Timothy Cheruiyot pips Jakob Ingebrigtsen to the Wanda Diamond League 1500m crown in Zurich (© Getty Images)
The rivalry between Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Timothy Cheruiyot and Samuel Tefera will reignite at the Prefontaine Classic on 28 May, when the trio of global gold medallists will clash in the Bowerman Mile.
Norway’s Ingebrigtsen is the Olympic 1500m champion, having beaten Kenya’s world champion Cheruiyot to the title in Tokyo, while Ethiopia’s Tefera got the better of Ingebrigtsen in Belgrade to retain his world indoor crown.
Now they will meet in the mile at this season’s third Wanda Diamond League meeting in Eugene.
Ingebrigtsen already has a rich history of success in the Bowerman Mile. At the 2017 Pre Classic, the now 21-year-old became the youngest athlete to ever break the four-minute barrier, running 3:58.07 at the age of 16.
One year later he lowered his time to 3:52.28, before returning again in 2019 with 3:51.30.
In last year’s race, Ingebrigtsen captured his first Bowerman Mile victory, running the fastest ever time on US soil of 3:47.24.
After breaking the Olympic record in Tokyo and taking down the world indoor 1500m record earlier this year, it’s clear the Norwegian is ready to cement himself further in the record books.
Cheruiyot, meanwhile, won the Bowerman Mile and claimed world gold in 2019, before going on to secure silver behind Ingebrigtsen at the Olympic Games last year.
He would ultimately bounce back to beat the Norwegian in the Zurich Diamond League to claim the 2021 Diamond League title.
Tefera now has two world indoor titles to his name, having won his first in 2018 and then retained it by beating Ingebrigtsen in Belgrade – 3:32.77 championship record to 3:33.02.
Joining them on the start line is USA’s Cole Hocker, who makes his Pre Classic debut. The 20-year-old achieved three NCAA wins and finished sixth in the 1500m final in Tokyo last year. He is also coming off a successful indoor campaign, where he won US titles over 1500m and 3000m.
He outkicked 2016 Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz at the US Olympic Team Trials, and the pair go head-to-head again in this year’s Bowerman Mile.
World indoor bronze medallist Abel Kipsang and world U20 champion Vincent Kibet Keter add further strength to the field, along with Colin Sahlman, Cooper Teare, Clayton Murphy, Stewart McSweyn, Jake Heyward, Ollie Hoare, Ignacio Fontes and Filip Ingebrigtsen.
Thompson-Herah added to Birmingham 100m
Elaine Thompson-Herah is to test herself as part of a stacked 100m field at the Müller Birmingham Diamond League on 21 May.
Elaine Thompson-Herah in action at the Diamond League meeting in Paris (© Gladys Chai von der Laage)
Jamaica’s five-time Olympic gold medallist will go up against her fellow Tokyo Olympic Games medallists Shericka Jackson and Gabby Thomas, plus Britain’s Daryll Neita and the previously announced world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith.
“I’m obviously very proud of what I’ve achieved in my career so far, but there are more goals I want to achieve in the sport, so I’m now motivated to work even harder,” said 2021 Diamond League champion Thompson-Herah.
“I enjoyed racing indoors earlier this year, and I was pleased with how I opened my outdoor season, but my focus is on working hard each day and getting back on to the podium at the World Championships this summer.”
Completing the field are Switzerland’s Ajla Del Ponte Anthonique Strachan of The Bahamas and USA’s Cambrea Sturgis.
Organisers for World Athletics
