Thompson-Herah, Coleman, Richardson, Crouser, Duplantis… The Diamond League will bear its name well in Eugene: with rare exceptions, the current gems of athletics, especially in the 100m, will participate in the meeting on Saturday in the Oregon, where the Worlds will take place in July.
Apart from the Italian Olympic champion Marcell Jacobs, package due to a strain, without knowing which muscle, the straight on the track at Hayward Field will be five stars, with the other medalists in Tokyo last summer, the American Fred Kerley (silver) and Canadian Andre De Grasse (bronze).
There will also be Christian Coleman, reigning world champion, author of a timid return (10 sec 09), on May 8 in Tokyo, during his first race over the distance since his 18-month suspension for breaches of his whereabouts obligations.
Erriyon Knighton, who at just 18 years old became the fourth fastest man in 200m history (19 sec 49/100th) in Baton Rouge earlier this month, could become the first high school student to run under 10 seconds.
Also involved are Noah Lyles, reigning world champion in the half-lap, who finished first in the Diamond League over 100m in 2019, or Trayvon Bromell, who ran in 9.75 during a meeting in Florida on May 1.
The women’s 100m will also look great, with two-time Olympic champion Elaine Thompson-Herah as the favourite. The Jamaican remains on a victory in Kingston last Saturday, two days after withdrawing from the Diamond League stage scheduled for the same day in Birmingham, England, due to a shoulder injury.
Still far from her best level – her reference time this year (10.89) is quite far from the ERA achieved by her rival Shelly-Ann Fraser-Price (10.67) who will run the 200m -, Thompson-Herah is supposed to ” reach his peak of form in Oregon”, nevertheless warned his trainer and husband Derron Herah to the media Sportsmax.
Her main rival will be the American Sha’Carri Richardson, even if she too is looking for her optimal form. The 22-year-old sprinter caused a sensation last year at the American Olympic trials, running in 10.64 (with the help of the wind) in the semi-finals before winning the final in 10.86. But she had been deprived of the Tokyo Games for smoking cannabis.
In the other events, Armand Duplantis, world record holder in the pole vault (6.20 m indoors) will try to do better than his mark of 6.15 m outdoors. His main rival will be the American Chris Nilsen, his runner-up in Tokyo, Renaud Lavillenie hoping to spoil the party for him. Will also be scrutinized Ryan Crouser, reigning double Olympic champion and world record holder in the shot put, the American Rai Benjamin, silver medalist in Tokyo in the 400m hurdles, or even Michael Norman, 4th performer of all time in the 400m Mr.
On the women’s side, the Puerto Rican Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, reigning Olympic champion and the American Kendra Harrison, silver medalist, will meet for a duel in the 100m hurdles. The women’s 800m will feature American Athing Mu, Briton Keely Hodgkinson and American Raevyn Rogers who made up the Olympic podium in Tokyo. American Valarie Allman, reigning Olympic champion in the discus, and Faith Kipyegon, two-time reigning Olympic champion in the 1,500 meters, will also be in the spotlight.
