Valerie Adams in action at the 2012 Diamond League meeting in Stockholm (© Anders Sjogren)
Ten Olympic champions and a further 25 Olympic medallists are poised to compete at the IAAF Diamond League kick-off meeting in Doha on May 9.
The meeting will also feature 25 current or former world champions as well as 28 silver and bronze medallists from the IAAF’s flagship event. 12 athletes from this year’s star-studded line-up have been crowned world indoor champions with an addition 10 having won silver or bronze at the World Indoors.
“We are keeping the tradition of bringing on elite athletes in Doha alive and we respect our commitment for high quality standards in every field of this great one-day event,” said Dahlan Al Hamad, president of the Qatar Athletics Association. “Introducing a roster like that is an essential prerequisite for yet another successful Doha Diamond League meeting.
“On Friday May 9 at the Qatar Sports Club stadium we will have with us the following Olympic Games winners: LaShawn Merritt in the 400m, David Rudisha in the 800m, Asbel Kiprop in the 1500m, Brimin Kipruto and Ezekiel Kemboi in the 3000m steeplechase, the latter twice winner at the Olympics, Ivan Ukhov in the high jump, triple jump specialist Christian Taylor in the long jump, Gerd Kanter in the discus, Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce in the 100m and Valerie Adams in the shot put.”
New Zealand’s Adams is the most dominant figure in women’s athletics and her supremacy in the shot put is undisputed. Apart from her two Olympic gold medals, she also has four outdoor and three indoor world titles, and will arrive in Doha with a winning streak of 46 finals. She hasn’t lost a competition since August 2010.
Kenya’s Asbel Kiprop, the 800m winner in 2011 in Doha, is rated among the top 1500m runners of all time, with successive wins at the past two World Championships. His compatriots Brimin Kipruto and Ezekiel Kemboi have won all but one of the global 3000m steeplechase titles available since 2004.
In the field events, USA’s Christian Taylor – who will compete in both the long jump and triple jump this season – is not only the current Olympic triple jump champion, but also the former world champion. Estonia’s discus legend Gerd Kanter has two Olympic medals (gold and bronze) and five World Championships medals (one gold, two silver, two bronze) to his tally.
The list of global medallists set to compete in Doha is as follows:
MEN
200m: Nickel Ashmeade (JAM), Warren Weir (JAM), Femi Ogunode (QAT), Curtis Mitchell (USA).
400m: Pavel Maslak (CZE), Luguelin Santos (DOM), Josh Mance (USA), LaShawn Merritt (USA), Tony McQuay (USA).
800m: David Rudisha (KEN), Nijel Amos (BOT), Andrew Osagie (GBR).
1500m: Ayanleh Souleiman (DJI), Mekonnen Gebremedhin (ETH), Aman Wote (ETH), Silas Kiplagat (KEN), Asbel Kiprop (KEN), Johan Cronje (RSA), Ilhan Tanui Ozbilen (TUR).
110m hurdles: Ryan Brathwaite (BAR), Pascal Martinot-Lagarde (FRA), Sergey Shubenkov (RUS), David Oliver (USA), Omo Osaghae (USA), Ryan Wilson (USA).
3000m steeplechase: Ezekiel Kemboi (KEN), Brimin Kipruto (KEN), Conseslus Kipruto (KEN), Paul Kipsiele Koech (KEN), Abel Kiprop Mutai (KEN).
High jump: Donald Thomas (BAH), Derek Drouin (CAN), Robbie Grabarz (GBR), Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT), Ivan Ukhov (RUS), Andriy Protsenko (UKR), Erik Kynard (USA), Jesse Williams (USA).
Long Jump: Chris Tomlinson (GBR), Luis Rivera (MEX), Ignisious Gaisah (NED), Godfrey Mokoena (RSA), Christian Taylor (USA).
Discus: Gerd Kanter (EST), Ehsan Hadadi (IRI), Piotr Malachowski (POL).
WOMEN
100m: Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce (JAM), Carrie Russell (JAM), Kerron Stewart (JAM), Blessing Okagbare (NGR), Alexandria Anderson (USA), English Gardner (USA).
800m: Jenny Meadows (GBR), Marilyn Okoro (GBR), Janeth Jepkosgei (KEN), Eunice Jepkoech Sum (KEN), Chanelle Price (USA).
3000m: Almaz Ayana (ETH), Genzebe Dibaba (ETH), Mercy Cherono (KEN), Hellen Obiri (KEN).
400m hurdles: Eilidh Child (GBR), Kaliese Spencer (JAM), Lashinda Demus (USA), Dalilah Muhammad (USA).
Pole vault: Yarisley Silva (CUB), Jirina Svobodova (CZE), Anna Rogowska (POL).
Triple jump: Keila Costa (BRA), Caterine Ibarguen (COL), Kimberley Williams (JAM), Anna Pyatykh (RUS), Olga Saladukha (UKR).
Shot put: Valerie Adams (NZL), Yevgeniya Kolodko (RUS), Michelle Carter (USA).
Javelin: Kim Mickle (AUS), Linda Stahl (GER), Sunette Viljoen (RSA).
Organisers for the IAAF
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2014 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 9 May
Shanghai, CHN – 18 May
Eugene, USA – 31 May
Rome, ITA – 5 Jun
Oslo, NOR – 11 Jun
New York, USA – 14 Jun
Lausanne, SUI – 3 Jul
Paris, FRA – 5 Jul
Glasgow, GBR – 11-12 Jul
Monaco, MON – 18 Jul
Stockholm, SWE – 21 Aug
Birmingham, GBR – 24 Aug
Zurich, SUI – 28 Aug
Brussels, BEL – 5 Sep
