Photo: Justin Gatlin is aiming for the sprint doble in the final Diamond League meeting of the season in Brussels.
Double World Championship silver medalist Justin Gatlin will seek to wrap up the 100m Diamond League crown. on Thursday when he takes on a quality field in Brussels. He currently leads the race with 12 point ans will go up against the Jamaican duo of Asafa Powell, Nesta Carter, Qatar’s Femi Ogunde, France Jimmy Vicaunt, Great Britain’s Ujah Chijindu.
The only man to have beaten Gatlin over the distance this year, Usain Bolt skips this meet, leaving Gatlin with an opportunity to rubber-stamp his class over the other contenders.
Jamaica’s Asafa Powell is likely the strongest challenger to Gatlin, but has never looked like beating the American whenever they have come face to face this season.
Despite the World Champion Bolt, announcing that he has called an end to his 2015 season, hence missing the 200m, the event will still provide a keen contest with 400m World Champion Wayde van Niekerk and fellow country man South African record-holder and world bronze medalist Anaso Jobodwana seeking to topple the USA’s 200m world Silver medalist Justin Gatlin. Nickel Ashmeade and Alanso Edwards of Panama who has already wrapped up the Diamond League 200m title at last Thursday’s meeting in Zurich are also in the lineup.
Jamaican Novlene Williams-Mills who took the honors in the women’s 400m race with a time of 52.12 at Saturday’s Flames Games in Amsterdam will do battle with World Championship silver medalist, Bahamian Shaunae Miller. She is accompanied by teammates Christine Day and Stephenie-Ann McPherson in a field completed by, USA’s Francena Mcorory and Natasha Hastings. McPherson and Mcorory both on 10 and 16 points respectively are leading the chase for the Diamond trophy.
Peter Matthews and Rusheen McDonald will run off in the men’s equivalent, against Belgium’s Borlee brothers.
The American big trio in hurdling Dawn Harper- Nelson, Jasmin Stowers, Sharika Nelvis will sprint off for the Diamond trophy matching up against World championship silver medalist German Cindy Roleder, Bronze medalist Belarus Alina Talay and Great Britain’s Tiffany Porter. It’s a three way tie between the three Americans all on 10 points.
USA’S Bershawn Jackson and Johny Dutch will seek to brush off their disappointments of Beijing, as they face off with surprise World Champion Kenya’s Nicholas Bett, Swiss athlete Kariem Hussien, Bahamian Jeffery Gibson and South African LJ Van Zyl. Jackson leads with 14 points from Dutch 9 points in the race for the title.
Botswana’s Diamonds race leader Nijel Amos, kenya’s Asbel Kirop, Ethiopia’s Mohammed Aman and Bosnia & Herzegovina Amel Tuka will line up in the men’s 800m.
The women’s 1500m will feature the top three contenders Kenya’s Dawit Seyum, Netherlands Sifan Hassan and USA’s Jenny Simpson.
It’s will be an African dominated women’s 3000m steeple chase with the likes of Ethiopians Sofia Aseefa, Hiwot Ayalew, Kenyan’s Virgina Nyambura, Hyvin Kiyeng Lydia Chepkurui, Eunice Jepkorir, Bahrain’s Ruth Jebet, Tunisia’s Habibi Ghribi matched with USA’s Emma Coburn. Nyambura currently leads the race with 15 points, from Kiyeng and Hiwot both on 9 points.
The shot put field looks very strong as the Diamond race will come down to the clash of newly crowned World Champion USA’s Joe Kovacs, 14 points, and German silver medalist Davis Storl on 14 points. Bronze medalist Jamaican Odayne Richards and Poland Olympic Champion Tomas Majeswski, along with USA’s duo Ryan Whiting and Reese Hoffa should make for an epic competition.
Kenya Javelin World Champion Julius Yego will seek to continue his Beijing form, as he comes face to face with the man he dethroned as world champion Vitezslav Vesely of Czech Republic, world championship bronze medalist and Diamond race leader Finland’s Tero Pitkamaki, world silver medalist Egyptian Abdelraham El Sayed and reigning Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott of Trinidad and Tobago. Vesely leads on 14 points, with Pitamaki on 9 points in second.
The top three women’s Javelin in Beijing will be on show; World Champion Katharina Molitor of Germany, silver medalist China’s Luy Huihui, and Bronze medalist Sunette Viljoen of South Africa.
Jamaica’s Kimberly Williams will face another stern test in the Women’s Triple Jump as she faces off with Colombia’s 2015 world champion and Diamond league leader, Caterine Ibarguen and Kazakhstan’s 2012 Olympic Games winner Olga Rypakova, Bulgaria’s Gabriela Petrova. Russia’s Yekaterina Koneva, and Israel’s Hanna Minenko.
Cuban pair of Alexis Copello and Pablo pedro Picardo will renew battle with USA’s world champion Christian Taylor. Picardo with 16 points leads Taylor on 14 points.
Canada World Champion Shawn Barber will face off with French star and diamond race leader Renaud Lavillenie in the men’s pole Vault.
The 5000m for men with diamond top contenders in Ethiopia’s Yomif Kejelcha, Hagos Gebrhiwet ,Kenya’s Thomas Longosiwa ,Caleb Ndiku and USA’s Benn True will close out the meet, with the remaining 16 Diamond League winners receiving their trophies and USD$40,000
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