A video of Conor McGregor punching an older man inside a Dublin bar surfaced online last week, and seeing the video was "like a dagger into my heart," McGregor told Ariel Helwani in an exclusive interview with ESPN on Thursday.

In the interview, McGregor expressed regret for his actions in April, when he struck the man in an ugly incident in his native Ireland. The former two-division UFC champion came clean and took full responsibility for his "unacceptable behavior" in that event.

"I was in the wrong," McGregor said. "That man deserved to enjoy his time in the pub without having it end the way it did. ... I tried to make amends and I made amends back then. But it doesn't matter. I was in the wrong. I must come here before you and take accountability and take responsibility. I owe it to the people that have been supporting me. I owe it to my mother, my father, my family. I owe it to the people who trained me in martial arts. That's not who I am. That's not the reason why I got into martial arts or studying combat sports. The reason I got into it was to defend against that type of scenario."

The Gardai, Ireland's national police, are investigating the incident at The Marble Arch Bar on April 6, a spokesperson confirmed to ESPN last week. The Gardai do not comment on named individuals. McGregor said he would accept any consequences.

"Whatever comes my way, I will face it," McGregor said. "Whatever comes my way, I deserve it. I will face this head on. I will not hide from it. I was in the wrong. It was completely unacceptable behavior for a man in my position."

The pub punch was McGregor's second run-in with the law in two months. McGregor was arrested and charged with smashing a man's cellphone and stealing it outside a Miami club in March. Those charges were dropped in May. McGregor admitted he was in the wrong with regard to that situation, too.

"I need to just stop reacting to the bait," McGregor said. "People are trying to bait me into things. Am I the fish or am I the whale? I must be calm, I must be zen. I must lead by example. There's so many people looking up to me. How can I react in this way? I need to get ahold of this and, like I said, I'm working very hard to do this."

McGregor, 31, is the biggest star of the UFC, having been a part of four of the top pay-per-view events in promotion history. He also fought Floyd Mayweather in a boxing match in 2017, a bout that earned him upward of $50 million, he has said. In the interview with Helwani, McGregor expressed concern that his current lifestyle will squander the fortune he has made in combat sports.

"So, if I have this opportunity before me, if I don't execute this and get this right, make this happen for the children of my children's children, all of my successes, all of everything I've achieved will be void, will be meaningless to me," McGregor said. "I must get this right and I must not go down that path, the written path, the cliché of the fighter that has it all and ruins [it]. I need to be aware of my past, of the past of other individuals, and learn from it and grow and that's what I'm doing."

McGregor said he's "eager" to return to the UFC. He's currently recovering from surgery on a broken left hand he suffered in May. The original plan was for him to return in July, possibly against Justin Gaethje at Madison Square Garden, McGregor said, but the hand injury prevented that. A fight before 2019 is over is a possibility, he said.

For a comeback bout, McGregor said it doesn't matter whom he faces. He mentioned former rivals such as Khabib Nurmagomedov, Nate Diaz, Dustin Poirier, Jose Aldo and Max Holloway, as well as possible new foes such as Tony Ferguson, Frankie Edgar, Jorge Masvidal and Gaethje. McGregor said he is in a good position as far as negotiations with the UFC. A stake in the company is no longer a "sticking point" for his return, but it remains something he wants.

McGregor said he took inspiration from Diaz's victory over Anthony Pettis at UFC 241 last weekend in Diaz's first fight since losing to McGregor in 2016. McGregor also mentioned Stipe Miocic's ability to overcome his knockout loss to Daniel Cormier and finish Cormier at UFC 241. The Irishman said he yearns for his own chance to make a triumphant return after his loss to Nurmagomedov at UFC 229 in October 2018.

"Mine is gonna be the greatest one of all," McGregor said.

In March, McGregor announced on Twitter his retirement from the UFC. In the interview with Helwani, however, McGregor said he is anything but retired -- and he's not sure he ever will hang up the gloves. At the moment, it seems McGregor's primary focus is getting back in the Octagon.

