SA's Viljoen looks to cimb higher

Viljoen secured an upset victory over Spotakova, the Olympic champion, with a 66.38m effort in Prague last month, extending her own continental mark by almost a metre. Spotakova took second place with a best of 65.71m.

Viljoen has been in superb form this season, throwing over 63m on three occasions, and she will be confident of earning more points in the Diamond League season race in her event by stepping on the podium. Apart from Spotakova, only Kara Patterson of the US, in a field of eight included in the provisional entry lists available on Friday, has thrown further than the South African this year .

A strong performance should help Viljoen, the Commonwealth champion, close the gap in the Diamond League race. Spotakova leads with seven points, while Patterson is tied second with four points, and the South African is fifth with two points.

Peter van der Westhuizen lines up in the men’s 1 500m and will be eager to improve on his season’s best, having clocked 3:37.34 in New York last month.

The field is headed by Kenyan favourites Asbel Kiprop, the Olympic champion, and Augustine Choge who has run two of the three fastest times in the world this year.

Ruben Ramolefi, who withdrew midway through the men’s 3 000m steeplechase at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Thursday night, has been included in a rather week field in Gateshead.

Only Kenyan Michael Kipyego has run quicker than Ramolefi’s season’s best of 8:16.50 set in Doha in May. With only 10 men named in the provisional lists, however, it is likely that a few late entries will be included.