Kipyegon and Duplantis to grace Diamond League Opener in Shanghai !

Kipyegon and Duplantis to grace DL opener

SHANGHAI (CHN): The opening meeting of this year’s Wanda Diamond League season takes place tomorrow in Shanghai / Keiqao, with many of the sport’s greatest stars competing, including Mondo Duplantis, Faith Kipyegon, Karsten Warholm, and many more. All three of the above-mentioned could attack the respective world records. Two men’s events feature 7 out of the Top 10 athletes in WA ranking, pole vault and discus, while the women’s shot put features the top 6 throwers. Other expected highlights include a battle of global champions in the women’s short hurdles and a US-African clash in the men’s 100m. World-leading research is anticipated in most disciplines. The main session at the China Textile City Sports Center starts at 19:04 local time (11:04 GMT). The Diamond League started in 2010, and the Shanghai meet is the opener for the first time.

Short event-by-event previews

Women

200m: Shericka Jackson and Sha’Carri Richardson open their 200m seasons in Shanghai and face returning Shaunae Miller-Uibo, World Championship medallist Amy Hunt, in-shape Jenna Prandini, among others. MR 22.06 is under threat.

400m: Salwa Eid Naser opens her international season and will race against Jamaican duo Nickisha Pryce and Stacey Ann Williams, Roxana Gomez of Cuba, Martina Weil of Chile, and Aaliyah Butler of the United States, amongst others. Also, here, MR 49.63 could be broken.

1500m: World Championship silver and bronze medallists Dorcas Ewoi and Jess Hull face large Ethiopian (Birke Haylom, Saron Behre, and Worknesh Mesele) and Australian (Claudia Hollingsworth, Linden Hall, Sarah Billings, and Abbey Caldwell) contingents.

5000m (non-DL): Taking place prior to the main two-hour program, Faith Kipyegon is expected to attack the World Record. The former World Record holder (14:05.20) is quickest in the field with Medina Eisa, Aynadis Mebratu, and Chaltu Dida, all of Ethiopia, also running with sub-14:30.00 PBs. Brit Melissa Courtney-Bryant is the sole European entrant. MR is not that easy (14:14.32) and WL for sure.

3000m steeple: Reigning World champion Faith Cherotich leads the field; former Olympic and World champions Peruth Chemutai and Norah Jeruto are ready to challenge her. The line-up also includes fast Tunisian Marwa Bouzayani, while the leading Europeans are Alice Finot and Courtney Wayment.

100m hurdles: A notably strong field features World Champion Ditaji Kambundji, Olympic Champion Masai Russell, two-time World Champion Danielle Williams, World Record holder Tobi Amusan, and three-time World Indoor Champion Devynne Charlton. Also in the field are Megan Simmonds, Tonea Marshall, Ackera Nugent, and Yanni Wu. This field can improve 12.42 MR.

Long jump: Champion of the last two Diamond League Finals, Larissa Iapichino, opens her summer campaign against world leader Lex Brown, Monae Nichols, Claire Bryant, and Natalia Linares, among others.

Shot put: Reigning Olympic, World, and World Indoor champions, Yemisi Mabry (née Ogunleye), Jessica Schilder, and Chase Jackson, as well as two-time World Indoor champion Sarah Mitton, lead the field. Fanny Roos, Maggie Ewen, Jaida Roos, and Zhang Linru complete the top 10 line-up.

Men

100m: Reigning 200m Olympic Champion Letsile Tebogo, South Africa’s Akani Simbine, and Kenyan Ferdinand Omanyala compete against American trio Christian Coleman, Trayvon Bromell, and Kenny Bednarek. All men in the field have PBs under 10.00; Australia’s Lachlan Kennedy is the slowest with 9.96.

800m: Seven men inside 1:44.00 compete with Wyclife Kinyamal, fastest by PB and MR holder 1:43.91 from 2018. Many have competed this year already, but France’s Yanis Meziane and American Brandon Miller open their season in Shanghai.

3000m: A large field contests the 3000m, including Sweden’s Andreas Almgren, Jacob Krop of Kenya, compatriot Timothy Cheruiyot stepping up from his usual 1500m, Birhanu Balew of Bahrain, and Getnet Wale, who leads a large Ethiopian contingent and has the fastest PB in the field (7:24.98). MR 7:36.36 should go.

110m hurdles: World Champion Cordell Tinch (last year here, his 12.87 PB) faces Enrique Llopis, Orlando Bennett, world leader Rachid Muratake, and Jamal Britt, amongst others.

300m hurdles: Karsten Warholm looks to better his World Best of 32.67 in a race that includes Alison dos Santos, Kyron McMaster, Caleb Dean (in his 300m hurdles debut), and WL holder over 400 m hurdles Trevor Bassitt. MR for sure as held for the first time.

Pole vault: Mondo Duplantis opens his outdoor season, looking to continue on his success from indoors, including a new World Record of 6.31m at the Mondo Classic. A strong field includes World Championship silver and bronze medallists Emmanouil Karalis and Kurtis Marschall, American Sam Kendricks, and European Indoor Champion Menno Vloon. Late withdrawal is Sondre Guttormsen. Mondo thinks more than 611 MR.

Long jump (non-DL): Mattia Furlani headlines the field but faces four men with PBs in excess of his 8.39m (Tajay Gayle, Bozhidar Saraboyukov, Yohao Shi, and Wayne Pinnock, who opens his season). All men competing have jumped at least 8.17m.

Discus throw: Reigning World Champion Daniel Stahl is joined by Olympic Champion Roje Stona, plus Australia’s Matthew Denny and Germany’s Steven Richter, who have both thrown over 74.00m this season. World Championship bronze medallists Alex Rose and Kristjan Čeh, and British Record holder Lawrence Okoye, also compete. One of the oldest meet records, 69.69 by Zoltan Kovago from 2010, is expected to improve.