by Alfonz Juck
Ayana racing in Rabat, Dibaba in Pre, photo by PhotoRun.net
Merritt and Thompson for fast times
RABAT (MAR): LaShawn Merritt and Elaine Thompson are expected to clock fast times at the African IAAF Diamond League debut. Piotr Malachowski, Caterine Ibarguen and great men high jump are expected to be the technical highlights.
Event by event
MEN
200m – Alonso Edward starts as the favourite after finishing second in Doha
400m – LaShawn Merritt should dominate with James and Van Niekerk both absent.
800m – Top field assembled including world medallist Amel Tuka, Olympic silver medallist Nijel Amos plus Olympic 1500m champion Taoufik Makhloufi.
110m hurdles – With Jamaican stars Omar McLeod and Hansle Parchment absent, Orlando Ortega starts as the favourite but was DQ’d in Shanghai.
3000m steeplechase – Top Kenyans Jairus Birech, Conseslus Kipruto and Paul Kipsiele Koech compete while Mahiedine Mekhissi-Benabbad makes his comeback from injury.
High jump – Top three from the World Indoors will be in action (Tamberi, Grabarz, Kynard) along with former world champion and Shanghai DL winner Bohdan Bondarenko.
Long jump – World-leader Marquise Goodwin starts as favourite after jumping a world-leading 8.45m last weekend.
Discus – Top three from the World Championships (Malachowski, Milanov, Urbanek) are in the line-up along with former Olympic champion Gerd Kanter.
WOMEN
100m – Elaine Thompson is in great form with a windy 10.71 in Kingston. Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is a late scratch again.
800m – World champion Maryna Arzamasava opens her season. Excellent field also includes four more world finalists (Sum, Arrafi, Oskan-Clarke, Lamote), plus world indoor champion Francine Niyonsaba and world-leader Caster Semenya.
5000m – Almaz Ayana won the 3000m in Doha in a world-leading 8:23.11. She should smash the world-lead of 14:46.61.
400m hurdles – Cassandra Tate vs. Kemi Adekoya for the win.
Triple jump – Another head-to-head between Caterine Ibarguen and Yulimar Rojas is anticipated after a great contest in Doha.
Javelin – Kathryn Mitchell arrives fresh from a 64.37m win in Beijing and also finished second in Doha. European silver medallist Tatjana Mirkovic (nee Jelaca) returns from maternity leave.
Pole vault – Yarisley Silva, Ekaterini Stefanidi and Nicole Bucher are the favourites with Sandi Morris likely out.
Shot put – Valerie Adams is back in form with a 19.52m season’s best but will be challenged by world indoor silver medallist Anita Marton.