"I must get my head screwed on and just get back in the game and fight for redemption, retribution, respect -- the things that made me the man I am," McGregor said. "And that's what I will do."

WINNIPEG, Manitoba -- Due to holes in the end zones of IG Field, where goalposts for the Canadian Football League's bigger field are usually planted, the Oakland Raiders and Green Bay Packers played on a shorter field Thursday night.

Lengthy conversations among NFL, Packers and Raiders officials ended with the decision that the players should not be in such unsafe conditions, so the playing field was reduced to 80 yards, with each 10-yard line serving as the goal line.

Up until about 20 minutes before kickoff, field workers were trying to tamp down a square of artificial turf in each end zone, to no avail. It would not stay put.

NFL, #Packers and game officials check out the "hole" in the end zone before #Raiders game. pic.twitter.com/N8JBhBAYx2

— Paul Gutierrez (@PGutierrezESPN) August 22, 2019

A statement from the NFL was released shortly after kickoff:

"Tonight's game is being played on a reconfigured field. The field met the mandatory practices for the maintenance of surfaces for NFL games based on an inspection yesterday. Concerns arose today surrounding the area where the Blue Bombers' goalposts were previously located. The 10-yard line will function as the goal line at this game. In lieu of kickoffs, the ball will be placed at the 15-yard line."

Caesars and most other sportsbooks graded the game as usual since field size is not in any rules as far as canceling bets. At Caesars, the game closed as a pick 'em, with an over/under of 40.

The Raiders were technically the home team for the preseason contest, which raised the question as to why the team would give up a game in Oakland, California, to travel to the middle of a foreign country. Per a league source, the Raiders did not yet have a lease with the Oakland Coliseum when the NFL scheduled its preseason and gave the Raiders a Week 3 home game, be it in San Francisco; Santa Clara, California; Reno, Nevada; Las Vegas; or Oakland.

But with MLB's Oakland Athletics home this week, the Raiders had to hit the road to play host, hence the team having talks with Canadian cities Regina, Saskatchewan, and Edmonton, Alberta, and even with Honolulu, before signing up with Winnipeg for the first NFL game of any kind played in Western Canada.

And while the Packers, who had planned on playing some front-line players, made a statement by sitting 33 players, it was hard to tell if the Raiders reacted similarly since they did not plan on playing many, if any, starters against Green Bay. Quarterback Aaron Rodgers, who was questionable to play due to a sore back, was one of the 33 players the Packers sat.

There was at least one other game in NFL history played on a field shorter than 100 yards. In 1932, the Chicago Bears and Portsmouth Spartans played the league's first playoff game indoors at Chicago Stadium, on a modified 80-yard field, due to poor weather.

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump presented 91-year-old basketball legend Bob Cousy with the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Thursday, praising the former Boston Celtics star as "one of the all-time greats in the history of sports."

Cousy played for the Celtics from 1950 to 1963, winning six league championships and the 1957 MVP title. The Bob Cousy Award, given to the country's best point guard in men's college basketball, is named for him. He is a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and played a pivotal role in founding the National Basketball Players Association.

After hanging up his No. 14 jersey, the 13-time NBA All-Star went on to coach basketball at Boston College.

"This acknowledgment allows me to complete my life circle," Cousy said during the Oval Office awards ceremony. "I can stop chasing a bouncing ball. The Presidential Medal of Freedom allows me to reach a level of acceptance in our society I never once ever dreamed of."

Trump spoke of Cousy's childhood during the Great Depression and discovering his talent for basketball at a young age. The president said Cousy never forgot his first mentor's advice to never be predictable, and jokingly added: "Hey, I've heard that lesson, too."

The president recognized Cousy's achievements on and off the court, lauding his support for underprivileged young athletes and speaking out against racism.

Cousy, who is white, ardently supported his black teammates who faced discrimination during the civil rights movement. Still, Cousy lamented in Gary Pomerantz's biography "The Last Pass: Cousy, Russell, the Celtics, and What Matters in the End" that he didn't do more for his black teammates, including 2011 Medal of Freedom recipient Bill Russell.

The Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, celebrates individuals for their "especially meritorious contribution to the security or national interests of the U.S., to world peace, or to cultural or other significant public or private endeavors."

Trump credited West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin for suggesting the medal be given to Cousy.

Cousy is the second Medal of Freedom recipient this year. Trump presented the award to golfer Tiger Woods in May.

Cousy is the 10th honoree under Trump, who is Cousy's candidate of choice in the 2020 presidential election.

In a recent interview with NBA.com, Cousy described himself as politically moderate. He said that although he disagrees with some of the president's actions, he plans to vote for Trump next year.

During the awards ceremony, Cousy said the medal was made all the more special because it had been presented by the "most extraordinary" president in his lifetime.

"I know in your world, you're well on your way to making America great again," Cousy told the president. "In my world, it's been great for 91 years. Only in America could my story have been told."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wants to temper expectations. Maybe that is understandable.

He is preparing to step into the point guard position Russell Westbrook held for 11 years for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Gilgeous-Alexander averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists as a rookie for the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He joined the Thunder in the deal that sent All-Star Paul George to the Clippers.

He has a massive hole to help fill. Westbrook was the 2017 NBA MVP and two-time scoring champion, two-time All-Star MVP and two-time assist leader who averaged a triple-double the past three seasons with the Thunder before he was traded to the Houston Rockets this summer.

"I am not Russell Westbrook," Gilgeous-Alexander said matter-of-factly Thursday. "We don't have the same name, the same body type, nothing like that. So I'm going to try to be myself and be the best me, and everything else will take care of itself."

Thunder general manager Sam Presti has said Gilgeous-Alexander has star potential, yet he will likely split time with new addition Chris Paul next season.

"Regardless of the situation, I'm going to continue to work hard and play my game," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "I know that eventually it will come out and things like that. I don't worry about starting. I don't worry about accolades or anything like that. I just work hard, keep my head down and be true to who I am."

Gilgeous-Alexander relishes the opportunity to be mentored by Paul, a nine-time All-Star who averaged 15.6 points and 8.2 assists last season. He has worked with Paul since joining the Thunder, but wouldn't share all that he has learned.

"Some of the things I like to keep a secret," he said, laughing. "I've learned a lot from him in terms of thinking the game, angles, things like that. He's obviously a really good player. He's been a really good player for a really long time, and a guy that I looked up to growing up. I'll continue to learn from him as long as I get to."

The Thunder have a slew of draft picks for future years, and Gilgeous-Alexander, just 21, could be a key building block.

"I think where Shai is today is not close to where ultimately he's going to be," Presti said last month. "But we have to be really patient with that process. But he's got great tools, and he'll have to follow the same track that a lot of these other players have, but we think he has a bright future."

Danilo Gallinari, a key piece who helped the Clippers reach the playoffs last season, also joined the Thunder in the Paul George deal. The forward averaged career highs of 19.8 points and 6.1 rebounds per game last season and made 43.3 percent of his 3-pointers.

"Really skilled," Gilgeous-Alexander said. "Competitive as well, and even a better guy. One of my vets from my rookie season, and I'm happy to have him still with me."

Gilgeous-Alexander looks forward to working with Steven Adams, a 7-foot center who averaged 13.9 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Thunder last season while shooting nearly 60 percent from the field.

"Honestly, he was very annoying," he said. "His screens are rock -- very annoying to get over. Having him on my side of the playing field will be a lot better this year."

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Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CliffBruntAP

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The Houston Astros denied a reporter access to Justin Verlander's media availability following the team's 2-1 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Wednesday night.

Detroit Free Press writer Anthony Fenech was not allowed to attend Verlander's postgame session with reporters, Astros vice president of communications Gene Dias told the newspaper. Verlander refused to speak to any reporters with Fenech in attendance.

Verlander tweeted Thursday morning that he refused to talk to Fenech "because of his unethical behavior in the past," saying the newspaper has not engaged with him on the issue.

