A star-studded women's long jump field and top men's shot put clash have been announced for the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Florence, with exactly one month to go until the Wanda Diamond League meeting.
In the long jump on 10 June, Germany&rsquo;s world champion Malaika Mihambo will begin her Diamond Trophy defence by taking on Serbia&rsquo;s world indoor champion Ivana Spanovic, Ukraine&rsquo;s world silver medallist Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk and Colombia&rsquo;s Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen, who has claimed five Diamond Trophy wins in the triple jump as well as one in the long jump so far during her career.
Mihambo jumped a then PB of 7.07m at the Golden Gala in Rome on her way to the Diamond Trophy in 2019 and went on to improve her best to 7.30m to win the world title later that year.
Joining them in Florence will be Sweden's European indoor bronze medallist Khaddi Sagnia and home favourite Larissa Iapichino, who broke the world U20 indoor long jump record with a leap of 6.91m at the Italian Indoor Championships in February.
"I am happy and proud that this year the Golden Gala will take place in my city, in Florence,&rdquo; said Iapichino, who will be making her Diamond League debut.
&ldquo;I feel privileged and honoured to be among the participants in the long jump. I can't wait to compete with the best athletes in the world. I'm still young and I hope this, for me, is just the first of many Diamond League competitions.&rdquo;
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The men&rsquo;s shot put will see New Zealand&rsquo;s reigning Diamond League champion Tom Walsh compete against the Czech Republic's European indoor champion Tomas Stanek and Italian indoor record-holder Leonardo Fabbri, plus Poland&rsquo;s European champion Michal Haratyk and Konrad Bukowiecki, who set the Golden Gala meeting record of 21.97m in 2019.
The 2021 Wanda Diamond League series begins in&nbsp;Gateshead, UK, on 23 May, with&nbsp;Laura Muir among the latest entries confirmed for that event.
The Scottish athlete, who will race the 1500m, is the reigning European champion over that distance and holds the British record with 3:55.22.
"I am training and racing in the United States right now, but the Muller Grand Prix Gateshead will be my first competition in the UK when I return home later this month," she said. "Diamond League events are always exciting and it is extra special for me when the event is on British soil."
Joining her in the 1500m will be her fellow British athletes&nbsp;Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Eilish McColgan, Adelle Tracey and Holly Archer.
Organisers for World Athletics

A star-studded women's long jump field and top men's shot put clash have been announced for the Golden Gala Pietro Mennea in Florence, with exactly one month to go until the Wanda Diamond League meeting.

Top long jump and shot put clashes set for Florence

The great athletes never stand still. They face challenges with gusto. They are continually prepared to adapt and will stop at nothing in their thirst for knowledge in order to self-improve.
Now aged 37, the veteran of the triple jump runway, Caterine Ibarguen, is one such athlete who throughout her long and glittering career has lived by that mantra.
A fact perhaps most clearly illustrated by the challenges the Rio Olympic champion has faced over the past couple of years.
<h2>Success despite adversity</h2>
Having undergone injury issues and a coaching switch which involved a change of country and environment, not to mention the continued fallout of a global pandemic, life has not always been a smooth ride for the Colombian jumping legend.
Yet adopting her typical steely determination underpinned by her undiluted passion for the sport, Ibarguen is ready and primed for what she hopes will be a successful defence of her Olympic title.
Rewind to 2019 when Ibarguen had come into the season full of confidence. Unbeaten through 2018 in her speciality event and ending the year as the World Athlete of the Year, she had high hopes of regaining the world title she had previously snared in 2013 and 2015.
&ldquo;My 2019 season began with expectations of doing things better than in previous years, but the pain prevented me,&rdquo; she explains.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;A plantar fasciitis injury in my left foot ended my dreams (of winning a third world title). But I didn&rsquo;t want to stop. I was still determined to compete at the World Championships (in Doha), so I did everything I could to achieve that goal.&rdquo;&nbsp; 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/9abf693f-a597-4469-902c-208b679117fc.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" />Caterine Ibarguen&nbsp;in the triple jump final at the World Athletics Championships Doha 2019&nbsp;(&copy;&nbsp;Getty Images)
&nbsp;
Her first half of the season had gone promisingly. She had claimed Diamond League wins in the triple jump in Oslo (14.79m) and Lausanne (14.84m) and earlier that season notched a long jump victory at the Doha Diamond League.&nbsp;
However, the injury prevented any triple jump competition from the Monaco Diamond League &ndash; where she placed sixth with 14.33m &ndash; in July until the World Athletics Championships in Doha some three months later.
Despite the lack of preparation, she drew upon her &lsquo;champion&rsquo;s spirit&rsquo; to win an against-the-odds bronze medal with a best of 14.73m behind her South American rival Yulimar Rojas and Jamaican&rsquo;s Shanieka Ricketts.&nbsp;
&ldquo;My expectation was to win a medal,&rdquo; she says of Doha. &ldquo;2019 had been a very difficult year full of pain. But we wanted to perform well in what may be my last World Championships. To win that bronze medal made me very happy because only I, and those around me, knew of the sacrifices I&rsquo;d made to climb the podium.&rdquo; 
<a href="https://www.worldathletics.org/heritage/mowa?utm_source=fan&amp;utm_medium=web&amp;utm_campaign=mowa" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/605284ed5c6faea1b37b452f.gif" alt="Caterine Ibarguen in MOWA" width="950" height="146" border="0" /></a>
<h2> Switching set-up</h2>
Ibarguen returned to her training base in Puerto Rico to join her long-time coach Ubaldo Duany to begin her preparations for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics.
But she took the decision to leave her coach of the past decade and last March joined the training group of the Portuguese-based Jorge Pichardo.
&ldquo;Ubaldo was not only a coach, he was like a father to me,&rdquo; explains Ibarguen of the man who had guided her to seven global triple jump medals spanning a nine-year period.
&ldquo;The decision was made mutually, but I think I needed a change and that's what I did.&rdquo;
The switch to a new coach and father of two-time world triple jump silver medallist Pedro Pablo Pichardo was a courageous decision by Ibarguen.
It necessitated a move from Central America to relocate to Portugal. It has also required a change in mindset to adapt to new training techniques but the evergreen jumper insists the change has been positive.
&ldquo;Professor Jorge Pichardo has his differences in some aspects of training (with Duany) but the objectives do not change, so I feel very comfortable training with him,&rdquo; she says.
&ldquo;He is very meticulous when working on technique and strength work but I think the most exciting part for me is every day I know I will learn new things. Plus, training with the great Pedro Pichardo and watching him jump has also been a big thrill.&rdquo;
<h2>Olympic adjustment</h2>
Shortly after joining her new training group the global pandemic then plunged much of the world into lockdown. Like many athletes, Ibarguen was forced to improvise and adapt her training.
She also had to come to terms with the fact the Tokyo Olympics would be postponed by a year &ndash; an announcement which resulted in an evolving set of emotions for the woman who has claimed a podium spot at each of the past five World Athletics Championships.&nbsp;&nbsp;
&ldquo;It was a shock when I found out that the Olympic Games were not being held, it filled me with a lot of sadness,&rdquo; she explains.&nbsp;
&ldquo;However, later with more knowledge of what this virus was, I took a lot of peace of mind and I think it was the best thing to do. This decision also gave me more time to continue to get to know my new coach and adapt to the changes that being in another country entailed." 
<img src="https://assets.aws.worldathletics.org/71d81cfc-3b6e-4bb6-994e-466a9fe5f153.png" alt="" width="900" height="600" /> Caterine Ibarguen at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games&nbsp;(&copy;&nbsp;AFP/Getty Images)
&nbsp;
In order to further bed down a greater understanding with her new coach, last year she opted to compete in a couple of international long jump competitions, highlighted by a solid 6.61m effort in Stockholm to place second.
Restarting her training for the rescheduled Tokyo Olympics in October, she has since made good progress.
The day-to-day preparation at her training base in Setubal has not been unduly impacted by the global pandemic and she hopes to resume competition in April or May.
Taking on the challenge of Venezuela&rsquo;s 2017 and 2019 world champion Rojas &ndash; a woman she describes as &lsquo;the new icon for women&rsquo;s triple jump&rsquo; &ndash; is an exciting prospect.
Nonetheless, despite Rojas&rsquo; formidable presence, Ibarguen believes she can make a big impact in 2021 &ndash; some 22 years after making her international debut as a high jumper at the World U18 Championships in Bydgoszcz.
&ldquo;I still think I can produce a great performance at the next Olympics,&rdquo; she explains. &ldquo;My goals and ambitions burn as brightly as they did when I made my Olympic debut at the Athens Games. My aims are to be in top condition, so I can continue to enjoy this beautiful sport and close with a beautiful Olympic medal.&rdquo;
But now aged 37 in an event which is hugely demanding on the body, what is the secret of her remarkable longevity?
&ldquo;I don't know whether to call it a secret or fortune, I consider it is based on my training,&rdquo; she says. &ldquo;Each coach I have worked with has made a great contribution with my training which reflects in my performances today. But my passion, love and respect I have for the sport, which is reflected in my discipline and perseverance, has also been very important.&rdquo;
Steve Landells for World Athletics&nbsp;

