Anniversary Games: Laura Muir cruises to 1500m victory at London Stadium

European champion Laura Muir eased to victory in the women's 1500m on the first day of the Anniversary Games.

Muir outsprinted German Konstanze Klosterhalfen in the final 150 metres to win in three minutes 58.25 seconds.

Fellow Briton Zharnel Hughes finished second in the 100m final behind Akani Simbine in a time of 9.95secs.

James Ellington received one of the biggest cheers at London Stadium as he competed in his first 100m race following a motorbike accident in 2017.

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The 33-year-old, understandably rusty, finished last in his heat won impressively by compatriot Hughes in 9.96 seconds.

European champion Hughes then pushed Commonwealth champion Simbine all the way in the final, but the South African kept his nose in front to win in a season's best time of 9.93 seconds.

Hughes said: "It's a huge step (going from European champion to world champion) and a lot more work but last year was a great success and I'm hoping to get more.

"I'm not 100 per cent yet and it's just steady progress for me, I trust coach Glen Mills. As I go further I'll get better."

Colin Jackson, the two-time world 110m hurdles champion, told BBC Sport: "That's a great performance from Zharnel, but he might be a little bit frustrated knowing his potential.

"It's exciting to know he's truly world class but we are just waiting for that performance to happen.

"He was under a bit more pressure in the final and could see the quality all around him. He wasn't probably as relaxed as he might have wanted to be and he was searching for pace a little bit."

Leading American sprinters Noah Lyles and Christian Coleman were both absent in order to prepare for the US trials, which start next week in Des Moines.

Muir takes advantage of Kipyegon absence

Laura Muir was too strong for European indoor silver medallist Konstanze Klosterhalfen coming into the home straight

With Kenya's Olympic and world champion Faith Kipyegon a late withdrawal, Muir was the outstanding favourite in the 1500m.

The only potential danger to her was European indoor silver medallist Klosterhalfen, but she left the German in her wake on the final bend to win comfortably.

Muir told BBC Sport: "It was great. I could hear the crowd on the bell and it was great to win like I did in 2016 [at the Anniversary Games].

"It went according to plan. It was breezy so I thought I would sit and use my kick. The field is world class, even without Faith Kipyegon and Sifan Hassan."

Team-mates Sarah McDonald (4:00.46), who finished sixth, and Jemma Reekie (4:02.09), in seventh, both recorded personal bests.

European indoor silver medallist Holly Bradshaw finished third in the women's pole vault with 4.65m, behind winner Anzhelika Sidorova and Greek Katerina Stefanidi. They both cleared 4.75m but the Russian took the title on countback.

There was an impressive display from Briton Laviai Nielsen in the women's 400m. The 23-year-old from London broke 51 seconds for the first time as she clocked 50.83 to finish third behind Jamaica's Rio 2016 bronze medallist Shericka Jackson and compatriot Stephenie Ann McPherson.

Laviai Nielsen helped Britain win World 4x400m silver at the London Stadium in 2017

Williams and Warholm light up London Stadium

The London Stadium track produced several fast times on the first day of action.

Jamaica's former world 100m hurdles champion Danielle Williams, who will not be at the World Championships after she was disqualified at June's national trials, won her race in 12.32 seconds - the fastest time of the year.

"I don't know what the selectors are going to do," the 2015 world champion told BBC Sport. "I just have to keep going and racing hard. The ideal scenario for me is to win my final two races in Birmingham and the Diamond League final."

Norway's Karsten Warholm, who came into wider prominence when he won world gold on the same track two years ago, won the men's 400m hurdles in 47.13 seconds, which placed him sixth all the all-time list.

One of the other races of the day was the men's 5,000m where 18-year-old Jakob Ingebrigtsen gave Ethiopia's Rio bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet an almighty test on the final straight as he finished second in a Norwegian national record of 13 minutes 02.03 seconds.

Gebrhiwet, who won bronze in Rio, won in 13:01.86 while Briton Andrew Butchart set a personal best of 13:06.21 to take fifth.

Multiple Olympic champion Elaine Thompson was a class above the rest in the women's 200m as she strolled to victory in 22.13 seconds. Ivory Coast's Marie-Josee Ta Lou was second in 22.36 and Briton Beth Dobbin finished third in a personal best time of 22.50.

'It's been a long time coming' - Sayers after receiving Beijing 2008 bronze

Meanwhile, Briton Goldie Sayers received her 2008 Olympic javelin bronze medal in front of the London Stadium crowd.

The 37-year-old was awarded the medal as a result of Russian Mariya Abakumova being stripped of silver in 2016 after a reanalysis of a sample tested positive for an anabolic steroid.

"I was struggling. It was a lot to take in," Sayers told BBC Sport.

"It's been a long old process, I found out driving down the M11 on my way to meet my mum for a coffee in the Newmarket Waitrose - glamorous!

"It's been a long time coming. At least I've got my Beijing tracksuit on."

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