Spotlight on Coleman Vs Lyles in Shanghai
Nine sub-10 second runners, including local fan favorite Su Bingtian, USA’s World Championship silver medalist Christian Coleman and Diamond League Champion Noah Lyles will be in action on Saturday may 18th at the Shanghai Diamond League 2019.
Lyles, last year’s Diamond League 200m Champion with a personal best of 19.67 seconds for the event, clocked a PB of 9.88 seconds in the 100m last year and is currently ranked number 5 in the world. He has already shown that he is in great form with his impressive anchor leg during the IAAF World Championship last weekend.
This will be the first international competition in 2019 for Coleman, who ended 2018 with a time of 9.79 seconds, the 7th fastest timing ever. Su turns 30 this year but seems to keep on improving, as he ended last year clocking the fastest time ever by a native Asian sprinter with 9.91 seconds: equaling the Asian record set by Bahrain’s Nigerian import Femi Ogunode in 2015.
The race will also feature another talent, the exciting South African Commonwealth Games Champion Akani Simbine , as well as US sprinters Michael Rodgers and Isiah Young, Jamaica’s Tyquendo Cey, Great Britain’s Reece Prescod and another Chinese sub-10 second runner, Asian 200m Champion Xie Zhenye.
Thompson returns
Jamaica’s Elaine Thompson will be eyeing a winning start to her Diamond League season ahead of the World Championship in the Women’s 100m. The 26-year old had a below par 2018 with a best time of 10.93 seconds compared to her career best 10.70 seconds, and will now be aiming for a strong start in Shanghai. Thompson was in good nick during World Relays before a baton change fumble left her star-studded 4x200m relay team with just the bronze medal.
Thompson was the woman to beat in 2016, blowing off both the 100m and 200m fields throughout the year when going on to the Rio Olympics, leaving no doubt as to who would be the double Olympic Champion: a position Thompson achieved in style, winning both events comfortably with 10.71 seconds 100m and 21.78 seconds 200m runs.
But her good fortune waned in 2017. Even though she was able to clock 10.71 seconds during the year she had a disastrous World Championship, finishing fifth in the 100m. And things got even worse in 2018. It’s hard to comprehend how, despite having won the 100m and 200m gold medals at the 2016 Olympics, she has yet to win an individual gold medal in a World Championship – which will be her prime target this year.
Meanwhile the Women’s 100m will also see young US athlete Aleia Hobbs, the 2018 NCAA Champion, making her Diamond League debut. The 23-year old, with a PB of 10.85 seconds, anchored the US 4x100m relay team to a gold medal during the World Relays just last week and will be aiming for a winning start in her Diamond League career. Experienced campaigner Nigeria’s Blessing Okagbare and US sprinters Ashley Henderson and Jenna Prandini will be the others to watch in the race.
Samba Vs Benjamin
After nearly a year, two of the four fastest 400m hurdlers of all time will lock horns as Qatar’s Asian Champion Abderrahman Samba takes on Raj Benjamin of the US in the event. Samba lowered the Asian record to 46.98 seconds last year to become the second fastest man in history; Benjamin clocked 47.02 to tie with all-time legend Edwin Moses in No: 3 spot.
Samba’s has already got off to a sensational start, winning the Asian title in 47.51 secs just over three weeks ago. Benjamin has shown excellent form as well, clocking 44.31 seconds in his 400m season opener in April.
Naser Vs McLaughlin in the 400m
Bahrain’s Nigerian-born Asian Champion Salwa Eid Naser is returning to the Diamond League after winning four medals at the Asian Championship just last month, including a double in the 200m and 400m. Salwa won the Diamond League as well as the Continental Cup last year clocking 49.08 seconds, breaking the Asian record several times within the year.
Young 400m hurdles Champion Sydney McLaughlin, who has clocked a PB of 50. 07 seconds in the 400m flat event, will be up against Salwa in the 400m when she makes her Diamond League debut.
The race also includes Jamaica’s Stephanie Ann McPherson and Poland’s Justyna Swiety-Ersetic who anchored the Polish 4x400m relay team with sensational laps to win the gold medal in the World Relays in Yokohama last weekend.
The men’s 400m will feature the 2018 Diamond League winner Fred Kerley of the US, Commonwealth Games winner Botswana’s Issac Makwala and Bahamian Steven Gardiner, all of them with sub-44 second times in the event.
Champions compete in 110m Hurdles
The Men’s 110m hurdles feature the first meeting for the year between Olympic and World Champion Omar McLeod and Sergey Shubenkov, the Diamond League and Continental Cup Champion last year. McLeod has clocked 13.29 this season, while Shubenkov will be making his season’s debut, as will Spain’s Orlando Ortega, the 2016 Olympic bronze medallist, and Milan Trajkovic of Cyprus, the European Indoor Champion. The fastest man in the field thus far this season is China’s Xie We.
Stefanidi Vs Morris
Olympic Pole Vault Champion Katerina Stefanidi and Sandi Morris, the World Indoor Champion, will resume their rivalry in Shanghai. Overall, Stefanidi has a 21-14 advantage, including four of their last five face-offs. Morris opened her season with a 4.76m effort at the Drake Relays, while Stefanidi will be making her outdoor debut.
| SHANGHAI DIAMOND LEAGUE SCHEDULE- 18 MAY 2019 | |||||
| Event | SHANGHAI | SL/IST | US Eastern | Kenya | Jamaica |
| Javelin Throw Women | 6.10pm | 3.40pm | 6.10am | 1.10pm | 5.10am |
| High Jump Women | 6.19pm | 3.49pm | 6.19am | 1.19pm | 5.19am |
| Shot Put Women | 6.27pm | 3.57pm | 6.27am | 1.27pm | 5.27am |
| Pole Vault Women | 6.35pm | 4.05pm | 6.35am | 1.35pm | 5.35am |
| 400M H Men | 7.04pm | 4.34pm | 7.04am | 2.04pm | 6.04am |
| 5000m Men | 7.13pm | 4.43pm | 7.13am | 2.13pm | 6.13am |
| Long Jump Men | 7.25pm | 4.55pm | 7.25am | 2.25pm | 6.25am |
| 400M Women | 7.36pm | 5.06pm | 7.36am | 2.36pm | 6.36am |
| 200M Men | 7.45pm | 5.15pm | 7.45am | 2.45pm | 6.45am |
| Javelin Throw Men | 7.46pm | 5.16pm | 7.46am | 2.46pm | 6.46am |
| 1500M Women | 7.52pm | 5.22pm | 7.52am | 2.52pm | 6.52am |
| 100M Women | 8.06pm | 5.36pm | 8.06am | 3.06pm | 7.06am |
| 400M Men | 8.15pm | 5.45pm | 8.15am | 3.15pm | 7.15am |
| 110M H Men | 8.26pm | 5.56pm | 8.26am | 3.26pm | 7.26am |
| 3000M St.Ch Women | 8.34pm | 6.04pm | 8.34am | 3.34pm | 7.34am |
| 100M Men | 8.53pm | 6.23pm | 8.53am | 3.53pm | 7.53am |