The great athletes never stand still. They face challenges with gusto. They are continually prepared to adapt and will stop at nothing in their thirst for knowledge in order to self-improve.

Challenges overcome, Ibarguen's ambition still burns brightly

La traducci&oacute;n en espa&ntilde;ol de este documento sigue la versi&oacute;n inglesa
Today marks World Environment Day, the United Nations&rsquo; most renowned annual day to promote worldwide environmental action and awareness. To help mark the day, we spoke with 2018 World Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia to share some of her thoughts on environmental conservation as her country prepared to co-host this year&rsquo;s commemoration.
~~
Caterine Ibarguen feels fortunate to be born and live in a biodiversity-rich country like Colombia. With the Tokyo Olympics as her next big goal, she is equally committed to protecting the environment for current and future generations.
Growing up in the fertile lands of Uraba region, by the Caribbean sea, the two-time world and reigning Olympic triple jump champion got her first lesson on how to respect the environment.
&ldquo;I was in third or fourth year in elementary school, when our teacher taught us to never throw litter on the ground, but to dispose of it in a container.&rdquo;
She has fond memories of trips to the nearby Apartado River in her hometown of the same name. &ldquo;We would prepare &ldquo;sancocho&rdquo; (a vegetable and meat-reach thick soup) by the river and we would leave the place exactly as we found it.&rdquo;
&nbsp;
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Caterine Ibarguen receives the Grand Cross of the National Order of Merit from Colombian President Ivan Duque</div>
&nbsp;
An animal lover, she has had pets and is also very sensitive to how horses are treated to carry loads and how they are oftentimes abused to carry overloads.
Her hometown of Apartado is known for its vast banana plantations. &ldquo;You are surrounded by nature,&rdquo; she said.
As she moved to Medellin to pursue her athletics career in 1997, her appreciation for the environment grew.
In Medellin, she has seen first hand how the city, known for its cool conditions as it sits at 1500m above sea level, has also become warmer.
&ldquo;I remember on my first trips to Medellin, I always had to dress warmer coming from a hotter place. Not anymore. As people have access to more cars, I have seen how pollution has changed the city&rsquo;s landscape. We often have dark clouds and the city has now established environmental days to reduce the use of the cars on the road.&rdquo;
Ibarguen understands the fine balance between economic growth and respect for the environment.
"On my first trips from home in Apartado to Medellin, it would take us 12 hours on the road. As a new highway was built through the mountains, travel time was reduced significantly but has also weakened the mountains and as a result, we see landslides.&rdquo;
&ldquo;I am also aware of the consequences of trying to change the course of the Apartado River to build new housing projects. That led to flooding in many houses.&rdquo;&nbsp;
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Caterine Ibarguen in triple jump qualifying at the IAAF World Championships Doha 2019</div>
&nbsp;
At home, Ibarguen tries to lead by example, sorting her litter and recycling. She has taught her four nephews, aged 9-17, and has seen how they have embraced her message. &ldquo;I may not influence everyone, but it is encouraging to see how they have adopted this as part of their daily life.&rdquo;
In Colombia, she said, &ldquo;People have become increasingly conscious about the environment. It has already been damaged and if we do not react - we won't be able to live on this planet.&rdquo;
As she started to travel internationally for competitions, she also learned from other experiences elsewhere, primarily about the three Rs: reduce, reuse and recycle. &ldquo;We are adopting some of those at home by eliminating plastic bags at shopping centres. It is a cultural mind shift.&rdquo;
With a busy schedule as a professional athlete, Ibarguen looks forward to getting more involved with environmentally-related projects after her retirement, with a focus on children and youth.&nbsp;
&ldquo;Organisations have approached me and I understand the role I can play to support our youth in Colombia. I have been involved with the Sports Ministry and I want to contribute to make athletes better human beings through education and the environment will be a huge part.
Respecting the environment is respecting yourself and your family.&rdquo;
Javier Clavelo Robinson for World Athletics
&nbsp;
<h1>Respetar el medio ambiente es respetarse a uno mismo, Caterine Ibarguen</h1>
Hoy se celebra el D&iacute;a Mundial del Medio Ambiente, el d&iacute;a anual m&aacute;s reconocido de las Naciones Unidas para promover la acci&oacute;n y la concienciaci&oacute;n sobre el medio ambiente en todo el mundo. &nbsp;Para conmemorar el d&iacute;a, hablamos con la Atleta Mundial del A&ntilde;o 2018, Caterine Ibarg&uuml;en de Colombia, para compartir algunas de sus ideas sobre la conservaci&oacute;n del medio ambiente mientras su pa&iacute;s se preparaba para ser co-anfitri&oacute;n de la conmemoraci&oacute;n de este a&ntilde;o.
~~
Caterine Ibarg&uuml;en se siente afortunada de vivir en un pa&iacute;s con una biodiversidad tan rica como Colombia. Con la mente puesta en los Juegos Ol&iacute;mpicos de Tokio, la campeona ol&iacute;mpica y ex doble monarca mundial de triple salto siente igual compromiso de proteger el medio ambiente para las generaciones actuales y futuras.
Criada en las tierras f&eacute;rtiles de la regi&oacute;n del Urab&aacute;, Ibarg&uuml;en recuerda su primera lecci&oacute;n sobre el cuidado al medio ambiente. &ldquo;Estaba en tercero o cuarto grado cuando nuestro maestro nos ense&ntilde;&oacute; a no tirar basura al suelo. All&aacute; iba yo recogiendo desechos para botarlos en el buen lugar&rdquo;.
En su infancia guarda gratos recuerdos de viajes al r&iacute;o Apartad&oacute; en su ciudad natal del mismo nombre. &ldquo;Prepar&aacute;bamos sancocho (sopa rica en carne y verduras) en el r&iacute;o y dej&aacute;bamos el lugar limpio como lo encontramos&rdquo;.&nbsp;
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IAAF World Female Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen</div>
&nbsp;
Amante de las mascotas- Caterine ya tuvo una- y confiesa su sensibilidad por los caballos utilizados para carga. &ldquo;Desde ni&ntilde;a me dol&iacute;a ver cuando abusan de ellos&rdquo;.
Su natal Apartad&oacute; es conocida por sus plantaciones de banano. &ldquo;Est&aacute;s rodeada por la naturaleza&rdquo;. Al mudarse a Medell&iacute;n en 1997 para continuar su carrera atl&eacute;tica, su aprecio por el medio ambiente aumento.
&ldquo;Vengo de un lugar m&aacute;s caluroso y siempre ten&iacute;a que abrigarme en Medell&iacute;n&rdquo;, ciudad situada a 1500m del nivel del mar. &ldquo;Con el tiempo, ya no siento ese fr&iacute;o. Ahora la gente tiene m&aacute;s acceso a los autos y veo c&oacute;mo la contaminaci&oacute;n ha cambiado el paisaje de la ciudad&rdquo;.&nbsp;
En estos 23 a&ntilde;os, &ldquo;hemos visto nubes negras y la ciudad ha establecido dias ambientales para reducir la circulaci&oacute;n de los carros. Hay aun gente inconciente, pero tenemos que verlo como un beneficio para todos. Es como cuidarte a ti y a tu familia&rdquo;.&nbsp;
Ibarguen comprende el equilibrio entre el crecimiento econ&oacute;mico y el respeto al entorno. &ldquo;Mis primeros viajes de Apartad&oacute; a Medell&iacute;n me tomaban 12 en la carretera. Con la construcci&oacute;n de una nueva carretera, se abrieron t&uacute;neles en las monta&ntilde;as y si bien es viaje es mas rapido tambien ha debilitado las monta&ntilde;as y con frecuencia vemos deslaves&rdquo;.
Ibarg&uuml;en tambi&eacute;n ha sido testigo del impacto humano en su natal Apartad&oacute;. Al cambiar el curso del r&iacute;o para construir nuevos proyectos, eso produjo inundaciones en muchas casas.
En casa, la mejor atleta del mundo en 2018 trata de liderar con el ejemplo. &ldquo;Ense&ntilde;o a mis cuatro sobrinos (edades entre 9 y 17 a&ntilde;os) y ya saben c&oacute;mo separar el pl&aacute;stico y el papel. Quiz&aacute;s no pueda influir en todo el mundo, pero la gente lo ha asimilado bien. El medio ambiente ya est&aacute; estropeado. Si no lo vemos como algo extremo, no se podr&iacute;a vivir&rdquo;.
&nbsp;
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Colombian triple jumper Caterine Ibarguen</div>
&nbsp;
En la medida que comenz&oacute; a viajar a competencias internacionales, Ibarg&uuml;en ha aprendido de buenas pr&aacute;cticas medioambientales en el mundo, sobretodo las tres R: reducir, reutilizar y reciclar. &ldquo;Estamos adoptando varias de esas aqu&iacute; al eliminar las bolsas pl&aacute;sticas los centros comerciales. Hay que cambiar la mentalidad&rdquo;.
Inmersa en una vida intensa como atleta profesional, Ibarg&uuml;en desea involucrarse m&aacute;s en proyectos relativos al medio ambiente con &eacute;nfasis en los ni&ntilde;os y los j&oacute;venes, tras su retiro de la alta competici&oacute;n.
&ldquo;Me llegan propuestas e iniciativas para aportar a la juventud. Quiero involucrarme en el crecimiento de los j&oacute;venes, a formarlos como mejores seres humanos a trav&eacute;s del deporte y la educaci&oacute;n. Mientras, apoyo muchas campa&ntilde;as del Ministerio del Deporte para tomar conciencia sobre el medio ambiente. Respetar el medio ambiente es respetarte a ti y tu familia&rdquo;, concluy&oacute;.
Javier Clavelo Robinson para World Athletics

