A line-up of a world-class field was released Wednesday for the Yangtze River Delta Athletics Diamond Gala happening on April 27 in Shanghai/Suzhou. The meet is the second fixture in the 2024 Diamond League season. On the Saturday, over 25 world and Olympic champions will go toe-to-toe, writing the early script to an Olympic summer.

Women’s 100m hurdles

Few can look past the event where current world record holder Tobi Amusan will take on a top-notch field. The reigning world and Olympic champions in Danielle Williams and Jasmine Camacho-Quinn are toeing the line. Also, with world indoor 60m hurdles champion Devynne Charlton adding to the mix.

Williams took a second world title in Budapest. She edged out 2021 Tokyo Olympic champion Camacho-Quinn as the 2022 world champion Amusan was sixth. Charlton was fourth that day but impressively started the 2024 season. Twice she broke the world record indoors and won her maiden world crown in Glasgow in March.

With Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper and world finalist Ditaji Kambundji also present, the race will be exciting to watch.  

Women’s 200m

The rivalry between world 200m champion Shericka Jackson and 100m champion Sha’Carri Richardson will have a new chapter. Both line up in a compelling duel over the half-lap race.

Jackson edged the battle last time in Budapest. Running the second-fastest time in history of 21.41s. But will be well aware of Richardson’s progression over the distance. Richardson saw her win bronze in that very same race, days after passing Jackson to take the 100m title.

Budapest’s fifth placer, Daryll Neita will aim to make the most of the eyes elsewhere. 

Men’s 100m

The men will try their best to replicate the women in the sprints in Shangai/Suzhou. With 2022 World champion Fred Kerley taking on the world 60m record holder Christian Coleman. Coleman took a second world title in that event in Glasgow at the indoor championships.

Coleman is the reigning and two-time Diamond League champion over the distance, Kerley took the 2021 crown.

Both sit joint sixth on the world all-time list at 9.76s. They are behind 2011 world champion Yohan Blake who will aim to kickstart his Olympic season in Shanghai.

Blake’s 9.69s from Lausanne in 2012 remain the second-fastest of all-time. But he will be aware of the challenge of compatriot Ackeem Blake. The 22-year-old recently took a first world medal, bronze behind Coleman in Scotland.

With double Olympic finalist Akani Simbine also in the field, should you blink, you’ll miss it.

Men’s pole vault

Could a world record be seen in the pole vault? You’d be a brave man to bet against it with the presence of the imperious Armand “Mondo” Duplantis. The greatest pole vaulter in history will be in the house. He is an athlete who has cleared six metres or more on over 60 occasions. He has also raised the world record higher to 6.23m. Duplantis will take on two-time world champion Sam Kendricks. They will also face the shared bronze medallists from Budapest, Kurtis Marschall and Christopher Nilsen.

Men’s 110m hurdles

The men’s short hurdles feature all the athletes from second down to fifth at last year’s World Championships. With 2023 Diamond League champion Hansle Parchment leading the field.

The Jamaican is the reigning Olympic champion from Tokyo and is only getting better. He lowered his personal best at age 33 to take the Diamond League crown in Eugene. Daniel Roberts is the bronze medallist from Budapest, with fourth and fifth placers that day. Freddie Crittenden and Shunsuke Izumiya add to a stellar field.

Women’s 5000m

Former world record holder Letesenbet Gidey leads the field. The 2022 10,000m world champion, who still holds the world record over that distance, faces the exciting challenge of 2023. World Athletics Rising Star of the Year, world 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist Faith Cherotich. Cherotich is competing for the first time at the senior level over the 5000m distance.

European U23 cross-country champion Megan Keith is among the entries.

Women’s 3000m steeplechase

Olympic champion Peruth Chemutai takes on world-record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech over the barriers, Though the competition doesn’t end there. The 2022 world champion Norah Jeruto returns. Commonwealth Games champion Jackline Chepkoech broke nine minutes in 2023. World champion Emma Coburn from 2017 and two-time European champion Gesa Krause also feature prominently, to be sure.

