African Triple Jump Champion Tosin Oke will be making a return to the Diamond League scene on the first day of the London Anniversary Games slated for Friday, July 22nd.
The Nigerian multiple champion has had an impressive season thus far, with his latest feat being at the African Championships in Durban where he reclaimed his African title with a Season’s Best (SB) of 17.13m, which sits him at No.11 on the 2016 World standings.
Although he didn’t make the trip to Sapele for the Nigerian Trials, giving room for African Games Silver medallist Olumide Olamigoke to claim his first national title, Oke will be aiming for big leaps at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Stadium, which will serve as a big test ahead of the Olympic Games.
The African Games Champion will be up against a respectable field that includes World Champion Christian Taylor (17.76m), who was handed his first defeat this season by Will Claye at the US Trials two weeks ago.
Also included in the field is Bronze medallist at the US Trials Chris Benard (17.21m), China’s Bin Dong (17.24m), USA’s Omar Craddock (17.16m) and Cuba’s Alexis Copello (16.98m).
Another mouthwatering field event to watch out for is the women’s Pole Vault where four women in Katerina Stefanidi, Yarisley Silva, Fabiana Murer and Eliza Mccartney have gone above the 4.80m mark.
Stefanidi is the Diamond Race leader and will be favourite for a win, while World Champion Silva, will be aiming for her second Diamond League victory this season.
Damar Forbes created one of the upsets at the Monaco Diamond League, claiming his first Diamond League victory. The Jamaican will hope to build on this form when he lines up in the men’s Long Jump on the second day of the Games.
His stiffest competitors will be in USA’s pair of Michael Hartfield and Jarvis Gotch. Sweden’s Michel Torneus has the farthest distance in the field with a Personal Best (PB)/SB of 8.44m and may be in for an upset.
Diamond Leader in the women’s Discus, Sandra Perkovic won’t have her Cuban rivals to deal with, but she’ll surely be looking out for World Bronze medallist Nadine Müller, and Australia’s Dani Samuels.
Meanwhile in the men’s Javelin, the German duo of Johannes Vetter and Julian Weber will be aiming to throw farther than Olympic Champion Keshorn Walcott, with both having SBs of 88.23m and 88.03m respectively.
The women’s High Jump will feature European Champion, Ruth Beitia and European Silver medallist Mirela Demireva of Bulgaria. World No. 3 Kamila Licwenko won’t be a push over, as well as Lavern Spencer of St. Lucia.
USA’s Joe Kovacs tops the Diamond League standings, and is just two points ahead of New Zealand’s Tom Walsh. With Walsh also included in the field, one can only expect a tough competition.
The Polish duo of Tomasz Majewski and Michal Haratyk will also target a win in a bid to get closer to the top of the standings.