Today marks World Environment Day, the United Nations’ most renowned annual day to promote worldwide environmental action and awareness. To help mark the day, we spoke with 2018 World Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia to share some of her thoughts on environmental conservation as her country prepared to co-host this year’s commemoration.

Ibarguen: 'Respecting the environment is respecting yourself'

In the latest episode of IAAF Inside Athletics, Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia explains how she feels like a different person when she steps on the runway.
&ldquo;The passion has always existed," says the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year. "It's something that runs in my veins. When I compete, I feel happiness, I feel a connection with the crowd, like they can feel what's on my mind.
"In fact, off the track I'm not able to act the same," adds Ibarguen, who is competing at the Pan-American Games this week. "I don't often watch the videos because I feel like it's someone else on the track competing. But I like it. I like what I do on the track, it's something natural for me, it runs in my veins and I just love athletics.&rdquo; 
<iframe src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/VRx8L57AL2s" width="500" height="280" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe>
 Previews of&nbsp;IAAF Inside Athletics are first released on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/WorldAthleticsClub" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://twitter.com/iaaforg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Twitter</a> and <a href="https://www.instagram.com/iaaf_athletics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> channels. The extended cut follows a few days later on our <a href="http://www.youtube.com/iaafathletics" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube channel</a>.
IAAF

In the latest episode of IAAF Inside Athletics, Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen of Colombia explains how she feels like a different person when she steps on the runway.

IAAF Inside Athletics – Caterine Ibarguen: ‘My passion for athletics runs in my veins’

With one month to go until the Meeting de Paris, the line-up for the IAAF Diamond League meeting on 24 August is taking shape.
The men&rsquo;s 200m, scheduled near the end of the programme, is set to be a test of strength between USA&rsquo;s Noah Lyles and world champion Ramil Guliyev. Lyles won the 200m in Lausanne earlier this month in 19.50 to move to fourth on the world all-time list. Guliyev, meanwhile, is familiar with the Charl&eacute;ty Stadium as he won there in 2017 in 20.15, one month before going on to win the world title. Olympic bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre will also be in the field.
The pole vault will be a duel between USA&rsquo;s world champion Sam Kendricks and France&rsquo;s world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie. Kendricks, who was victorious in Paris last year, has cleared 5.95m this season. Lavillenie, meanwhile, will be aiming to improve on his season&rsquo;s best of 5.82m.
The women&rsquo;s pole vault is also set to be a classic. Greece&rsquo;s Katerina Stefanidi and USA&rsquo;s Sandi Morris shared the podium at the 2016 Olympic Games and 2017 World Championships with Stefanidi coming out on top on both occasions. Morris, however, has the better PB (5.00m) and season&rsquo;s best (4.82m).
In the high jump, Mutaz Essa Barshim will take on Gianmarco Tamberi for the first time this year. Barshim, the world champion, is gradually getting back into shape after a long spell of forced time-out due to an ankle operation. Tamberi, the 2016 world indoor champion, returned to good form earlier this year to win the European indoor title.
US duo Christian Taylor and Will Claye will clash in the triple jump. Taylor, the world and Olympic champion, is second on the world all-time list with his 18.21m leap from 2015, but Claye moved up to third on that list earlier this year with an 18.14m jump. In their latest duel, just seven centimetres separated the duo.
The women&rsquo;s triple jump will also feature the two most dominant athletes in the event. World champion Yulimar Rojas has jumped a world-leading PB of 15.06m already this year and defeated her Colombian rival in Monaco, but Ibarguen beat Rojas in Lausanne and won in Oslo.
After having had his preparation hampered by fibrosis of the upper hamstrings, world 800m champion Pierre-Ambroise Bosse will be looking to make the most of a quick race to improve on his season&rsquo;s best of 1:45.43.
Two familiar faces will feature in the women&rsquo;s discus. Double world and Olympic champion Sandra Perkovic, winner in Paris in 2016 and 2018, has had a low-key start to the season, but hopes to rediscover her best form in Paris. After giving birth to her second child last year, France&rsquo;s M&eacute;lina Robert-Michon will be aiming to produce a strong performance in front of her home crowd.
Organisers for the IAAF

With one month to go until the Meeting de Paris, the line-up for the IAAF Diamond League meeting on 24 August is taking shape.

