The main international track and field competition for the United Kingdom that year was the 1989 IAAF World Cup, where the men's team competed and women competed as part of the European team. Reflecting the secondary nature of the UK event, most of the individual British medallists at the World Cup did not compete here. Among those that did were Colin Jackson (hurdles runner-up), Stewart Faulkner (long jump bronze medallist), Jonathan Edwards (triple jump bronze medallist) and Steve Backley (javelin champion).