Elaine Thompson en route to victory at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat (© Kirby Lee)
Three Olympic champions are among the first star athletes confirmed for the Meeting Mohammed VI D'Athletisme in Rabat on 16 July, the African leg of the IAAF Diamond League.
Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson will try to improve on the 11.02 meeting record she set in the 100m last year. The Jamaican recently won the national 100m title in a world-leading 10.71 and will be looking to sharpen up in that event ahead of the IAAF World Championships London 2017.
Dalilah Muhammad last weekend won the US 400m hurdles title in what was the greatest depth race in history in that discipline. Her winning mark of 52.64 was the fastest time in the world since 2011. The Olympic champion will be racing in Rabat for the first time in her career.
Conseslus Kipruto provided one of the highlights of last year’s Meeting Mohammed VI D'Athletisme, winning the steeplechase in a meeting record of 8:02.77. The Olympic champion from Kenya will be back in Rabat to try to improve on that mark.
Other international athletes set to compete in Rabat include Canada’s triple Olympic medallist Andre De Grasse, USA’s Olympic 800m bronze medallist Clayton Murphy and US 100m champion Justin Gatlin.
Meanwhile, 2012 world indoor 1500m champion Abdalaati Iguider and steeplechase specialist Soufiane El Bakkali will aim to achieve victories for the host nation.
Organisers for the IAAF
2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar:
5 May – Doha, QAT
13 May – Shanghai, CHN
27 May – Eugene, USA
8 Jun – Rome, ITA
15 Jun – Oslo, NOR
18 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
1 Jul – Paris, FRA
6 Jul – Lausanne, SUI
9 Jul – London, GBR
16 Jul – Rabat, MAR
21 Jul – Monaco, MON
20 Aug – Birmingham, GBR
24 Aug – Zurich, SUI
1 Sep – Brussels, BEL
