DAY 1: 19 August, Saturday

MORNING Session

 

The first morning will be packed with top athletes. As they prepare for another highly competitive clash, men’s shot put qualification could feature three of the biggest stars: USA’s world record-holder Ryan Crouser, the 2017 world gold medallist Tom Walsh from New Zealand and USA’s two-time world champion Joe Kovacs, who has Hungarian roots.

 

Heptathlon competition begins and Nafissatou Thiam will be targeting another big win to go with her two Olympic titles and two world crowns, but Netherlands’ Anouk Vetter and Poland’s rising star Adrianna Sulek will want to challenge her. In the men’s hammer throw, Pawel Fajdek and Wojciech Nowicki's qualification should secure the attention of Polish fans.

 

The women's long jump could also bring a duel of history-making athletes, with Serbia's Ivana Vuleta, and Germany's Malaika Mihambo among those who might star. The timetable allows a women’s triple jump and long jump double, offering athletes such as Yulimar Rojas and Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk the chance to go for gold again. Their campaign would begin with this qualification round on day five.

 

Faith Kipyegon, the best 1500m runner of the past few years, will open her campaign, but likely so will her fellow multiple major medallists Gudaf Tsegay and Laura Muir, while Sifan Hassan could also return to the distance after taking on the 1500m, 5000m and 10,000m treble in Tokyo. Soufiane El Bakkali should begin his title defence in the 3000m steeplechase.

 

Leading athletes: 

 

Men’s shot put qualification:

Ryan Crouser, world record-holder, Olympic and world champion • Tom Walsh, 2017 world champion • Joe Kovacs, two-time world champion

 

Mixed 4x400m heats:

USA • Dominican Republic • Poland • Netherlands

 

Heptathlon:

Nafissatou Thiam, multiple Olympic, world and European champion • Anouk Vetter, Olympic and world silver medallist • Adrianna Sulek, European silver medallist, world indoor silver medallist

 

Men’s hammer throw qualification:

Pawel Fajdek, five-time world champion, European champion • Wojciech Nowicki, Olympic champion, two-time European champion • Mykhaylo Kokhan, European U23, U20 and U18 gold medallist

 

Women's long jump qualification:

Ivana Vuleta, two-time world indoor champion, two-time European champion • Malaika Mihambo, Olympic, world and European champion • Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, world and European silver medallist • Yulimar Rojas, multiple world and Olympic triple jump champion • Ese Brume, world and Olympic medallist

 

Women’s 1500m heats:

Faith Kipyegon, two-time Olympic and two-time world champion • Gudaf Tsegay, world 5000m champion, 1500m silver medallist • Laura Muir, Olympic and world medallist, two-time European champion • Sifan Hassan, Olympic 5000m and 10,000m champion, 1500m bronze medallist

 

Men's 3000m steeplechase heats:

Soufiane El Bakkali, Olympic and world champion