Although I tried to avoid this situation altogether, I've still reached out to @freep multiple times today with no response. They're still not interested in my side of the story.

— Justin Verlander (@JustinVerlander) August 22, 2019

The Astros said in a statement released Thursday afternoon that their decision was made "after taking into consideration the past history" between Fenech and Verlander and "Verlander's legitimate concerns about past interactions with Fenech, and the best interests of the other media members working the game. We chose to prioritize these factors when making this decision.

"Fenech was allowed access to the clubhouse shortly after other media members and had the opportunity to approach Verlander or any player he needed. We believe that our course of action in this isolated case was appropriate."

The Astros opened their clubhouse at 9:35 p.m. As the rest of the media was allowed to enter, Fenech, who has a credential issued by the Baseball Writers' Association of America, was stopped by three Astros security officials.

Fenech contacted MLB vice president of communications Mike Teevan and was allowed in at 9:41 p.m., after Verlander had concluded his media session. Fenech approached Verlander, who said: "I'm not answering your questions.''

"Blocking a working reporter from doing his job is unprofessional, disappointing and intolerable," Free Press executive editor Peter Bhatia said. "We will be protesting to MLB and the Astros."

Free Press sports editor Chris Thomas also tweeted that neither he nor his reporter has heard from Verlander. Thomas added that he is "more than happy" to speak with Verlander about the conflict.

Hey, @JustinVerlander: I would like to know who you have contacted @freep about telling your side of the story. My reporter has not heard from you directly, nor have I.
My email is listed on the article we published last night.

I am more than happy to speak with you about it. https://t.co/vAbN86rNfY

— Chris Thomas (@ByChrisThomas) August 22, 2019

Verlander had made his displeasure with Fenech known at least twice before Wednesday night. He refused to talk to reporters with Fenech in attendance on Tuesday, and Dias told the writer before Wednesday's game that Verlander didn't want him at his postgame session.

MLB released a statement Thursday afternoon saying Fenech should have been allowed in the clubhouse.

"Per our Club-Media Regulations, the reporter should have been allowed to enter the clubhouse postgame at the same time as the other members of the media," MLB said. "We have communicated this to the Astros."

BWAA president Rob Biertempfel of The Athletic said the organization was "alarmed'' by the incident.

"This action by the Astros violated the MLB club-media regulations, which are laid out in the collective bargaining agreement, and the BBWAA expects MLB to respond accordingly and promptly,'' he said Thursday.

Verlander pitched for the Tigers from 2005 to '17, when he was moved to Houston at the waiver trade deadline. Fenech has been the Tigers' beat writer for the Free Press since 2015.

The Tigers scored the largest MLB upset in 15 seasons after being listed as plus-435 underdogs. Verlander took the loss after allowing two runs on two hits with 11 strikeouts in a complete-game effort.

The Astros are heavy favorites again Thursday, listed at minus-500 odds at Caesars Sportsbook.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

BALTIMORE -- Somewhere, the Cincinnati Reds are toasting.

On Thursday at Camden Yards, the Baltimore Orioles surrendered their 259th home run of 2019, breaking a tie with the 2016 Reds for most homers allowed by a team in a single season.

The record-breaking bomb came in the top of the third inning of Baltimore's game against the Tampa Bay Rays when Austin Meadows sent a 1-2 curveball from O's starter Asher Wojciechowski just barely over the out-of-town scoreboard in right field for his 22nd dinger of the season.

A former first-round pick of the Toronto Blue Jays in 2010, Wojciechowski came into the contest having allowed 12 homers in 49 innings. He surrendered another solo shot in the fifth, to Willy Adames.

Entering play Thursday, the Orioles were on pace to yield 329 home runs. With power numbers up across Major League Baseball, Baltimore isn't the only team that has been giving up homers at a record rate. Through Wednesday's games, the Seattle Mariners, Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies were all on target to surpass the 2016 Reds.