Lyles, Taylor and Ibarguen feature in Paris line-ups – IAAF Diamond League

In this week&rsquo;s fab five, we focus on a special quintet of athletes who each amassed a jaw-dropping sequence of victories.
&nbsp;
<h3>Valerie Adams</h3>
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Valerie Adams in the shot put at the IAAF World Indoor Championships Sopot 2014</div>
&nbsp;
Just two months short of nine years, Queen Val reigned supreme in the women&rsquo;s shot circle. From September 2006 the formidable Kiwi embarked on an incredible unbeaten streak stretching 107 competitions. The stunning sequence was only ended at the 2015 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris when, after returning to the competitive fold following elbow surgery, she placed fifth behind German Christina Schwanitz.
During the greatest unbeaten streak of the modern era, Adams snared eight world titles (indoors and out) and two Olympic titles.
<h3> Edwin Moses</h3>
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Ed Moses in the 400m hurdles at the 1984 Olympic Games</div>
&nbsp;
For nine years, nine months and nine days the US 400m hurdles great remained invincible during the most iconic winning streak in athletics history.
The formidable one-lap hurdles exponent combined speed, stamina, grace and technique to rack up 122 straight wins from 1977 to 1987 &ndash; his remarkable run finally halted by Danny Harris in Madrid. During the unbeaten period, Moses won the 1983 world title, the 1984 Olympic crown and set two world records.
<h3> Iolanda Balas</h3>
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Romanian high jumper Iolanda Balas</div>
&nbsp;
The finest sequence of competition wins in history belongs to the Romanian high jump legend &ndash; who claimed an eye-popping 150 successive wins between 1957 and 1967.
Boasting a sophisticated scissors technique, Balas changed the face of women&rsquo;s high jumping, advancing the world record from 1.75m to 1.91m. She also claimed two Olympic and two European titles. She posted the last of her 14 world records in 1961 &ndash; a mark which was to stand for ten years.
<h3> Caterine Ibarguen</h3>
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Caterine Ibarguen in the triple jump at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015</div>
&nbsp;
For almost a full Olympiad the Colombian triple queen remained invincible. After snagging silver at the 2012 London Olympics, Ibarguen racked up 34 successive wins until June 2016 when Olga Rypakova, the 2012 Olympic gold medallist, denied her courtesy of a sixth-round jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham.
During this impressive sequence of success, Ibarguen collected two world titles, the Pan American crown and a hat-trick of Diamond League titles.
<h3> Eliud Kipchoge</h3>
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Eliud Kipchoge winning the 2016 Olympic marathon in Rio</div>
&nbsp;
The Kenyan distance running icon&rsquo;s unbeaten streak of 10 straight marathons from 2014 is, arguably, the greatest athletic feat of the modern age.
Winner of races in the wet (Berlin 2017), the heat (London 2018), in adversity, after his shoe insoles became loose, (Berlin 2015) and in the championship arena (2016 Rio Olympics) the 2018 IAAF Male Athlete of the Year has resisted every conceivable hurdle.
Besides winning four London Marathon and three Berlin Marathon titles, Kipchoge is also the owner of the two fastest times in history.
 Steve Landells for the IAAF

In this week’s fab five, we focus on a very special quintet of athletes who each amassed a jaw-dropping sequence of victories.

Fab five: unbeaten streaks

Polish pole vaulter Piotr Lisek climbed to a share of the 10th spot on the world all-time list at the&nbsp;IAAF Diamond League&nbsp;meeting in Lausanne on Friday (5), smashing the Athletissima meeting record with a lifetime best of 6.01m.
The world silver medallist put together a blemish-free series up to and including a meeting record height of 5.95m. But so too did world champion Sam Kendricks, leaving the two men tied for first place.
The bar moved to 6.01m and the duo recorded their first misses of the night, both failing three times. Still tied, the bar remained at 6.01m for the first jump-off attempt. Lisek finally went clear while Kendricks opted against attempting it, giving the Pole his first win at an IAAF Diamond League meeting since Monaco in 2017.
&ldquo;This is one of the best days of my life,&rdquo; said Lisek. &ldquo;I&rsquo;m so happy as I work so hard for these moments. To beat Sam and Armand today is a dream.
&ldquo;I think one of the main factors today is that my body is in great shape and I was so focused on that last jump,&rdquo; he added. &ldquo;I have the meeting record, the world lead, the national record and a personal best. I know all my competitors will be motivated by this and are out to beat me now.&rdquo;
European champion Armand Duplantis finished third with a best of 5.81m but had a close attempt at 6.01m. World record-holder Renaud Lavillenie enjoyed a big improvement on his season&rsquo;s best, finishing in equal third place with 5.81m.
<h3>Ibarguen and Lasitskene keep their cool</h3>
IAAF Female Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen came under some serious pressure in the triple jump, but pulled out a season&rsquo;s best of 14.89m in the penultimate round to take a seven-centimetre victory over world champion Yulimar Rojas. 
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Another triple jump victory for Caterine Ibarguen at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne</div>
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Jamaica&rsquo;s Shanieka Ricketts took an early lead with 14.65m, only to be surpassed by Rojas&rsquo;s second-round leap of 14.82m, taking off 14 centimetres behind the board. Cuba&rsquo;s Liadagmis Povea jumped 14.66m in round two and a lifetime best of 14.77m in round four.
Going into the fifth round, Ibarguen was down in fourth place with a best of 14.57m but then unleashed her winning leap to maintain her lead at the top of the Diamond League triple jump standings. For the first time ever outside of a major championship, eight women jumped beyond 14.35m.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy with my victory tonight and with the quality of my jumps,&rdquo; said Ibarguen. &ldquo;Even if not all were valid, they were all pretty good technically speaking.&rdquo;
Two-time world champion Mariya Lasitskene notched up another IAAF Diamond League win, this time clearing 2.02m. But she had world U20 champion Karyna Taranda for company up to and including that height.
Taranda, just 20 years old, cleared 2.00m on her first attempt to equal the Belarusian record but bowed out of the competition with three misses at 2.02m. Lasitskene managed to get over that height on her third try and then moved the bar up to 2.07m, exiting the competition with a couple of close attempts.
Despite struggling to hit the board, world indoor champion Juan Miguel Echevarria came away from the long jump victorious. 
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Juan Miguel Echevarria in the long jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne</div>
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The young Cuban sailed out to 8.32m in round two, taking off 30 centimetres behind the plasticine. He followed it with a leap of 8.11m, this time 42 centimetres shy of the plasticine.
His second-round leap proved sufficient to win, though, as Greece&rsquo;s Miltiadis Tentoglou finished second with 8.19m.
<h3>Hussong and Schwanitz land German throws double</h3>
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Christin Hussong, winner of the javelin at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne</div>
&nbsp;
Barbora Spotakova set the javelin alight in the first round with a throw of 63.79m, but the multiple world and Olympic champion didn&rsquo;t take any further throws after experiencing some discomfort in her achilles. European champion Christin Hussong capitalised in the second round with a season&rsquo;s best of 66.59m, which remained the best mark of the competition and gave the German the first Diamond League win of her career.
Australia&rsquo;s Kelsey-Lee Barber, fresh from winning the Oceanian title, moved into second place with 65.08m in round three and then set a lifetime best of 65.63m in the final round. Spotakova&rsquo;s first-round throw was ultimately good enough for third place. 
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Christina Schwanitz wins the shot put at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne</div>
&nbsp;
Christina Schwanitz made it a German throws double. The 2015 world champion led the shot put from the first round, opening with 18.68m and improving to 19.04m in round four. All five of her valid throws would have been enough to win.
World champion Justin Gatlin was a clear winner of the men&rsquo;s 100m, a non-scoring race, clocking 9.92 with Michael Rodgers finishing second in 10.01.
Although the women&rsquo;s 200m in Lausanne was a non-scoring event this year, Gabrielle Thomas returned to the scene of her first IAAF Diamond League triumph from 12 months ago and once again came out on top, winning in a season&rsquo;s best of 22.69.
In other non-scoring disciplines, Nelly Jepkosgei won the 800m in 1:59.54 and Luke Campbell held off a fast-finishing Rasmus Magi to win the 400m hurdles by 0.002 in 49.54.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

Polish pole vaulter Piotr Lisek climbed to a share of the 10th spot on the world all-time list at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on Friday (5), smashing the Athletissima meeting record with a lifetime best of 6.01m.

