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St. Lucia’s sprint queen Julien Alfred, her American rival Sha’Carri Richardson and Olympic men’s 200m champion Letsile Tebogo will lead a host of stars from the Paris Games at the Diamond League final in Brussels on Friday and Saturday.
The meeting is the 14th and final in the elite circus of athletics and takes place just one month after the end of the Olympic Games.
AFP Sport takes a look at five standout events from a packed field that includes no fewer than 82 medallists from the Paris Games.
100m women
Sha’Carri Richardson beat Julien Alfred in Zurich and reversed the result of the Olympic final when the American took silver, just five hundredths behind the sprinter from St. Lucia.
Richardson, who was also part of the U.S. 4×100-meter relay team that won a gold medal in Paris, ran a complete race in Zurich, overtaking Alfred at the finish line.
“I don’t want to use the word revenge,” Alfred said on Wednesday about her argument with the American.
“I never race against anyone, I do it for myself and just want to finish the season in style. For the same reason, I don’t focus on times.”
“I am looking forward to traveling to Saint Lucia and celebrating with my country.”
Men’s pole vault
For Armand Duplantis, the conditions in the cold and wet Letzigrund Stadium in Zurich were anything but ideal. Added to this was the fact that he felt “broken” after defeating the 400-meter hurdles world champion Karsten Warholm in a 100-meter exhibition race.
Having improved his own world record to 6.26m in Silesia last month, the question is whether the stars will align for the US-born Swede and he will attempt to surpass that mark for perhaps the 11th time this season.
“I always say: pole vaulter, we have to appreciate him. He drives the whole sport forward and gets a lot of attention,” said American Sam Hendricks, who comes second every year, about Duplantis.
200 m, men
Botswana’s Letsile Tebogo coped well with the wet conditions in Switzerland, delivered a stunning finish with an outstanding time of 19.55 seconds and won ahead of the three strong Americans Kenny Bednarek, Erriyon Knighton and Fred Kerley.
Tebogo, only 21 years old, has had what everyone would consider an astonishing season. He has recovered from the death of his mother in May and is dominating the 200m, securing Botswana’s first Olympic gold medal in the event and also taking silver in the 100m behind the absent Noah Lyles.
Although he was not happy with his turn in Zurich, Tebogo said he would take a different approach in Brussels.
“I will be able to run an overall race like at the Olympics at the final of the Diamond League, because there is still more in me,” he vowed.
“It’s about taking risks. Without risk there is no reward, so I take all the risks I have.”
1500 m, women
Faith Kipyegon made history at the Paris Games when she became the first woman to win three consecutive Olympic gold medals in the 1,500m, crossing the finish line with a new Olympic record of 3 minutes and 51.29 seconds.
The 30-year-old, three-time world champion and world record holder, also won silver in the 5,000 m.
Her only appearance since her escapades in Paris was a victory in Rome, and you would have to be very brave to bet that the Kenyan will not be at the top of the podium again in Brussels.
1500 m, men
In Brussels, as in Zurich, there will almost be a repeat of the Olympic final in Paris.
Americans Cole Hocker and Yared Nuguse won in Paris and Zurich respectively.
Olympic silver medalist and reigning world champion Josh Kerr from Great Britain, Norwegian Jakob Ingebrigtsen and Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot were also present in Zurich.
“I think Brussels will be fun,” said Ingebrigtsen after his second place in Switzerland.
Hocker, Nuguse and Cheruiyot will be on the start line in Brussels alongside the new British road mile world record holder, Elliot Giles, while Kerr sits out.
schedule
Friday, September 13
Men: 100m, 400m, 1500m, 5000m, 110m hurdles, pole vault, long jump, discus
Women: 100m, 400m, 800m, 3,000m steeplechase, high jump, triple jump, discus throw, shot put
Saturday, September 14
Men: 200m, 800m, 3,000m steeplechase, 400m hurdles, high jump, triple jump, javelin throw, shot put
Women: 200m, 1500m, 5000m, 100m hurdles, 400m hurdles, pole vault, long jump, javelin throw
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