Nearly a quarter of Baltimore's historic 2019 total has come against the division rival Yankees. In 19 games against New York, Orioles pitchers surrendered 61 home runs, shattering the mark for most allowed to one team in a single season.

This season, 3.7% of all MLB plate appearances have resulted in home runs, up from 3.0% a year ago. Compared to 2014, when the leaguewide rate was 2.3%, home runs have increased by roughly 60%. If the current rate holds throughout the rest of the season, it would break the all-time single-season record of 3.3%, set during the 2017 campaign.

The rebuilding Orioles began play on Thursday in last place in the American League East, owners of a 41-86 record that was second worst in the majors. Their team ERA of 5.89 was the highest in baseball by nearly half a run.

Major League Baseball has banned all affiliated players from participating in the Venezuela winter league this season, a response intended to comply with President Donald Trump's embargo against the country's Nicolas Maduro-led government.

"MLB has been in contact with the relevant government agencies regarding the Executive Order issued by President Trump on Venezuela," the league said in a statement. "MLB will fully adhere to the policies implemented by our government. With respect to the Venezuela Winter League, MLB will suspend its involvement in that league until it receives direction from the relevant agencies that participation by affiliated players is consistent with the Executive Order."

The potential repercussions of the prohibition, which prevents major league and minor league players from joining the 75-year-old Liga Venezolana de Beísbol Profesional (LVBP), could be significant. Multiple sources told ESPN they feared the ban would warp the heretofore strong bond between MLB and Venezuela and spawn a situation similar to that of Cuba, another embargoed country whose complicated relationship with the league has festered for decades.

Dozens of affiliated players either return home to Venezuela or travel there annually to play winter ball, as many supplement paltry minor league incomes with low- to mid-five-figure sums to play in a 63-game season. The LVBP, whose champion participates with those from the Dominican, Puerto Rican, Mexican, Cuban and Panamanian leagues in the annual Caribbean Series, is sponsored by Petróleos de Venezuela, S.A. (PDVSA), the country's state-run oil company, according to sources.

The murkiness of the LVBP's link to a government-run business spurred MLB to consider the ban and consult with the Major League Baseball Players Association, according to sources. The fear, sources said, is that players agreeing to deals with a government-affiliated entity -- or agents consummating the deals -- would run afoul of the Aug. 5 executive order, which banned any such transactions.

Venezuela, once a bustling economic power in Latin America, has plunged into crisis, with widespread food and medicine shortages, millions of refugees leaving the country and toxic political infighting. The U.S. recognizes Juan Guaidó, the leader of the opposition, as president instead of Maduro, who remains in power.

One consequence of MLB's plan, sources said, could be Maduro retaliating by banning the league from signing amateur players in Venezuela. The country has proved to be a hotbed of talent, with Atlanta Braves outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr., Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve, Chicago Cubs catcher Willson Contreras and New York Yankees second baseman Gleyber Torres among the 95 Venezuela-born players who have logged major league time this season.

In recent years, as the economic strife worsened, teams shut down academies in Venezuela and consolidated their Latin American operations in the Dominican Republic. Top Venezuelan prospects have begun following suit, according to sources. Some of the best 12- and 13-year-old players in the country have moved with their families to the Dominican Republic in anticipation of signing with major league teams at age 16, sources said.

While all of the concerns about the executive order could be mollified by an agreement between the United States and Venezuela -- both countries on Thursday acknowledged recent back channel discussions -- MLB's desire to abide by it comes at a moment when the league's international dealings have been under scrutiny.

The Trump administration in April scuttled a deal between MLB and the Cuban government that would have allowed Cuban players to sign directly with the league instead of taking the circuitous and dangerous paths offered by traffickers. The Department of Justice continues a wide-ranging investigation into baseball's Latin American business -- including deals for Cuban defectors -- that sources said have targeted a number of teams, including the Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres.

MLB this week contacted the Office of Foreign Assets Control, the U.S. Treasury department that imposes economic sanctions, seeking clarity on the executive order, according to a source. Teams expect to continue to sign amateur players as long as Venezuela does not prohibit it, believing that doing so would not breach the executive order because individual teenage players are not under the Venezuelan government's purview.

