Faith Kipyegon for third WR of the season at Monaco EBS Herculis DL

MONACO (MON): EBS Herculis offers on Friday a World mile record by Faith Kipyegon and Scandinavian stars Karsten Warholm and Mondo Duplantis. Another highlight should be Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone in the 400 m and Gabby Thomas vs. Shericka Jackson in the 200 m. Fast men 5000 m is also planned, as is Jaydon Hibbert´s European debut within the DL circuit in the triple jump. Yulimar Rojas is late long jump addition.

Event-by-event short previews

Women

200m – US champion and world leader Gabby Thomas goes head-to-head with world champion and Jamaican champion Shericka Jackson. They have season bests of 21.60 and 21.71, respectively. Could Merlene Ottey’s long-standing meeting record of 21.77 fall?

400m – US champion and world leader Sydney McLauglin-Levrone takes on three athletes who have also broken 50 seconds this year, including Ireland’s Rhasidat Adeleke (49.20). Can Mary Moraa improve on her 50.38 Kenyan record?

Mile – Having broken the world’s 1500m and 5000m records in 2023, can Faith Kipyegon break the world mile record? Sifan Hassan (4:12.33) set it on this track in 2019.

100m hurdles – Expect a US clash between Kendra Harrison (12.35), Alaysha Johnson (12.37), and Nia Ali (12.37).

Long jump – In-form Larissa Iapichino takes on seven-meter-plus performers Tara Davis-Woodhall (7.07m), Ackelia Smith (7.08m), and world indoor champion Ivana Vuleta. Yulimar Rojas makes her long jump debut for 2023.

High jump – Another clash is expected between Yaroslava Mahuchikh and Nicola Olyslagers, who have cleared 2.02m this year. World champion Eleanor Patterson continues her comeback from injury.

Men

100m – Ferdinand Omanyala (9.84) takes on four other sub-10-second athletes, including Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake and Courtney Lindsey from the USA, both of whom have run 9.89 this year. Akani Simbine is the Silesia winner.

800m – Wide open race features world leader Emmanuel Wanyonyi (1:43.27), Canada’s Marco Arop (1:43.30), and in-form Algerians Slimane Moula (1:43.38) and Djamel Sedjati (1:43.40).

5000m – Incredible field features Ethiopians Berihu Aregawi (12:40.45), Telahun Haile Bekele (12:46.21), and Hagos Gebrhiwet (12:49.80) up against Uganda’s Jacob Kiplimo (12:41.73). But could Mohamed Katir (12:52.09) spoil the party?

3000m steeplechase – A big opportunity with Lamecha Girma and Soufiane El Bakkali both absent. Kenya’s Abraham Kibiwott is the fastest, with 8:05.51. Can Conseslus Kipruto find some of his old forms?

400m hurdles – How fast will Karsten Warholm run? What sort of shape is Alison Dos Santos in after injury? Warholm’s meeting record of 47.08 should be vulnerable.

Triple jump – World U20 champion Jaydon Hibbert, who has jumped 17.87m this year, makes his European debut. The field also includes world indoor record-holder Hugues Fabrice Zango, who jumped 17.81m this year.

Pole vault – Armand Duplantis is the natural favorite. The line-up also includes four other six meter-performers, including Ernest Obiena, who has cleared 6.00m this year.

Based on recent form, Javelin – Jakub Vadlejch (89.51m) and Julian Weber (88.72m) are the in-form athletes. Can world champion Anderson Peters improve on his 85.88m season’s best?