by Alfonz JuckThe Pre Classic begins tomorrow evening. I missed few over the past four decades. But, this year, I will be watching from the comfort of my living room. Here’s EME News predictions on how the meet will go, event by event.
Barshim vs Lysenko, Taylor vs Claye, Walsh vs Crouser and much more
EUGENE (USA): The 44th edition of Prefontaine Classic will be proud part of 2018 IAAF Diamond League due to top fields and superb clashes in most of the events. Big two days programme will have in every event Olympic or World gold medalists and World leadings marks 2018 will be in danger in several events. It will be tougher with meet records as Hayward Field already produced some remarkable performances in the history of the meet. On the men side two miles, javelin and also shot putters are in the shape, in women events some chances in pole vault and 800 m. Friday evening will have only men´s javelin as part of DL, but also top men´s 800 m, 2 miles and pole vault.
Event by event short previews
Men
100m (non-DL) – World indoor 60m champion Christian Coleman makes his outdoor season’s debut while Reece Prescod will be looking for back-to-back wins after Shanghai. Justin Gatlin is a late withdrawal due to a hamstring tightness.
200m – Noah Lyles is looking for back-to-back Diamond League wins after 19.83 in Doha. World champion Ramil Guliyev and Commonwealth champion Jereem Richards also compete. Coleman is not running at the end of the day.
800m (non-DL) – Three of the top four from the World Championships (Kszczot, Bett and Langford) compete, along with Commonwealth champion and Shanghai winner Wycliffe Kinyamal and meeting record-holder Nijel Amos with 1:43.63.
Mile International (non-DL) – Former Commonwealth champion James Magut (3:49.43 PB) could become the 400th athlete to break the four minute barrier in the mile at the Prefontaine Classic.
Mile Bowerman (non-DL) – Meeting concludes with the Bowerman Mile featuring world champion and silver medallist Elijah Manangoi and Timothy Cheruiyot, plus Olympic 1500m champion Matt Centrowitz and world indoor 1500m champion Samuel Tefera.
Two miles (non-DL) – World 5000m champion Muktar Edris faces Kenya’s Edward Cheserek who makes his outdoor debut after a superb indoor season.
110m hurdles – World and Olympic champion Omar McLeod faces former world champion Sergey Shubenkov and Spain’s Orlando Ortega, who was a close second to McLeod in Shanghai.
3000m steeplechase – Top three from the World Championships will be in action (Kipruto, El Bakkali, Jager). Meeting record of 8:01.71 could be vulnerable.
High jump – Expect a World Indoor Championships rematch with Mutaz Essa Barshim set to face Danil Lysenko.
Pole vault (non-DL) – Nearly all of the top names will be in action, including reigning global champions Thiago Braz, Sam Kendricks and Renaud Lavillenie, plus European indoor champion Piotr Lisek and world U20 record-holder Armand Duplantis.
Triple jump – Christian Taylor and Will Claye head the entry-list although Brazil’s Almir Dos Santos could challenge after opening his outdoor season with a 17.53m PB.
Shot put – Tom Walsh and Ryan Crouser headline an excellent field. Brazil’s Darlan Romani, who has improved to 21.94m, could also surprise.
Javelin – Line-up is headed by the 90m-plus German trio of Thomas Rohler, Johannes Vetter and Andreas Hofmann and Czech world medallists Petr Frydrych and Jakub Vadlejch. The meeting record of 87.37m should be improved upon.
Women
100m – Excellent line-up includes world champion Tori Bowie, Olympic champion Elaine Thompson, European champion Dafne Schippers, world indoor champion Murielle Ahoure and world-leader Marie-Josee Ta Lou.
400m – Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo runs her first 400m of the year. She faces Allyson Felix and world champion Phyllis Francis.
800m – Caster Semenya should challenge Francine Niyonsaba’s meeting record of 1:56.72. Niyonsaba also competes, along with global medallists Ajee’ Wilson and Margaret Wambui.
1500m – Laura Muir makes her outdoor debut while world silver medallist Jenny Simpson runs her first 1500m of the year.
5000m – Genzebe Dibaba opens her outdoor season after a 1500/3000m double at the World Indoor Championships. World champion Hellen Obiri also competes but was well beaten over 3000m in Doha.
400m hurdles – Just 0.01 separated Dalilah Muhammad and Janieve Russell in Shanghai. Zuzana Hejnova makes her season’s debut.
Pole vault – World indoor champion Sandi Morris will be looking for back-to-back wins on the Diamond League circuit. Katerina Stefanidi also competes while Anzhelika Sidorova makes her outdoor season’s debut. Expect the meeting record of 4.72m to fall.