Women’s long jump

It may be the Olympic final months early. Six-time Diamond League final winner and reigning world champion Ivana Španović takes on the rest of the Budapest podium. Also in the mix are a host of global medallists. Tara Davis-Woodhall recently took the world indoor crown to back up her Budapest silver. Also the bronze medallist from Hungary, Alina Rotaru-Kottmann, is in China. World indoor bronze medallist Fátima Diame and multiple world medalist Ese Brume complete an all-star cast.

Men’s high jump

No man in history has won more world outdoor titles than Mutaz Barshim. He has won the Diamond League overall three times. The Qatari took three world titles between 2017 and 2022, and the Olympic title in 2021.

He will face the challenge of newly crowned world indoor champion Hamish Kerr. The New Zealander set a new national record of 2.36m in Glasgow. She will have high hopes of using Shanghai as evidence that he can take that form outdoors too. Last year’s world fifth-placer Tobias Potye will also feature.

Women’s shot put

Earplugs may be required. In the women’s shotput home favourite and Olympic champion Lijiao Gong takes on all. But one of last year’s top eight in the Budapest World Championships. The event will be led of course by two-time world champion Chase Jackson.

Jackson has won the last three Diamond League finals and successfully defended her world crown in Hungary.

During her period of dominance between 2017 and 2021, Gong took two world titles and Tokyo Olympic gold. With her 2023 world bronze, she has now won medals at eight successive world championships since 2009.

The athlete in form, however, is Canadian Sarah Mitton. The 2023 world silver medallist took world indoor gold in Glasgow. She defeated Yemisi Ogunleye and Jackson to the title. And, she will aim to add another victory over those two in Shanghai.

With 2019 world bronze medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd, 2021 Diamond League champion Maggie Ewen and 2023 world bronze medallist Jessica Schilder also in the field, plenty will have eyes on an early season win.

Women’s discus throw

It’s a Budapest rematch between world champion Laulauga Tausaga and three-time Diamond League and Olympic champion Valarie Allman. With home favourite Bin Feng also fighting for Shanghai supremacy. Feng was third in Budapest behind the pair with Jorinde van Klinken, fourth that day, also in the field.

Allman has won each of the last three Diamond League finals and 12 of her 14 appearances in 2023.

2019 world champion and two-time Diamond League final winner Yaimé Perez will aim to return to the sort of form that saw her win Olympic bronze in 2021.

Women’s javelin

All three of the Budapest podium will feature in Shanghai, with Haruki Kitaguchi leading the field. Kitaguchi took both the world and Diamond Leagues titles in 2023. Flor Ruiz-Hurtado took a maiden global silver in Budapest. Mackenzie Little, the bronze medallist from Hungary will hope to continue her ascent up the rankings in Shanghai.

Men’s long jump

Jianan Wang will provide Chinese interest in the long jump. The 2022 world champion taking on 2019 champion Tajay Gayle, as well as the silver and bronze medallists from this year’s World Indoor Championships in Mattia Furlani and Carey McLeod.

2016 world indoor champion Marquis Dendy and 2017 world silver medalist Jarrion Lawson completes the line-up.

Women’s 400m

Reigning world and Diamond League champion Marileidy Paulino takes on world indoor and outdoor bronze medalists. They are Alexis Holmes and Sada Williams respectively. Paulino is one of only 13 women in history to have broken the 49-second barrier. She successfully defended her Diamond League crown in Eugene last September.

Men’s 5000m

The 10,000m Olympic champion Selemon Barega heads a fast 5000m field. Also featuring 2022 world bronze medallist, Oscar Chelimo, and an exciting superstar Lamecha Girma. Girma set the 3000m steeplechase world record in Paris last year. He did this a few months after taking over a second off Daniel Komen’s over-25-year-old world 3000m indoor record.

Girma will have familiar company in the form of his brother Kuma. Many athletes hope to break the 13-minute barrier.

Men’s 800m

Eugene world silver medallist Djamel Sedjati leads a competitive 800m field. The Algerian won two Diamond League meetings in 2023 and boasts a personal best of 1:43.06. Fellow Budapest finalists Tshepiso Masalela and Algerian Slimane Moula are also present. With two-time Commonwealth Games champion Wycliffe Kinyamal the field’s most decorated athlete. Six times he has won a Diamond League meet, five of these with clockings of under 1:44.

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