Mutaz Essa Barshim in the high jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham (© Getty Images)
Organisers of the Herculis EBS have confirmed that world athlete of the year Mutaz Essa Barshim and European athlete of the year Ekaterini Stefanidi will compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco on 20 July 2018.
The announcement was made during a cocktail reception in Monaco last weekend to celebrate the success of the 2017 edition, the scene of the last victory of Usain Bolt’s career.
Barshim was undefeated for the whole of 2017, winning at the IAAF World Championships in August and at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich. The Qatari high jumper holds the IAAF Diamond League record at 2.43m, a performance which ranks him equal second on the world all-time list.
“I’m happy to return to the Herculis EBS meeting,” said Barshim, who has competed in Monaco on three previous occasions. “I love Monaco, with its always perfect weather, spectators who support us, and good organisation of the meeting. Next year I plan to do something remarkable, at least the meeting record (2.40m).”
Like Barshim, Stefanidi was unbeaten for the entire summer season. She was crowned world pole vault champion with a Greek record of 4.91m and ended her season by winning the IAAF Diamond League title in Brussels.
"I cannot wait to return to Monaco to compete in 2018,” said Stefanidi, who won in Monaco in 2016. “I grew up watching this competition, and it’s a dream to be back at the Stade Louis II.”
Organisers for the IAAF
2018 IAAF Diamond League calendar
4 May – Doha, QAT
12 May – Shanghai, CHN
26 May – Eugene, USA
31 May – Rome, ITA
7 Jun – Oslo, NOR
10 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
30 Jun – Paris, FRA
5 Jul – Lausanne, SUI
13 Jul – Rabat, MAR
20 Jul – Monaco, MON
21-22 Jul – London, GBR
18 Aug – Birmingham, GBR
30 Aug – Zurich, SUI
31 Aug – Brussels, BEL
