by Alfonz Juck
The Paris Diamond League is only twelve hours away, so here is the preview from our friends at EME News. Make sure you watch this meet!
Barshim, Lavillenie, McLeod, Thompson in new venue
PARIS (FRA): After a break the IAAF Diamond League is back. Meeting de Paris will be on Saturday held in a new venue, Stade de France will be replaced by Charlety Stadium (also will host European Championships 2020). Special will be 110 m hurdles staged to remember recently died founder of the meet Raymond Lorre. And the hurdles are having top field assembled along with high jump, javelin and women steeple. Female star of the meet is double Olympic winner Elaine Thompson. Special addition is men triathlon for Olympic medalist Kevin Mayer.
Event by event
Men
100m (non-DL) – Jamaica’s Julian Forte is the only sub-10 competitor based on season’s bests at 9.99 but Cuba’s Yunier Perez pushed Usain Bolt in Ostrava.
200m – Turkey’s Ramil Guliyev (20.08) and American Ameer Webb (20.09) are the fastest this season but Jamaica’s Rasheed Dwyer has the fastest PB at 19.80 and was 2nd at the trials.
800m – Wide open race includes a very strong Kenyan contingent such as world U20 champion Kipyegon Bett and DL winner Ferguson Rotich along with European Team Championships winner Thijmen Kupers (1:44.99).
3000m – Kenya’s Ronald Kwemoi is the favourite after winning this distance in Doha in 7:28.73 and the Kenyan 1500m Trials in 3:30.89. Other top names include Ethiopians Muktar Edris and Yomif Kejelcha and Morocco’s Abdelaati Iguider.
110m hurdles – Top field assembled including Olympic champion Omar McLeod who races for the first time since running a 12.90 world-lead at the Jamaican Championships. World champion Sergey Shubenkov and home favourite Garfield Darien, who ran 13.09 in Ostrava, also competing, but first heats to qualify for the finals.
High jump – Mutaz Essa Barshim starts as the favourite to extend his unbeaten streak. Former world champion Bogdan Bondarenko also competes. Sylwester Bednarek showed top shape in Ostrava.
Pole vault – Renaud Lavillenie will be looking to return to winning ways after a midweek defeat in Nancy but he will face a strong challenge from Sam Kendricks who cleared 6.00m at the US Championships.
Triple jump – Another head-to-head between Christian Taylor and Will Claye is expected.
Javelin – After a defeat at the European Team Championships, Thomas Rohler produced two 91m-plus throws in Ostrava. Teammate Johannes Vetter also competes along with Czech Jakub Vadlejch and in-form Tero Pitkamaki.
Triathlon (non-DL) – Olympic silver medallist Kevin Mayer headlines the triathlon which incorporates the javelin, 110m hurdles and long jump.
Women
100m – Will Elaine Thompson continue her sub-10.8 streak in Paris? Murielle Ahoure (10.83) and Morolake Akinosun (10.98) have also run sub-11 this year.
400m – Shericka Jackson is the fastest in the field after running 50.05 to win the Jamaican Championships.
1500m – Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon goes head-to-head with world-leader Sifan Hassan who has run 3:56.14 this season. Winny Chebet has also broken four minutes this year with 3:59.16.
3000m steeplechase – Ruth Jebet returns to Paris a year after setting the world record and she has said she aims to go faster. The line-up also includes world champion Hyvin Kiyeng, world U20 champion Celliphine Chespol, former Olympic champion Habiba Ghribi and Olympic bronze medallist Emma Coburn.
Shot put – China’s Gong Lijiao is the favourite for another Diamond League win.