Lisek tops six metres in Lausanne – IAAF Diamond League

A 5000m showdown featuring the top nine men in the world and a triple jump duel between Caterine Ibarguen and Yulimar Rojas are just two of the many exciting clashes set to take place at Lausanne&rsquo;s Athletissima on Friday (5), the eighth of 12 qualifying IAAF Diamond League fixtures ahead of the two finals.
With the series having now passed the half-way mark, places in the Zurich and Brussels finals &ndash; where Diamond trophies and World Championships wildcards will be up for grabs &ndash; are starting to fill up.
But, as with every IAAF Diamond League meeting, these events aren&rsquo;t just an opportunity to rack up points. It&rsquo;s just as crucial for athletes to gain the upper hand on their opponents as they plot their path towards the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019.
As yet, no one has fully stamped their authority on the men&rsquo;s 5000m in 2019. All of the IAAF Diamond League races in that discipline &ndash; or its associated distances &ndash; this year have had different winners. Yomif Kejelcha won in Shanghai, Telahun Haile Bekele triumphed in Rome, Selemon Barega won the 3000m in Oslo and world cross-country champion Joshua Cheptegei won over two miles in Stanford.
All four of those men will be in Lausanne. In fact, the top nine athletes in the 5000m world rankings will toe the line at the Stade Olympique de la Pontaise in a loaded field that includes the likes of world champion and meeting record-holder Muktar Edris, Olympic silver medallist Paul Chelimo, Olympic bronze medallist Hagos Gebrhiwet and Asian champion Birhanu Balew, who won in Lausanne last year after Kejelcha and Barega collided and hit the track with 100 metres to go. 
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Muktar Edris in the Lausanne 5000m</div>
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Winning in Lausanne proved to be a good omen for Mo Farah in 2015 and Edris in 2017 ahead of winning the world title in those respective seasons. For whoever wins on Friday, it will be interesting to see how they fare in Doha later this year.
In the women&rsquo;s triple jump, world champion Yulimar Rojas and Olympic champion Caterine Ibarguen will clash for the first time since August 2017.
Rojas competed just once in 2018, retaining her world indoor title in Birmingham, while Ibarguen had one of her best seasons to date, winning the Diamond trophy in both the long and triple jumps before being named the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year.
Ibarguen got her 2019 IAAF Diamond League triple jump campaign off to winning ways with a 14.79m victory in Oslo, but one week later Rojas opened her outdoor season with a Venezuelan record of 15.06m, the longest jump in the world since the 2016 Olympic Games.
Ibarguen has won 20 of her 23 competitions over the past three years. But in all three of her losses during that period, Rojas has finished ahead of the Colombian.
The Lausanne line-up also includes 2012 Olympic champion Olga Rypakova, up-and-coming Cuban Liadagmis Povea, European indoor champion Anna Peleteiro and Jamaican duo Shanieka Ricketts and Kimberly Williams.
<h3>Fraser-Pryce, Lyles, Naser and Roberts feature in sprint showdowns</h3>
Multiple world and Olympic gold medallist Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce showed with her 10.73 run at the Jamaican Championships that she is approaching the best form of her life. If she can reproduce that kind of shape in Lausanne, it will be difficult for the likes of world silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou, European champion Dina Asher-Smith and double world 200m champion Dafne Schippers to stick with the Jamaican. 
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Noah Lyles after his 19.69 win in Lausanne</div>
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Following a narrow defeat in Rome, USA&rsquo;s Noah Lyles will be keen to re-establish himself as the world&rsquo;s best 200m sprinter. Lyles, who won in Lausanne last year in 19.69, ran 19.72 in the Italian capital in his first 200m race of the year to finish just 0.02 behind Michael Norman.
Lyles will line up in Lausanne against three other men who have won at IAAF Diamond League meetings this year: world champion Ramil Guliyev, Olympic silver medallist Andre De Grasse and Canada&rsquo;s Aaron Brown.
World silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser has been undefeated over 400m so far this year, taking the Arab and Asian titles at the start of the season before winning at the IAAF Diamond League meetings in Shanghai, Rome and Rabat. 
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All smiles - Salwa Naser after her 400m win in Lausanne</div>
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Since then, however, Jamaica&rsquo;s Olympic bronze medallist Shericka Jackson has clocked a lifetime best of 49.78, making her the fastest in the Lausanne field based on season&rsquo;s bests.
Niger&rsquo;s fast-finishing Aminatou Seyni and Botswana&rsquo;s Christine Botlogetswe will also be confident after finishing close to Naser in Rabat, while USA&rsquo;s world indoor champion Courtney Okolo is also rounding into good form.
Orlando Ortega heads to Lausanne after a victory over a quality field in Stanford last weekend, but the Olympic silver medallist from Spain isn&rsquo;t the fastest in the field this year. That honour belongs to 21-year-old Daniel Roberts, who will be contesting his first race on the professional circuit after clocking 13.00 to finish second at the NCAA Championships last month.
China&rsquo;s Xie Wenjun, France&rsquo;s Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and world indoor champion Andrew Pozzi will also be keen to bank valuable points in the road to the final. 
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Pascal Martinot-Lagarde winning the 110m hurdles at the 2014 IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne</div>
&nbsp;
Shamier Little and Ashley Spencer, winners of the 400m hurdles in Lausanne in 2018 and 2017 respectively, return to the Swiss city to take on a field that includes world champion Kori Carter, Commonwealth champion Janieve Russell, two-time world champion Zuzana Hejnova and European champion Lea Sprunger, who set her PB of 54.29 on this track two years ago.
<h3>Echevarria, Lasitskene and Duplantis set to star in jumps</h3>
Juan Miguel Echevarria looks to be saving his biggest jumps for later in the season, but the young Cuban has already done enough to book his spot at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich.
The world indoor champion may need to improve on his season&rsquo;s best of 8.32m to ensure victory over world champion Luvo Manyonga, African champion Ruswahl Samaai, Jamaican champion Tajay Gayle, European champion Miltiadis Tentoglou and USA&rsquo;s Will Claye, who last week went to third on the triple jump world all-time list with 18.14m.
In her four most recent competitions, two-time world high jump champion Mariya Lasitskene has cleared 2.01m, 2.02m, 2.06m and 2.04m. Any further improvement would be enough to better her own meeting record of 2.06m set in 2017. 
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Maria Lasitskene tops a Diamond League record 2.06m in Lausanne</div>
&nbsp;
In Lausanne she&rsquo;ll face the only two women to have beaten her in an outdoor competition over the past three years &ndash; Olympic silver medallist Mirela Demireva and world silver medallist Yuliya Levchenko &ndash; as well as consistent Swede Erika Kinsey and world U20 champion Karyna Taranda.
World champion Sam Kendricks suffered his first IAAF Diamond League defeat of 2019 last week when Armand Duplantis won in Stanford with 5.93m. Both men will renew their rivalry in Lausanne in a field that also includes world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie, Olympic champion Thiago Braz, 2011 world champion Pawel Wojciechowski and world silver medallist Piotr Lisek.
The women&rsquo;s event will be held on the eve of the main competition at the Esplanade du Flon in the city centre. Although it&rsquo;s a non-scoring discipline in Lausanne, the high-quality line-up features Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi, European indoor champion Anzhelika Sidorova, US indoor champion Kate Nageotte, 2015 world champion Yarisley Silva and British record-holder Holly Bradshaw.
<h3>Cheruiyot targets third successive win</h3>
World silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot heads to Lausanne off the back of convincing victories in Stockholm and Stanford. The 2018 Diamond League champion, who will be competing in Lausanne for the first time, currently leads the series in his event but will face the four men who follow him in the standings: 2014 world indoor champion Ayanleh Souleiman, European champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Rabat winner Vincent Kibet and world indoor bronze medallist Bethwel Birgen.
Another Diamond League champion, Emmanuel Korir, will be looking for his first 800m win of the year. His task will be made slightly easier by the fact that Nijel Amos, who beat Korir in Doha and Rabat, won&rsquo;t be in Lausanne, but he&rsquo;ll still have to compete with the likes of Canadian record-holder Brandon McBride, world and Olympic finalist Ferguson Cheruiyot, world indoor champion Adam Kszczot, Olympic bronze medallist Clayton Murphy and world indoor 1500m silver medallist Marcin Lewandowski.
World leader Lyu Huihui has already done enough to book her place in the IAAF Diamond League final and won&rsquo;t be in Lausanne, so her absence makes way for the rest of the best javelin throwers in the world to rack up points.
Latvia&rsquo;s Lina Muze finished second in Shanghai and third in Rome, so will be keen to achieve her first IAAF Diamond League victory of 2019. Turkey&rsquo;s Eda Tugsuz beat Muze in Rome and should feature highly in Lausanne.
But European champion Christin Hussong, Oceanian champion Kelsey-Lee Barber, Olympic champion Sara Kolak and world record-holder Barbora Spotakova are also set to compete in what looks to be a wide-open event. 
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Barbora Spotakova in action in the javelin at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne</div>
&nbsp;
Chase Ealey was something of a surprise winner in Shanghai two months ago, but the US shot putter has backed it up with a runner-up spot in Oslo and a third-place finish in Stanford, throwing beyond 19 metres on each occasion.
She will face 2015 world champion Christina Schwanitz, world indoor silver medallist Danniel Thomas-Dodd of Jamaica and Stockholm winner Aliona Dubitskaya.
Jon Mulkeen for the IAAF

