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There is much still up for grabs in the 13-meet Diamond League series, as it winds down with the 11th meet in Laussane this weekend.
World champion Noah Lyles and Michael Norman are expected to race in Lausanne. The two will face world championships bronze medallist Erriyon Knighton as well as Commonwealth Games champion Jereem Richards. They will be competing in the 200m event and hoping to earn enough points to qualify for the season finale in Zurich, Switzerland.
Sprints
Meanwhile, the women’s 200m for Zurich is pretty much a foregone conclusion. Those expected to compete in the final are world champion from Jamaica, Shericka Jackson, world and Olympic 400m gold medallist, Shaunae Miller-Uibo from the Bahamas, 2019 world champion Dina Asher-Smith from Great Britain, the European champion from Switzerland Mujinga Kambundji, and Olympic bronze medallist Gabby Thomas from the US.
For the sure bets of Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson-Herah of Jamaica in the 100m, they will very likely go 1-2. It may even be a Jamaican sweep with Shericka Jackson in the line-up, but anyone may grab bronze, as the field ranges 10.62 to 10.82 in terms of season bests. Athletes have had a long and competitive season. None more so than Fraser-Pryce. Will she continue to perform at a world-class level this late into her season?
Men’s 1500m
Norway’s Jakob Ingebrigtsen is the only athlete to go sub-3:30 this season with his 3:29.47 running from the Eugene World Athletics Championships. However, he was beaten by Great Britain’s Jake Wightman in a shocker in Oregon. The 21-year-old redeemed himself with 5000m gold and gold at the European Championships.
If anyone is going to beat him this weekend it will be either Kenya’s Timothy Cheruiyot or Abel Kipsang. Taking silver and bronze could be any number of athletes listed on the start sheet including Australia’s Stewart McSweyn, Great Britain’s Josh Kerr, Australia’s Oliver Hoare as well as the two aforementioned Kenyans.
Again, like the women’s 100m, does the favourite have anything left after a very busy summer of racing?
He's done the double-double!
— World Athletics (@WorldAthletics) August 18, 2022
1500m and 5000m golds for Jakob Ingebrigtsen at both the 2018 and 2022 European Athletics Championships.#Munich2022 pic.twitter.com/3YTgmh8fDd
Men’s 3000m steeplechase
The big favourite from this event is Moroccan Soufiane El Bakkali. He is the only athlete listed to dip below 8:00 this season with his 7:58.28 from his Diamond League meet in Rabat, Morocco. The 26-year-old is the defending Olympic and world champion. He owns a best of 7:58.15 from 2018.
But all eyes will be on America’s Evan Jager, to see if the wiley veteran continues to make his comeback from injury to the elite level that he used to race at. His personal best is 8:00.24, but he has only got to 8:17.29 this year. THe 33-year-old is the Rio Olympic silver medallist and 2017 London World Championships bronze medallist.
Three athletes have run 8:06 this season including Ethiopians Hailemariyam Amare and Getnet Wale as well as Kenyan Abraham Kibiwot. The question here is will El Bakkali be challenged; can he be beaten?
View the full schedule of events here>>