US sprinter Melissa Jefferson-Wooden (© Getty Images)
Many of the world’s best athletes will be out in force at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme in Brussels on Friday (22) for what will be the last opportunity to bank points in the Wanda Diamond League ahead of the series finale next week.
While some have already secured their place in Zurich, several athletes are relying on a good showing in Brussels to guarantee a spot in the final, where athletes will compete for bonuses ranging between US$30,000 and US$50,000, as well as a wild card entry to the World Athletics Championships Tokyo 25.
Olympic 100m bronze medallist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden is looking to maintain her current momentum through Brussels, Zurich and all the way to Tokyo. The US sprinter is undefeated at 100m this year and has produced the four fastest times of her career in her last four finals. The ‘slowest’ of those was a 10.75 clocking, but that was into a -1.5m/s headwind. Her fastest time was her world-leading 10.65 from the US Championships, which she came close to in Silesia last week with 10.66.
Her form suggests that she could challenge the meeting record of 10.72, shared by Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce and Elaine Thompson. Fraser-Pryce is also in the field, as is world champion Sha’Carri Richardson. It will be the first time that Jefferson-Wooden, Fraser-Pryce and Richardson have been in the same 100m race.
Two other athletes are heading to Brussels with records on their minds.
Seven weeks after running the third-fastest 5000m time in history, Agnes Jebet Ngetich is aiming to go a few seconds faster than her 14:01.29 PB and challenge the world record set last month by double Olympic champion Beatrice Chebet. Others in the field – including USA’s Josette Andrews and Ethiopia’s Hirut Meshesha and Likina Amebaw – will be aiming to secure more Diamond League points ahead of the final.
Towards the end of the evening, world and Olympic champion Winfred Yavi will contest the mile steeplechase. The discipline has never been contested at this level before, and it’s not an official world record event, but the Bahraini athlete is in form to lay down a strong marker, given her recent results in the 3000m steeplechase.
Olympic champions star on the field
Gold medallists from the Paris 2024 Olympics will be present in five field events in Brussels.
In fact, the women’s shot put brings together three global champions in the form of Olympic gold medallist Yemisi Ogunleye, two-time world champion Chase Jackson and two-time world indoor champion Sarah Mitton. European champion Jessica Schilder will also be a big threat.
The men’s discus is similarly loaded. World record-holder Mykolas Alekna, world champion Daniel Stahl, Olympic champion Roje Stona, 2022 world champion Kristjan Ceh, Olympic bronze medallist Matt Denny and NCAA champion Ralford Mullings are all set to clash in what looks set to be a dress rehearsal of the World Championships.
In the women’s triple jump, Olympic champion Thea LaFond takes on the top five women from this year’s outdoor list: world indoor champion Leyanis Perez Hernandez, world indoor silver medallist Liadagmis Povea, Olympic silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts and Olympic bronze medallist Jasmine Moore.
Elsewhere on the field, Olympic champion Hamish Kerr takes on Olympic silver medallist Shelby McEwen and European indoor champion Oleh Doroshchuk in the men’s high jump, while two-time Olympic heptathlon champion Nafi Thiam is part of a non-scoring long jump contest.
The women’s pole vault and men’s javelin both feature multiple winners of global titles.
World champion Katie Moon, US champion Sandi Morris, 2024 world indoor champion Molly Caudery, world indoor champion Marie-Julie Bonnin and US twins Amanda Moll and Hana Moll feature in the women’s pole vault.
The men’s javelin, meanwhile, includes the likes of world leader Julian Weber, two-time world champion Anderson Peters, 2012 Olympic champion Keshorn Walcott and 2015 world champion Julius Yego.
Global medallists clash on the track
The men’s 400m has been a highly competitive discipline on the international circuit this year, so another close battle is expected when Olympic bronze medallist Muzala Samukonga takes on Diamond League champion Charlie Dobson, US champion Jacory Patterson, Xiamen Diamond League winner Bayapo Ndori and 2024 world indoor champion Alexander Doom.
In other sprinting events, Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell takes on Jamaica’s Andrenette Knight and Panama’s Gianna Woodruff in the women’s 400m hurdles. The men’s 200m, meanwhile, features 19.80 performer Robert Gregory and Olympic finalists Alexander Ogando and Makanakaishe Charamba.
Kenya’s Nelly Chepchirchir, who has won all of her races so far this year, will contest the 1500m in which she’ll face world silver medallist Diribe Welteji, 2024 world indoor champion Freweyni Hailu and US champion Nikki Hiltz.
Kenyan teenager Phanuel Koech, who has broken 3:30 in his past three races, will line up for the men’s 1500m, which also includes Olympic bronze medallist Yared Nuguse, 2022 world champion Jake Wightman, Bowerman Mile winner Niels Laros, Portugal’s Isaac Nader and Kenya’s Abel Kipsang.
And in the men’s 3000m steeplechase, leading Kenyan duo Abraham Kibiwot and Simon Koech will take on Ethiopia’s Getnet Wale.
