It’s been a long season in the Diamond League series with 13 meetings done and dusted across 10 countries around the globe. The final leg of the meetings will be concluded in the Belgian capital of Brussels on Friday, with 16 new Diamond Race Champions waiting to emerge.
In the first final held in Zurich last week, each discipline seemed like a World Championships rematch, with the first 16 of 32 champions being crowned in Switzerland. This time around, attention will shift to the Brussels Diamond League where the women’s half lap race is expected to be one of the highlights on the night, with three of the fastest women in history going against each other.
2015 World Champion Dafne Schippers became the third fastest woman ever in Beijing when she crossed the finishing line in a European Record (ER) and World Lead of 21.63s. The new ‘Flying Dutchwoman’ as she is fondly called will renew her battle with the 5th fastest woman ever, Elaine Thompson, who won Silver behind her in 21.66s, and reigning Olympic Champion Allyson Felix.
In Beijing, Felix opted out of the 200m, choosing instead to concentrate on the 400m – a decision which paid off as she won easily in a Personal Best (PB)/World Lead (WL) of 49.26s, before clocking the third fastest split ever of 47.72s in the 4x400m where the USA took Silver behind Jamaica.
It is expected that the 29-year old will surely change the dynamics of the race at the Brussels Diamond League. The American currently has a Season’s Best (SB) of 21.98s in the 200m, and was the only woman to have gone inside 22s prior to the championships in Beijing. Victory will see her retain the Diamond Trophy she won in 2014.
The three-time World Champion currently leads the Diamond standings and is ahead teammate Jeneba Tarmoh (9 points) with a point; Tarmoh is also on the start list in Brussels. Schippers sits 3rd with 4 points, and a win will guarantee 8 points. She will be hoping Felix finishes outside the Top 3 in order to grab the trophy.
Schippers and Felix have gone head-to-head four times, with both having two wins apiece. The pair has only met once in 2015 where the US sprinter finished ahead at the meeting in Lausanne. Although not in contention for the trophy and $40,000 up for grabs, Jamaica’s Thompson will be looking to put a perfect climax to her outstanding season by going for a win.
The 23-year old would be seeking to turn the tables against Schippers, while also aiming to finish ahead of Felix once again, after defeating her in their previous meeting over the 100m at the Jamaican Invitational back in May.
Another mouth-watering clash is the face-off between World Champion Christian Taylor and Beijing 2015 Silver medallist, Pedro Pablo Pichardo in the men’s Triple Jump. The duo has been a major factor in ensuring that 2015 is indeed remembered as the year of the jumps, with both athletes going above the 18m mark on several occasions.
At the World Championships, Taylor secured his title in a historic way, saving his best for the last jump. The American leaped to a huge PB and American Record of 18.21m, which is just 8m short of the World Record (WR), while Pichardo’s last jump of 17.73m got him the Silver medal. The Cuban currently leads the standings by just two points, and would be hoping to have one more ahead of Taylor to excellently cap his breakthrough year.
Justin Gatlin may have lost the World Championships 100m/200m GOLD to Usain Bolt, but the American has a lot to savour as he would be going all out to retain his 100m Diamond Trophy against a respectable field that includes multiple sub-10s runner, Jamaica’s Asafa Powell. Gatlin has a six-point lead and with the absence of his teammate, Tyson Gay in the line-up (he is 2nd on the standings), he looks on course to retain his title.
The 200m is not a Diamond Race event, but with the recent withdrawal of Usain Bolt from the race, Gatlin will be the favorite once again when he races against newly crowned 400m World Champion Wayde Van Niekerk of South Africa, Isaac Makwala and 2015 Diamond Trophy winner in the event, Alonso Edward.
The absence of World Record holder David Rudisha in the men’s 800m, makes the race open as Olympic Silver medallist Nijel Amos, Moscow 2013 GOLD medallist Mohammed Aman, Beijing 2013 Silver medallist Adam Kszczot and World Leader Amel Tuka battle for the top spot. Amos leads the standings with 12 points and will need to finish in the Top 3 to secure the Diamond Race title.
The women’s 400m also boasts of an interesting field that features Diamond Race leader Francenca McCorory, who incidentally missed out on an individual spot at the World Championships after placing 4th at the US Championships. She goes against Worlds Silver medallist Shaunae Miller and Commonwealth Champion, Stephenie Ann McPherson.
A win for McPherson will see her become the Diamond Race winner for the first time in her career. Another major event where winner takes all is the 100m hurdles. The American trio of Dawn Harper-Nelson, Sharika Nelvis and Jasmin Stowers are tied with the same points (10) on the standings.