A 5000m showdown featuring the top nine men in the world and a triple jump duel between Caterine Ibarguen and Yulimar Rojas are just two of the many exciting clashes set to take place at Lausanne’s Athletissima on Friday (5), the eighth of 12 qualifying IAAF Diamond League fixtures ahead of the two finals.

Loaded fields in abundance in Lausanne – IAAF Diamond League

Karsten Warholm electrified a sold-out crowd at Bislett Stadium on Thursday (13) night, breaking the European record in the 400m hurdles with a sensational 47.33 performance.
From the gun, Warholm, one of the meeting's poster boys, was on fire. The world champion was off to his typically strong start but this time had Diamond League champion Kyron McMaster, who was running to his inside in lane six, for company. The pair were nearly even after the first six hurdles, when the British Virgin Islander began to drift. But Warholm forged on as he entered the homestretch, a solitary figure lifted by the massive roar of the crowd. After watching the clock stop at 47.33, he dropped to the ground, repeating 'What?' over and over again.
"It's crazy to run a European record and it's amazing to do it here at Bislett,&rdquo; said Warholm, who opened his season with a 47.85 win in Stockholm. &ldquo;My coach thought I would run 47.30 so he was nearly right. I've worked so hard during the winter with the pressure coming at me, so this is a very special feeling, it's the best in the world."
Underscoring Warholm's dominance tonight, the runner-up, Thomas Barr, who passed a badly fading McMaster in the waning stages, was nearly two seconds back in 49.11, 0.01 ahead of McMaster.
<h3>Dramatic debut for McLaughlin</h3>
In the first super showdown of the night, Sydney McLaughlin pulled off a dramatic come-from-behind victory to make her 400m hurdles Diamond League debut a memorable one.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
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Sydney McLaughlin wins the 400m hurdles at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo</div>
&nbsp;
But it was hardly pretty.
As Olympic champion Dalilah Muhammad blasted from the blocks to her outside, the world U20 record holder crashed through the first hurdle with her knee, throwing her off balance, and seemingly out of contention and into chase mode for the next three-quarters of the race. In front of her, Muhammad and world champion Kori Carter were battling for the lead, pulling away steadily as they reached the final bend. With Carter beginning to drift back, Muhammad brought a sizable lead into the final stretch, but it was there that McLaughlin began here rebound.
Passing Carter as she approached hurdle nine, she began chipping into Muhammad's lead as the latter began to wilt from her flying start. Putting her late race strength on vivid display, McLaughlin caught and then passed her about three metres before the line, clocking 54.16.
"It wasn't the cleanest race for me, but I came back strong and shows me where I am fitness-wise. It was sloppy but I pulled through."
Muhammad clocked 54.35 with Shamier Little third in 54.92.
<h3>Lasitskene tops 2.01m</h3>
Mariya Lasitskene was all smiles after her dominant performance in the high jump. An early miss at 1.94m was the only blemish on her score card through 1.98m, the latter a clearance to seal the win. Jumping alone, she topped 2.01m with her third attempt to collect her second Diamond League win of the year. She topped out at 2.03m, but a strong third effort showed that height isn't too far off.
&nbsp;
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Maria Lasitskene, winner of the high jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo</div>
&nbsp;
Swede Erika Kinsey was second at 1.96, equalling her season's best.
Meanwhile, jumping almost at the same time at the same end of the track, Sam Kendricks topped 5.91m with his third attempt to seal his third Diamond League win in as many meetings this season. Piotr Lisek of Poland, Cole Walsh of USA and Swede Armand Duplantis finished second, third and fourth, respectively, on countback at 5.81m.
<h3>Fourth Bislett win for Ibarguen</h3>
Caterine Ibarguen won her fourth Bislett title in the triple jump, taking command of the competition in the fifth round with a world-leading 14.79m leap to wrestle the lead away from Keturah Orji of the US.
&nbsp;
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Triple jump winner Caterine Ibarguen at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo</div>
&nbsp;
"Yes it was tough work today, I had only one good jump," the 2018 World Athlete of the Year said. "But this is magical track and I wanted to win."
The American reached 14.53m to secure second, with Shanieka Ricketts of Jamaica third with 14.41m.
Gong Lijiao retook the reins in the Diamond League shot put battles with a convincing victory over Shanghai winner Chase Ealey of the US. The world champion took command of the competition from the outset, and put it out of reach with an 19.51m effort in he fifth round. Ealey reached 19.20 in the second round to finish second.
Citing a pain in his right adductor, Yohannes Vetter threw just once in the javelin but his 85.27m throw in the opening round sealed the win in his 2019 debut. Estonian Magnus Kirt and Chao-Tsun Cheng of Chinese Taipei were second and third, reaching 84.74m and 84.30m, respectively.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Karsten Warholm electrified a sold-out crowd at Bislett Stadium on Thursday (13) night, breaking the European record in the 400m hurdles with a sensational 47.33 performance.

