Kipyegon targets another triumph at Rome Diamond League

29/08/2024 15:37

The 1500m world record holder will take aim at bettering her record in Italy on Friday, while Tebogo takes on Kerley in the men's 100m

Faith Kipyegon is set to compete in the 1500m at the 13^th Diamond League of the season on Friday (Aug 30), marking her return to the meeting where she first set a world record in the event.

However, this year the meeting moves back to its traditional location in Rome after being held in Florence last year – where Kipyegon broke the world record.

The Kenyan middle-distance star recently claimed her third consecutive 1500m title in Paris, clocking 3:51.29 – just two seconds off her world record of 3:49.04 set earlier this year at the Paris Diamond League.

Australia's Olympic silver medallist Jess Hull will also join the lineup, while Olympic 10,000m silver medallist Nadia Battocletti will test herself over the shorter distance in front of a home crowd.

Great Britain's Revee Walcott-Nolan is also set to compete after achieving a personal best of 3:58.08 in the Olympic semi-final, where she broke the four-minute barrier for the first time.

Fred Kerley will return to the circuit after claiming victory in the men's 100m in Silesia on Sunday (August 25). With the last-minute withdrawal of Olympic silver medallist Kishane Thompson, who also pulled out in Silesia, Kerley's main man to beat will be 200m Olympic champion Letsile Tebogo.

Tebogo is fresh off a win in the 200m at Lausanne where Kerley finished third. This time, both athletes will compete over the shorter distance, though Tebogo is known to favour the 200m after his sixth place in the Olympic 100m final.

Tebogo says: "I haven't put a target to the time (in Rome) because the Olympics are finished and I'm still celebrating my gold medal, but I will give it my best shot. With Fred [Kerley] there I think it is going to be a fast time.

"Noah [Lyles] has changed the sport. I didn't change anything, I just came in and won the gold medal, but he has been very consistent throughout the years. I think after being consistent also I would say I could be the face of athletics."

The showdown will also feature African record-holder Ferdinand Omanyala and Marcell Jacobs, who will be making his return to the stadium where he clinched European gold.

The men's 5000m will see five of the top six finishers from the Olympic final take the start line. Olympic silver medallist, Kenya's Ronald Kwemoi and bronze medallist Grant Fisher from the USA will join the line up.

World leader Hagos Gebrhiwet will join the pair alongside Dominic Lobalu, Biniam Mehary, Mohammed Ahmed and Yomif Kejelcha.

Meanwhile, Daryll Neita is among the British stars in action as she joins training partner Amy Hunt in the women's 200m. The pair will face European champion Mujinga Kambundji from Switzerland and Olympic bronze medallist, USA's Brittany Brown.

Charlie Dobson will go in the men's 400m while Lina Nielsen competes in the women's 400m hurdles.

In the field events, USA's Ryan Crouser will attempt to break the five-year-old meeting record of 21.97m with a PB of 23.56m. However, he faces a strong challenge from fellow American Joe Kovacs, who recently defeated Crouser to win in Silesia.

Leonardo Fabbri, who was fifth in Paris, will look to impress in front of his home fans while Jamaica's Rajindra Campbell also joins the line-up.

Crouser's attention won't be limited to the shot put as he will also be keeping an eye on the discus event, as he coaches Jamaica's Roje Stona, who won gold in Paris with an Olympic record (70.0m). However, world record holder Mykolas Alekna from Lithuania will be his biggest competition.

"In the latter half of my career, coaching Roje has kept me engaged and brings me a new level of excitement," says Stona's coach, Crouser.

"Shot put and discus vary in the execution of the technique, but a lot of the training and preparation is very similar such as the mental aspect of stepping on the track and knowing you have prepared to the best of your ability. Explaining that to him has solidified my confidence in myself.

"I will say that coaching is a lot more stressful than being an athlete. It's way more easier for me to step out on the Olympic stage and compete than it is to be preparing someone else and to be in the stands."

American gold medallist Tara Davis-Woodhall enters the women's long jump as favourite, facing tough competition from Germany's Malaika Mihambo and fellow American Jasmine Moore, who both secured podium finishes in Paris.

Reflecting on her life a few years ago, Davis-Woodhall says: "Back in 2020 and 2021 I wasn't fond of what I was doing in my life, I had some bad habits, and I gave myself the ultimatum of, you give this life one chance and you either take it or you don't.

"I decided to put on the boots and start marching and ever since then I've changed my outlook on life. I feel like I'm here for a reason and whatever that reason is I'm going to show my smile and show the joy of life."

After taking the win in Silesia, European champion Gianmarco Tamberi will perform back at home in the men's high jump. He will face 2022 world indoor champion Woo Sanghyeok and Italy's Stefano Sottile.

The meeting will be live for UK viewers on BBC at 8pm on Friday August 30.

Timetable and results here

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