Whether that legal argument holds up is unclear and part of the complications caused by the embargo. While a number of major league and minor league players planned to compete in the LVBP, contracts are not typically agreed upon until September and October. With no affiliated players allowed, Luis Amaro, the general manager for the Aguilas del Zulia, said he expected Venezuela natives playing in the Mexican and Italian leagues this summer to fill out the rosters.

Until then, MLB and the MLBPA can only wait to see the consequences of the potential action. The lockdown of the Venezuelan talent pool, while not crippling, would significantly hinder the talent base in the minor leagues, where hundreds of Venezuelans play. The lack of a winter option for young players in Venezuela concerned one agent, who said LVBP helps keep players out of trouble when they return home. Another agent, who expected multiple clients to make up for below-minimum-wage minor league salaries by playing in Venezuela, said he hopes clients still can get jobs in the Dominican, Mexican or Puerto Rican leagues.

Reports that the world 100m No.1 has recorded three ‘whereabouts failures’ in 12 months

He has been the world’s fastest 100m man for the past three years but American sprinter Christian Coleman was hitting the headlines for the wrong reasons on Thursday following reports of “an alleged series of missed drugs tests”.

According to British newspaper the Daily Mail, Coleman “is disputing one of three whereabouts failures in the last 12 months”.

World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) rules require athletes to submit their whereabouts for one hour every day, plus overnight accommodation and training information, in case they are needed for out-of-competition testing.

The United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) website states: “Any cumulation of three Missed Tests or Filing Failures in a 12-month period can result in a potential ADRV (Anti-Doping Rule Violation) and a period of ineligibility of up to two years for a first violation.”

In a report for MailOnline, Matt Lawton writes: “It is understood there are high level ongoing discussions between WADA, USADA and the IAAF’s Athletics Integrity Unit about the case, with Coleman’s own legal team disputing at least one of the alleged whereabouts violations.

“There appears to be an issue because while all tests fall under WADA’s Anti-Doping Administration Management System, at least two different testing bodies are thought to be involved.”

Coleman, who has run 9.81 for 100m this year and broke the 60m indoor world record with 6.34 last year, had been due to compete at the Müller Grand Prix in Birmingham on Sunday but withdrew and in a statement said: “As a result of complications occurring after practice this week, I must limit my competition schedule going forward. Being totally prepared to compete in the 100m, 200m and 4x100m relay at World Championships has to be my primary goal.”

USA Track & Field and the Athletics Integrity Unit have not yet responded to AW‘s requests for comment.

The best of Britain’s athletes are preparing to do battle for world championships places and UK titles. Here are some of the many clashes to keep an eye out for this weekend

Will Francis be fastest?

Zharnel Hughes has been in the best form this season so far, hoping to reclaim his British title that he last won in his first British Athletics Championships in 2015 over 200m.

Although he has been undisputedly the fastest over 100m this season, Miguel Francis goes into Birmingham as the quickest Brit this year over 200m following a highly-impressive 19.97 at London’s Müller Anniversary Games.

READ MORE: Miguel Francis aims for more after making his mark

Beyond Hughes and Francis, Adam Gemili has slowly but surely been getting back into the groove of things with a world qualifying standard at the Müller Anniversary Games over 100m courtesy of a time of 10.04. The 200m time has yet to come, but the sub-20 man seems to be getting fitter every race.

And don’t rule out Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake. The championship record holder after winning in 2017, Mitchell-Blake also won the title in 2018 before going on to win European silver in Berlin. In 2019, he’ll have extremely stiff opposition standing between him and a hat-trick of successive titles.

Dobbin defends

In the women’s 200m, Beth Dobbin emerged on the elite stage at last year’s championships and will look to defend her title in a competitive field. She comes in fresh from a personal best and Scottish record run of 22.50 at the Müller Anniversary Games, with the time ranking her ahead of closest rivals for this coming weekend, Jodie Williams and Ashleigh Nelson.