Warholm sizzles 47.33 European record in Oslo - IAAF Diamond League

With less than two months until the 44th edition of Athletissima, organisers have announced the first athletes set to compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on 5 July.
Olympic and two-time world champion Caterine Ibarg&uuml;en will compete in the triple jump. The Colombian, who is world ranked No.1 in the triple jump, underlined her all-round jumping ability last year when winning the IAAF Diamond League titles for both the triple jump and the long jump and ended the year by being named the IAAF World Female Athlete of the Year.
After winning the triple jump in Lausanne in 2014 and 2016, she contested the long jump in the Swiss city last year and finished third with 6.77m. This year she will aim to return to winning ways in Lausanne when she competes in her specialist event.
Young Cuban prodigy Juan Miguel Echevarria, world ranked No.2, will compete in the men&rsquo;s long jump. After winning the world indoor title at the age of 19, he went on to leap a marginally wind-assisted 8.83m in Stockholm last year. He has since been tipped by many as a future world record-holder in the event.
The women&rsquo;s 100m also looks to be one of the highlights of the meeting as triple European champion Dina Asher-Smith faces two-time world 200m champion Dafne Schippers and Swiss record-holder Mujinga Kambundji.
Asher-Smith, world ranked No.2 in the 100m, will be making her Athletissima debut. Schippers, world ranked No.4 in the 100m, has been a regular visitor to Lausanne, her most recent victory there coming over 200m in 2017 in 22.10, just 0.03 shy of the meeting record.
Kambundji, world ranked No.7 in the 100m, has competed at the Athletissima meeting every year since 2011. Last year marked one of her more memorable appearances there as she set Swiss records in the 100m (11.03) and 4x100m (42.29).
Organisers for the IAAF

With less than two months until the 44th edition of Athletissima, organisers have announced the first athletes set to compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Lausanne on 5 July.

Echevarria, Ibarguen and top sprint trio set for Lausanne – IAAF Diamond League

Illustrating the fierce competitiveness of athletics at the moment, just five athletes will begin their 2019 seasons with unbeaten streaks of 10 or more competitions.
Topping that list is world and Olympic champion Caster Semenya of South Africa who extended her undefeated streak in the 800m to 29 finals this year, a campaign that included victories at the Commonwealth Games, African Championships, IAAF Diamond League final and IAAF Continental Cup. Her streak began at the African Games in Brazzaville on 14 September 2015, eight days after an eighth-place finish at Berlin's ISTAF.
Next on the list is Shaunae Miller-Uibo who has raced unbeaten in her past 14 outings: eight at 200m and four at 400m, with an indoor 300m victory in February and a street 150m triumph in May added to the tally. The 24-year-old Bahamian's last loss came on 11 August 2017 when she took bronze over 200m at the World Championships. (Worth mentioning too is that Miller-Uibo also took a pair of victories at her national championships in 2018, claiming titles in the high jump (1.70m) and shot put (11.48m). Those came against modest competition, so in fairness can't be included in these tallies.)
Just behind Miller-Uibo is Gong Lijiao of China whose current 13-meeting win streak began on 24 March at the National Grand Prix final in Beijing. She can thank this year's Continental Cup rules shift for keeping her streak alive after Ostrava, where she ended the competition with the third farthest throw but won the final round to steal the victory.
Topping the men's list is Abderrahman Samba, who made his first full international 400m hurdles season a notable one. The 23-year-old Qatari was a perfect nine-for-nine in the event this year to build a 10-meet streak in his event. Among those was his spectacular 46.98 shocker at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris, only the second time the event's 47-second barrier has been broken.
Female World Athlete of the Year Caterine Ibarguen also ended the season unbeaten in her past 10 appearances, eight of those in the triple jump and two in the long jump. Four of those were her double victories at the IAAF Diamond League final and Continental Cup, an 11-day span which netted her a cool US$160,000.
<h3>Approaching double figures</h3>
But arguably the most impressive win streak record belongs to Eliud Kipchoge, this year's Male World Athlete of the Year.
When the 34-year-old Kenyan crossed the finish line at September's Berlin Marathon with a jaw-dropping 2:01:39 world record, it was Kipchoge's ninth straight victory over the distance, a phenomenal achievement given the limited competitive schedules available to the world's finest marathon runners. Underscoring that record is that each of those nine races were of the highest quality: seven were part of the World Marathon Majors series and another, the 2016 Olympic final. His streak began in Rotterdam on 13 April 2014 where he clocked 2:05:00 in another quality race. Over the course of his career he's contested the distance 11 times and has only lost once, finishing second in Berlin in 2013 where he clocked 2:04:05.
Next on the list is Jamaican discus star Fedrick Dacres who will begin 2019 riding an eight-meeting streak. Those came after a few mid-season defeats that ended a stretch of 13 straight victories.
Meanwhile, IAAF Diamond League 200m champion Noah Lyles will begin the season with six straight victories in his main event, and riding an unbeaten streak of seven, thanks to his 100m triumph at the Continental Cup.
Notable too is Nafi Thiam's continued dominance in the combined events. The 24-year-old Belgian extended her unbeaten streak to six &ndash; five heptathlons and one indoor pentathlon&nbsp;&ndash; going back to her Olympic triumph in Rio two years ago.
She's still sitting well behind Swede Carolina Kluft, however, who cobbled together a phenomenal 19-competition unbeaten streak in the heptathlon, one which began on 22 July 2001 when she captured the European junior title, and ended with her victory at the World Championships in Osaka six years later.
<h3>End of the line</h3>
This past year witnessed the end of several streaks, Mariya Lasitskene&rsquo;s in the high jump the most notable among them.
Her 45-meet streak, one of the longest in the sport in recent years, began at the University Games in Smolensk on 1 July 2016 and lasted exactly two years, with her victory at the Paris stop of the IAAF Diamond League on 30 June. The end of the line came in Rabat two weeks later where she finished third behind Mirela Demireva and Yuliya Levchenko. Over the course of those two years, she topped two metres or better at 28 competitions.
The 25-year-old authorised neutral athlete has since began chiseling together another, winning each of her seven competitions since that defeat in Rabat.
World hammer record-holder Anita Wlodarczyk of Poland had put together a streak of 42 consecutive victories from 2014 to 2017, but that came to a surprising end in her first competition of 2018 as she finished an uncharacteristic ninth in Halle.
Katerina Stefanidi, the world and Olympic pole vault champion, hit the end of the proverbial road at the World Indoor Championships in March. The 28-year-old arrived in Birmingham riding a 19-meeting win streak, but once again found world indoor gold elusive, forced to settle for bronze. Nonetheless, her unbeaten run, which began at the Millrose Games on 11 February 2017, lasted more than a year.
Likewise, the fiercely competitive pole vault scene on the men's side caught up with world champion Sam Kendricks who was undefeated in 16 meetings in 2017. That streak ended at his first competition of 2018 where he finished second to Piotr Lisek in Cottbus on 31 January in his season's debut.
A second-place finish in Banska Bystrica on 6 February ended world high jump champion Mutaz Barshim's unbeaten streak at 12. He bounced back later, winning his most recent six competitions, but that streak was put on hold by injury in early July.
Others who rode periods of solid momentum this year included world shot put champion Tom Walsh who collected nine straight wins early this season, and Marie-Josee Ta Lou (100m) and Hellen Obiri (5000m) whose streaks ended at eight.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF
NOTE: The win streak calculations are based on finals only.

Illustrating the fierce competitiveness of athletics at the moment, just five athletes will begin their 2019 seasons with unbeaten streaks of ten or more competitions.

