Preview: Silesa Diamond League, Memorial Kamila Skolimowska
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The Wanda Diamond League continues after the national championships with the Memorial Kamila Skolimowska in Chorzow, dedicated to the memory of Sydney 2000 hammer throw Olympic champion, who died in tragic circumstances in 2009.
Armand Duplantis, Ryan Crouser, Yulimar Rojas, Wayde Van Niekerk and Tobi Amusan are the five world record holders set to be in action at the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow. Fred Kerley and Sha’Carri Richardson will be in the spotlight in the 100 metres sprint events.
Men’s pole vault:
World record holder Armand Duplantis will return to the Slaski Stadium in Chorzow for the second consecutive year. Duplantis set a meeting record of 6.10m in last year’s edition of the Memorial Kamila Skolimowska en route to his second consecutive Diamond Trophy. He set the first world record of his career on Polish soil in Torun with 6.17m in 2020.
Duplantis improved his own world record to 6.23m in Clermont Ferrand last March and won his first five outdoor competitions in Los Angeles (5.91m), Hengelo (6.11m), Oslo (6.01m), Ostrava (6.12m) and Stockolm (6.05m). The Louisiana-raised athlete won his first European title at the age of 18 in Berlin and went on to win the Olympic title in Tokyo with 6.02m, the world indoor gold medal in Belgrade with 6.20m, the world title in Eugene with a world record of 6.21m and the European outdoor title in Munich with 6.06m.
Double Commonwealth Games gold medallist Kurtis Marshall will be looking to continue his great season after finishing second to Duplantis in Ostrava with 5.90m and first in Sotteville le Rouen with his PB of 5.95m.
The US trio will be formed by Christopher Nilsen, Sam Kendricks and KC Lightfoot. Nilsen set his seasonal best of 5.92 in Bydgooszcz and finished second to Duplantis in Oslo with5.91m. The Olympic and world silver medallist won the US title in Eugene with 5.91m.
Lightfoot and Kendricks will try to bounce back from their fourth place at the US Championships in Eugene with 5.81m. Lightfoot finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and cleared the 6.00 metres barrier for the first time in his career in Bergen. Kendricks won two world titles in London 2017 and Doha 2019 and made his come-back from injury by clearing 5.91m in Los Angeles.
The line-up also features Sondre Guttormsen from Norway, European Indoor gold medallist in Istanbul 2023 with 5.80m and NCAA indoor champion in Albuquerque with 6.00m, Piotr Lisek from Poland, national record holder with 6.02m and three-time world outdoor medallist in 2015, 2017 and 2019, Bo Kanda Lita Baehre, European outdoor silver in Munich and German champion this year with 5.82m, Thiago Braz Da Silva from Brazil, Olympic champion in Rio de Janeiro 2016 with 6.03m, and Menno Vlonn, Dutch indoor record holder with 5.96m in Aubière in 2021.
Men’s 1500 metres:
Jakob Ingebrigtsen will compete in the 1500 metres, the distance where he he won the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo 2021 with a European record of 3:28.32. The Norwegian star improved his European record to 3:27.95 in front of his home fans at the Bislett Games in Oslo. He won two more Diamond League races in the 1500 metres in Rabat in 3:32.59 and in Lausanne in 3:28.72 and broke the world all-time best in the 2 miles in Paris with 7:54.10.
Ingebrigtsen won two European indoor gold medals in the 1500 and 3000 metres in Istanbul last March.
Piotr Malachowski (Meeting Director of the Memorial Kamila Skolimowska): “We have heard on multiple occasions of Ingebrigtsen’s dream to set a world record. The current mark is an old one, set 25 years ago. Jakob is less than two seconds away from Hicham El Guerrouj (3:26.00). Today the more proper question is not whether he can do it, but when it will happen”.
Ingebrigtsen will face Mohamed Katir, who holds the second fastest European time in history with 3:28.76 and won the European silver medal in the 5000m in Munich and the world bronze medal in the 1500m in Eugene in 2022. The Spanish athlete won the 5000 metres at the Golden Gala in 12:52.09 in Florence and finished second in the 1500m at the Bislett Games in Oslo with 3:28.89.
