Athletics
Siyabonga Mchunu, KweséESPN 7y

Africa to shine at Eugene Diamond League meet

Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui will be the stars of the African show, when they compete in the Women's 800m event at the Eugene Diamond League meeting on Saturday.

South Africa's Semenya, Burundi's Niyonsaba and Kenya's Wambui were all on the podium in Rio, and the expectation is that they will produce another thrilling contest in the United States this weekend.

Semenya has the edge, having recorded a victory at the Doha meeting earlier this year. Semenya is also the fastest runner in the field this weekend.

SHOT AT REDEMPTION

South African Akani Simbine is not in the 100m field this weekend, after recording an outstanding victory against a star-studded field in Doha earlier this year. That field included Andre De Grasse and Justin Gatlin. Gatlin finished fourth in that stunning race, while De Grasse had to be content with fifth.

The finishing positions were not great for either Olympian, but the times were not great either. They will want to set a few records straight this weekend.

THE QUEENS OF SPRINT

Ivorian Marie Josée Ta Lou will be the African interest in the Women's 200m event on Saturday, but the story will have very little to do with her this weekend. Ta Lou finished fourth in this event at the Summer Olympics, but the three women who beat her to the podium are all in Eugene for what is expected to be a thrilling showdown.

Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers was notoriously miffed by her Silver Medal in Rio and believes that she is the best sprinter in the world. She has an opportunity to convert the non-believers this weekend.

However, she will be up against it, as she competes against American Tori Bowie and Jamaican Elaine Thompson. Thompson and Bowie have recorded the fastest times in this weekend's field, and quite frankly they are way ahead of the field in 2017.

Thompson finished first in Doha. At this juncture, that probably doesn't matter though.

Also in this field is the golden girl of American sprint racing, Allyson Felix.

BRAZ, LAVILLENIE AND KENDRICKS - TAKE TWO

It's the Rio Olympics all over again in the Men's Pole Vault Event at the Eugene Diamond League meeting, as the entire podium features in a star-studded field on Saturday. Brazilian Gold Medalist Thiago Braz da Silva will lock horns with Frenchman Renaud Lavillenie and Olympic Bronze Medalist Sam Kendricks, from the United States.

All three jumpers have competed in 2017. None of the athletes in the Paul Vault Field have broken the psychological six-metre barrier this year. In fact, the best jumper in the field, on Saturday, is Sweden's Armand Duplantis, who recorded a height of 5.90 in Austin last month. Perhaps he will throw a spanner into the works.

Of the three Olympic medallists though, Kendricks is the one that has drawn first blood this season, following a dominant display in Shanghai earlier this year. Braz finished fourth in Shanghai, while Lavillenie finished second in the same event.

CLAYE RETURNS TO THE DIAMOND LEAGUE

Rio Gold Medalist Christian Taylor leads a star-studded field in the Men's Triple Jump event this weekend. He takes on compatriot and Olympic Silver Medalist Will Claye and China's Dong Bin. Of the three, Claye has been the forerunner this season, having recorded a jump of 17.40 at Baie Mahault just this month.

Eugene will be his first Diamond League stop for the season though. Taylor has competed in the Diamond League this season, when he finished first at Doha, with a jump of 17.25. Dong has not broken the 17m barrier this year.

ALI VS. CASTLIN

Seven of the women competing in the 100m hurdles event this weekend are from the United States, two of them were on the podium at the Rio Olympics.

Silver Medalist Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin will battle it out for top honours, in the absence of Gold Medalist Brianna Rollins this weekend.

This event won't just be about them though, as the entire field for this weekend, has produced compelling times. This is essentially an all-American event and it should prove to be an absolute ripper.

THE OLYMPIC FINAL THAT SHOULD HAVE BEEN

One of the major storylines at the Rio Olympics was the absence of Aries Merritt and David Oliver from the 110m Hurdles field. The Diamond League event at Eugene might not be an Olympic final, but it is certainly the race that the athletics fraternity should have had, the race that the athletics fraternity deserved at Rio.

Merritt and Oliver will be in the field this week, against the men who flourished in their absence at Rio. That list includes Olympic Gold Medalist Omar McLeod and Bronze Medalist Dimitri Bascou of France.

MERRITT ALL ON HIS OWN

Olympic Bronze Medalist LaShawn Merritt will have an opportunity to stamp his authority on the field this weekend, in the absence of South African sensation Wayde van Niekerk and Kirani James from the Men's 400m field.

It is a diluted field which features two Africans - Karabo Sibanda and Baboloki Thebe. The latter finished second at the Nassau IAAF World Relays earlier this year. Keep an eye on him.

Finally, Rio Silver Medalist Brittney Reese is the best jumper in the Women's Long Jump field this weekend. That field includes the woman who beat her in Brazil, and compatriot Tianna Bartoletta.

^ Back to Top ^