Five athletes end 2018 with win streaks of 10 or more 

Caterine Ibarguen had an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday as she discovered that, while she had safely arrived at Nice airport, her luggage had not.
A few hours later &ndash; just long enough for her to race around the centre of Monte Carlo in search of a suitably glitzy dress and then to attend a last-minute press conference &ndash; Colombia&rsquo;s golden girl of the jumps had a surprise of a different kind as she was presented with the IAAF Female Athlete of the Year award.
"I am struggling to stand up because my legs are shaking so much," said the 34-year-old who won the IAAF Diamond League and Continental Cup titles in triple jump and long jump during another unbeaten season. A year after losing her world title in London, she is now back on top of the world.
Nothing exhibited the continuing drive and ambition of an athlete who has won two world titles and added 2016 Olympic gold to her 2012 silver better than her efforts to take part in the IAAF Diamond League finals that took place on consecutive days in Zurich and Brussels. And her performances once she had managed it.
Ibarguen regained her IAAF Diamond League triple jump title in Switzerland, finishing a centimetre clear of Jamaica&rsquo;s Shanieka Ricketts with her best of 14.56m.
A 7:00am flight out the next day enabled her to contest the Diamond trophy for the long jump in Belgium, where she won with an effort of 6.80m.
She had already won the triple jump and long jump titles at the Central American and Caribbean Games. And she finished her season in September by winning both events at the IAAF Continental Cup in Ostrava.
She ended the season top of the listings in the triple jump with a best of 14.96m, and a best long jump effort of 6.93m at the Continental Cup in Ostrava that was good enough for fifth on the 2018 list. 
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Caterine Ibarguen, winner of the triple jump at the IAAF Continental Cup Ostrava 2018</div>
&nbsp;
It looks like a superbly martialled athletics campaign &ndash; but speaking a couple of hours ahead of the IAAF Athletics Awards at the Grimaldi Forum, Ibarguen revealed it was one that developed as it went along as she and her coach Ubaldo Duany adapted to changing circumstances.
They had started with the idea of doubling up with the long jump at the Central American and Caribbean Games, which were held in Barranquilla, Colombia.
&ldquo;When we saw that it was actually going really well we thought it would worth having a shot at the Diamond League title,&rdquo; she explained.
&ldquo;But the long jump was only secondary. Triple jump is my priority with next year&rsquo;s World Championships in mind. My main focus will be on one event and doing it very well.
&ldquo;I have two difficult years coming up &ndash; Doha, and then the Tokyo Olympics &ndash; and I am already preparing myself carefully for these two major championships.
&ldquo;But that doesn&rsquo;t mean I won&rsquo;t be doing any more long jump competitions. We will just have to see how that plays with the calendar because the World Championships are so late in the year.&rdquo;
There will be no indoor competition for her next year &ndash; instead she plans to spend time at her training base near Ostia, in Italy.
Asked if she regarded 2018 as her finest season, she responded: &ldquo;2018 was definitely one of my best years. But I didn&rsquo;t set a PB (in the triple jump) so let&rsquo;s say it&rsquo;s among my best years.
&ldquo;The credit goes first and foremost to my coach, who has given me so much help and guidance during my career,&rdquo; added Ibarguen, who was raised by her grandmother after her parents had separated during a time of armed conflict in Colombia. 
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Caterine Ibarguen in the triple jump at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich</div>
&nbsp;
A couple of hours before the IAAF Athletics Awards at the Grimaldi Forum, Ibarguen had been diplomacy itself when she was told that many athletes believed she would win the women&rsquo;s award: &ldquo;It&rsquo;s a great honour for me that so many of my colleagues see me as a possible winner. It&rsquo;s already great to be here among so many fantastic athletes. All five finalists have achieved some extraordinary performances. I am very happy and lucky that God gave me the possibility to be here &ndash; if I am chosen tonight, it will be a great source of pride for my country.&rdquo;
Just how proud her country is of her becomes clear when one listens to Juan Carlos Bejarano, Europe correspondent of the Winsports Colombia TV channel.
He explained that her long jump adventure this year caught the public attention.
&ldquo;Part of the reason was that it was a surprise for her. She told me, and her coach told me, that they started long jumping this year because they wanted her to be ready for the Central American Games. Because there were a lot of gaps, there were fewer competitions in the Diamond League in triple jump.
&ldquo;So she said I&rsquo;m going to do maybe two or three long jump competitions to be ready for those Games, which were in Colombia. As she progressed and saw that she was doing well, she and her coach decided they should continue. But it wasn&rsquo;t something they planned.
&ldquo;It was an incredible achievement, especially after last year, which was a difficult season for her. She came second at the World Championships &ndash; she lost the crown, and that was a big upset for her. She also lost the Diamond League final.
&ldquo;Those two competitions she has been dominating for a long time &ndash; she lost them, so people thought, &lsquo;OK, that&rsquo;s it, her time is over, time for her to retire.&rsquo;
&ldquo;But I always said, she&rsquo;s not young any more, but she looks after herself very well, she hasn&rsquo;t had any serious injuries, she has a good team around her, she&rsquo;s going to come back better &ndash; and she did. 
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Caterine Ibarguen in the long jump at the Central American and Caribbean Games in Barranquilla</div>
&nbsp;
&ldquo;Mentally and physically she is strong. And she is one of these athletes that is blessed. You have to be blessed sometimes to not get injured so it was a surprise for a lot of people &ndash; a happy surprise.
&ldquo;She is a big star in Colombia. You have footballers who are famous, like James Rodriguez, like Radamel Falcao. Caterine is up there with them. In fact she has just been chosen as the best sportswoman in Colombia. That was from all sports, not only athletics. When she goes there to the ceremony there were hundreds of people asking her for a photograph, for an autograph. She&rsquo;s a big star.
&ldquo;When she won the world title in Moscow in 2013, my channel decided to buy the rights to the Diamond League. We had bought the rights for the World Championships, and it was a huge rating. The President was in a conference, and he stopped to see the final jumps in Moscow. And from there she became a household name.
&ldquo;We had the Diamond League rights, but the triple jump is done before the main programme, so we as a channel have to pay for a satellite feed, and we have to pay the Diamond League to produce the triple jump for us. So this is how important she is. It costs a lot of money for a Colombian channel &ndash; it costs a lot of dollars. But it&rsquo;s worth it for us. 
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Caterine Ibarguen in the triple jump at the London 2012 Olympic Games</div>
&nbsp;
&ldquo;The other thing is that Colombia is six hours behind Europe, so a lot of these competitions are in the morning, or around midday, but we still get a high rating.
&ldquo;South Americans, we love a winner, we love a champion. And she&rsquo;s a champion. But also there is her personal story. She came from a difficult background, an area that was affected by violence and poverty. And then you see her, it&rsquo;s her attitude, she looks like a champion, she is beautiful, she is confident, and she is always focused when she competes.
&ldquo;And I think anyone, it doesn&rsquo;t matter where you are from, loves that. She is so good at competing. Often she is losing, she is losing, and then in the final jump &ndash; wow! &ndash; she comes out a winner. We saw it this year in the Diamond League and the Continental Cup.
&ldquo;People love that. She&rsquo;s an excellent role model. I just spoke to the President of the Colombian Athletics Federation and asked him if we have more athletes than 10 years ago, before she was famous. And he told me, &lsquo;Yes, definitely. The Ibarguen effect is there, and we are seeing more young girls &ndash; which is not easy &ndash; training in athletics.&rsquo; &rdquo;
Mike Rowbottom for the IAAF

Caterine Ibarguen had an unpleasant surprise on Tuesday as she discovered that, while she had safely arrived at Nice airport, her luggage had not.