games, with thousands of people filling the Alexander Stadium to catch the action.

The track and field events run from today and conclude on Sunday evening, ahead of the closing ceremony on Monday.

This morning's session includes the first of the women's heptathlon heats, with Team England's Katarina Johnson-Thompson in action. There's also the men's 100m qualifying rounds and England's Keely Tomlinson and Alexandra Bell hoping to make it through to the women's 800m heats.

There's more top action tonight, with three Team England athletes in the women's pole vault final and three para-athletes in the women's T37/38 100m final.

Katarina Johnson-Thompson will be back in action in the heptathlon 200m hurdles and there's big medal hopes in the men's T45-47 100m final, with three English para-athletes in the mix.

Alexander Stadium

The Alexander Stadium in Perry Barr has gone through a multi-million pound transformation ahead of the Games. As well as hosting the athletics, it also welcomed thousands of spectators for the opening ceremony, and will be the focus once again for the closing ceremony on Monday.

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