AREVA Paris 2014 Preview, from Alfons Juck/EME News: Lavillenie could be the first DR winner!

This handsome Frenchman is all over Paris, on buses, on bill boards, on posters. Renaud Lavillenie will be entertaining 50,000 of his fellow countrymen in the largest athletic event in France: The AREVA Paris Meeting, in the Stade de France!

Lavillenie could be the first DR winner

PARIS (FRA): 8th IAAF Diamond League meet of the season Areva in Paris is offering home stars in very good shape (Lavillenie, PML, Lemaitre, Bosse, Billaud) and some top duels like men 800 and 5000, women 1500 m and hurdles. In techical events nearly nobody is missing.

Event by event

Men

100 m: Thompson to confirm his recent improvement to 9.82. Rodgers and Ujah also clocked sub 10 this year. Spectators eyes on Lemaitre.

800 m: World champ at longer distance Kiprop against WL holder Amos, home star Bosse, Kaki is usual force, Y. Lopez fast in Norway.

5000 m: Kenya headed by C. Ndiku, Ethiopia by Alamirew, but do not forget Rupp. First sub 13 of the year is possible.

110mH (non-DL): PML to confirm Lausanne PB on home soil. New top name in the field Parchment comparing with Athletissima.

400 mH: Top two from Lausanne Culson and Tinsley against rested Flannery, Eaton and Dutch.

PV: Lavilllenie could as first with his win secure the Diamond Race 2014.

TJ: Claye in own league, behind him Taylor and Reve. Old timers Evora and Oprea. New WL would be also MR.

SP: Kovacs vs Storl top two in the World 2014. MR very possible (21.53).

JT: Vesely feels the shape, the same for Pitkamaki, is Ihab ready to repeat his Shanghai super throw?

Women

200 m: Okagbare for another win, superstars trying to find former shape (Felix, Shelly-Ann).

400 m: Sanya to clash with Montsho. But Novlene Williams-Mills is the top favorite after three DL wins this year.

1500 m: Aregawi vs Obiri, the top middle distance duel. Simpson with Hassan does not want to be too far away.

Steeple: Coburn to show Africans her shape again? MR should happen (9:28.81).

100mH: Fans for Billaud, but Harper, Harrison, Lolo and Porter looking better on paper. Pearson slowly back to shape. In good wind WL 12.53 very possible.

HJ: McPherson to confirm her two meters from Sacramento. Huge group to attack her, Croatian, Polish and Russian duos. Also Okuneva improved to 198.

LJ: Reese vs Bartoletta, but Lesueur is at home. Klishina and Spanovic not to be underestimated.

DT: Perkovic for fourth win in a row in the series. Lewis-Smallwood ready for surprise? MR looks for sure (65.53

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Larry Eder

Larry Eder has had a 51-year involvement in the sport of athletics. Larry has experienced the sport as an athlete, coach, magazine publisher, and now, journalist and blogger. His first article, on Don Bowden, America's first sub-4 minute miler, was published in RW in 1983. Larry has published several magazines on athletics, from American Athletics to the U.S. version of Spikes magazine. He currently manages the content and marketing development of the RunningNetwork, The Shoe Addicts, and RunBlogRun. Of RunBlogRun, his daily pilgrimage with the sport, Larry says: "I have to admit, I love traveling to far away meets, writing about the sport I love, and the athletes I respect, for my readers at runblogrun.com, the most of anything I have ever done, except, maybe running itself." Also does some updates for BBC Sports at key events, which he truly enjoys. Theme song: Greg Allman, " I'm no Angel."

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