Williams herself is excelling over the rare double of 200m and 400m. Holding both qualifying standards and running a big personal best in the 400m, her return to form makes for an intriguing 200m this year with the title very much up for grabs given that Dina Asher-Smith is only racing over the 100m.

Completing the trio that spearhead the field, City of Stoke’s Ashleigh Nelson has been a staple of relay teams in previous years, last competing for GB&NI in Zurich at the European Championships in 2014 where she won gold with the 4x100m relay team as well as bronze in the individual event.

Nelson’s success has primarily come in the 100m, but she has excelled over 200m this season with a lifetime best of 22.85 – however, she has never competed at a British Championships over the distance.

Will Wightman get the better of Grice again?

Charlie Da’Vall Grice (pictured, top) has laid down one of the fastest times this season after clocking a 3:30.62 in Monaco last month to leap to fourth on the British all-time list.

He goes in as the fastest by a margin in the men’s 1500m ahead of Scottish duo Jake Wightman and Josh Kerr. In theory that should make him the favourite, but in head-to-heads with Wightman, including two international championships, the Scotsman has come out on top.

Wightman is the most decorated athlete in the field after taking bronze at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships last year, with his ever-growing reputation as a championship racer meaning he shouldn’t be ruled out for the title.

Kerr is the least experienced of the three but shouldn’t be written off. The 1500m NCAA record-holder, Kerr is regarded as one of the best middle-distance athletes ever to grace the American collegiate system.

He has shown glimpses of brilliance at the championships before, but this is the year where he is no longer an underdog – he’s now one of the favourites.

Irozuru leading the way

The women’s long jump sees Abigail Irozuru lead the way fresh from her qualifying mark jump of 6.75m last Sunday at the Müller Grand Prix Birmingham, with the mark her second-best ever behind her PB of 6.80m from 2012.

This weekend’s #MullerBritishChamps long jump sees @Airozuru lead the way, fresh from her 6.75m @IAAFDoha2019 qualifying mark at the @BirminghamDL, where she spoke with AW. See today’s mag for Grand Prix coverage & UK Champs preview (with more video interviews in our digital mag) pic.twitter.com/APxqD4fiFM

— AW (@AthleticsWeekly) August 22, 2019

Championship record-holder Lorraine Ugen is looking for the standard, as is British record-holder Shara Proctor, with the latter’s season’s best mark just 4cm shy of the 6.72m Doha qualifying mark.

Ever the championship performer, Jazmin Sawyers certainly isn’t to be discounted, either, with her personal best of 6.86m last year seeing her make the European Championships, where she finished fourth.

Two-lap tussle

The women’s 800m this year is stacked with six athletes currently holding the qualifying standard. Lynsey Sharp is heading into the championships in incredibly strong form, her win in London last month in 1:58.61 putting her among the top 10 in the world this year.

Shelayna Oskan-Clarke will give Sharp a run for her money, though. The champion from both 2016 and 2017 has delivered when it matters in recent years with European indoor gold (2019), world indoor bronze (2018) and European indoor silver (2017) to build an impressive haul of international medals.

Alexandra Bell has yet to win a British vest for a major championship, but has an opportunity after a solid performance for third place behind Sharp at the Müller Anniversary Games in a lifetime best of 1:59.82, the second sub-2 time of her career.

Williams wants more

The men’s triple jump sees Ben Williams face British stalwart Nathan Douglas. Williams has had a breakthrough year, gaining the world and Olympic qualifying mark in Bydgoszcz this month, emulating performances that Douglas is used to. The world youth champion from 10 years ago has had a bit of a late bloom as an elite athlete but will use the British Championships as a good warm-up for the World Championships.

At 36, Douglas is still jumping impressive distances. His season’s best of 16.88m is just 7cm shy of the world qualifying standard. Given Williams has only recently captured the mark, that could well spur Douglas on to achieving the same feat in a genuine head-to-head.