For most of the last decade, the Doha Diamond League was the opening meet in the Diamond League series of elite one-day meetings. Doha is meet two in 2021, but after Gateshead, most of the fields are looking forward to some warm and clear weather.
Doha DL, photo by Diamond League AG
I visited Doha DL at least six times and have enjoyed each visit. The pressers are always fun, and used to be held in a local shopping center. The meet always had an enthusiastic crowd and some amazing in-shape athletes.
What will 2021 showcase? A big men’s 400m hurdles race, a huge women’s 1,500m race, and everything else in between.
Issue is, in 2021, Qatar will not allow media into the country who are not already in-country. Covid strikes again.
As it was, Doha DL, prob 2017, photo by Diamond League AG/CSM
Samba vs Benjamin, Rojas in WR shape
DOHA (QAT): Entry-lists for the Doha Diamond League on Friday have been released. World champion and home favorite Mutaz Essa Barshim faces world leader Ilya Ivanyuk and Maksim Nedasekau from Belarus in the high jump while fellow home favorite Abderrahman Samba makes his season’s debut in the 400m hurdles against fellow sub-47 second performer Rai Benjamin. Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas competes in the triple jump fresh from approaching the world record with 15.43m in Andujar while the women’s pole vault (Sidorova, Morris, Stefanidi) and discus (Perez, Caballero, Perkovic) both feature all three medallists from the World Championships. The last three world champions compete in the women’s 3000m steeplechase (Kiyeng, Coburn, Chepkoech) and Sha’Carri Richardson and Elaine Thompson-Herah are due to go head-to-head in the women’s 100m. Another anticipated highlight is the women’s 800m featuring Olympic 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon and in-form Brit Keely Hodgkinson.
