Mondo Duplantis in Xiamen (© Matthew Quine / Diamond League AG)
One week on from his world record-breaking performance at the opening Wanda Diamond League meeting of the season in Xiamen, Mondo Duplantis will be among the athletes in action when competition continues in Suzhou on Saturday (27).
The Yangtze Delta Athletics Diamond Gala is the second Diamond League event of the year and it will see Duplantis joined by fellow global gold medallists such as Gong Lijiao, Mutaz Barshim, Sha'Carri Richardson, Devynne Charlton and Selemon Barega.
In Xiamen last Saturday, world and Olympic champion Duplantis started his Diamond League season in the same way he ended it in Eugene in September: by adding a centimetre to his own world pole vault record.
After clearing 6.23m in Eugene, the Swedish star soared 6.24m in Xiamen for the eighth world record of his career so far. He achieved it on his first attempt, too. Can he go even higher in Suzhou?
Joining him on the runway will be USA’s world and Olympic medallist Chris Nilsen and his compatriot Sam Kendricks, the two-time world gold medallist. Kendricks was second in Xiamen, clearing 5.82m, while Nilsen will be looking to rebound after only making it over his opening height of 5.42m.
China’s world sixth-place finisher Huang Bokai was third in Xiamen with a 5.72m clearance and will also want to make an impact in Suzhou.
Gong was another of the winners in Xiamen and the Olympic champion will seek more shot put success on home soil when she again competes against two-time world champion Chase Jackson, world indoor champion Sarah Mitton and Maddison-Lee Wesche, the runner-up in Xiamen.
Another rematch comes in the men’s high jump, where Olympic and three-time world gold medallist Barshim continues his comeback against world indoor champion Hamish Kerr and world indoor silver medallist Shelby McEwen. Those three athletes took the top three spots in Xiamen and it was McEwen who got the win, pipping Barshim on countback as they both cleared 2.27m.
The Budapest world medallists battle again in the women’s javelin, with Japan’s champion Kitaguchi – who went on to win the Diamond League crown – taking on Colombia’s Flor Denis Ruiz Hurtado and Australia’s Mackenzie Little. Kitaguchi opens her season and they will be joined by China’s Dai Qianqian, who won the non-Diamond League event in Xiamen.
The men’s long jump stars China’s 2022 world champion Wang Jianan plus the world indoor silver and bronze medallists from Glasgow, Mattia Furlani and Carey McLeod. In the women’s event, another Glasgow medallist, Fatima Diame, goes up against world bronze medallist Alina Rotaru-Kottmann and Olympic bronze medallist Ese Brume.
In the non-Diamond League women’s discus, Olympic champion Valarie Allman will look to maintain her momentum after winning in Xiamen ahead of Yaime Perez – who threw a North American record of 73.09m two weeks ago – and Feng Bin. The strong field also features world champion Laulauga Tausaga and two-time world fourth-place finisher Jorinde van Klinken.
Richardson ready to rebound
USA’s world 100m champion Richardson, who claimed 200m bronze in Budapest, was pipped by just 0.03 when making her season debut in the longer event in Xiamen and she’ll be back on the track in Suzhou.
Australian teenager Torrie Lewis got the win in Xiamen and while she is not in Diamond League action this weekend, the line-up does star world 4x100m champion Tamara Clark, 2019 world bronze medallist Mujinga Kambundji and Britain's Olympic and world relay medallist Daryll Neita.
In the men’s 100m, USA’s Fred Kerley and Christian Coleman go head-to-head again. Coleman dipped for the win in Xiamen, clocking 10.13 to Kerley’s 10.17, and they race against Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake, who was third behind them on Saturday.
The women’s 100m hurdles features an array of global gold medallists. World indoor 60m hurdles champion and world record-holder Charlton lines up alongside Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn, world champion Danielle Williams and 2022 world champion Tobi Amusan, plus Olympic bronze medallist Megan Tapper. Just 0.04 separated winner Camacho-Quinn (12.45) from runner-up Charlton in Xiamen.
World bronze medallist Daniel Roberts won the men’s 110m hurdles in Xiamen and he also continues his season in China as he again goes up against Olympic and Diamond League champion Hansle Parchment and Cordell Tinch.
World 400m champion Marileidy Paulino was another to get her season off to a winning start in Xiamen and her competition again includes Britton Wilson and Sada Williams.
Olympic champions Barega and Chemutai in action
Ethiopia’s Olympic 10,000m champion Barega ended his indoor season with world indoor 3000m bronze. Now he opens his outdoor campaign in the 5000m, where his competition includes his compatriot Nibret Melak and Kenya’s world cross country bronze medallist Benson Kiplangat.
Uganda’s Peruth Chemutai is another Olympic champion in action and she goes up against world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech, world bronze medallist Jackline Chepkoech and world U20 silver medallist Sembo Almayew in the 3000m steeplechase.
The men’s 800m features two-time Commonwealth Games winner Wyclife Kinyamal and Tshepiso Masalela, who were second and third in Xiamen, plus 2022 world silver medallist Djamel Sedjati.
The women’s 5000m is not a Diamond League event this time but it still features a formidable field, with 2022 world 10,000m champion and world record-holder Letesenbet Gidey racing World Athletics Rising Star Faith Cherotich, the world 3000m steeplechase bronze medallist.
Jess Whittington for World Athletics