The best Kenyan athletes in the line-up are Abel Kipsang and Reynold Kipkorir Cheruiyot, second and third at last week’s National Trials in Nairobi. Kipsang finished fourth at the Olympic Games in Tokyo in his PB of 3:29.56 and third at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade. Cheruiyot won the 1500 metres at the World under 20 Championships in Cali and improved his PB to 3:31.60 in Nancy.
The other athletes to watch are Stewart McSweyn, Oceanian record holder in the 1500m with 3:29.51 in Monaco 2021 and in the 3000m with 7:28.02 in Rome 2020, and 17-year-old Cameron Myers, Australian under 20 record holder in the mile with 3:55.44 in Melbourne, Elliot Giles from Great Britain, who set the British Indoor record in the 800m with 1:43.63 in Torun in 2021 and improved his PB to 3:31.56 in the 1500m in Lausanne this year, Azeddine Habz from France, who won the European Indoor bronze medal in Istanbul and improved his PB to 3:29.26 in Oslo, Robert Farken from Germany, who improved his PB to 3:32.10 in Rehlingen and won the national title in Kassel last week, Adrian Ben from Spain, European Indoor champion in the 800m in Istanbul 2023, and Andrew Coscoran from Ireland, who improved his PB to 3:32.68 in Nice.
Men’s 100 metres:
World 100 metres champion Fred Kerley will face fresh US champion Cravont Charleston, Akani Simbine from South Africa and world silver medallist Marvin Bracy.
Kerley won two consecutive Diamond League races in the 100 metres in Rabat and Florence with the same time of 9.94 and the 200 metres in Doha in 19.92. The Texas-born finished fourth in the 200 metres in 19.86 at the US National Championships in Eugene. He won the world title in Eugene in 9.86 and set his PB of 9.76 in the semifinal of the US Championships in Eugene 2022.
Charleston won the 100 metres at the US Championships in 9.95 in Eugene beating Christian Coleman and Noah Lyles. The 25-year-old US sprinter, who is coached by Atlanta 1996 Olympic champion Allen Johnson, also took the win at three Continental Tour meetings in Los Angeles in 9.91, Turku in 9.95 and Kuortane in 9.90.
Simbine reached two Olympic finals (fifth in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and fourth in Tokyo 2021) and three world finals (fifth in London 2017 and Eugene 2021). The South African sprinter won his most recent two races in Ostrava in 9.98 and Stockolm in 10.03.
The line-up will also feature Ackeem Blake from Jamaica, first at the Los Angeles Grand Prix in a PB of 9.89, Jamaican rising star Kishane Thompson, winner at the National Championships in Kingston in a PB of 9.91, world silver medallist Marvin Bracy, who clocked a seasonal of 9.93 in Montreuil but did not get through the first round at the US Championships, and Yohan Blake, world champion in the 100m in Daegu 2011 and Olympic silver medallist in the 100m and 200m in London 2012, Emmanuel Eseme from Cameroon, who set the national record with 9.96 in La Chaux de Fonds, and PJ Austin from the USA, who finished fifth at the NCAA Championships in 9.97 after setting his PB of 9.89 in the semifinal.
Women’s 100 metres:
Sha’Carri Richardson will target her second Diamond League race this season after winning in Doha last May in 10.76. The US sprinter improved her PB to 10.71 in the 100 metres heats at the 2023 US Championships equalling the sixth fastest time in the world in history. She later won the semifinal in 10.75 and the final in 10.82 qualifying for the World Championships in Budapest. She also finished second in the 200 metres in her PB of 21.94 after clocking a wind-assisted 21.61 in the heat.
Richardson also clocked 22.07 in the 200 metres at the Continental Tour Gold meeting in Nairobi running the final metres with her arms outstretched. Last April she ran a wind-assisted 10.57 in Miramar setting the fourth fastest time in history in any conditions.
Richardson will face Jamaica’s Shericka Jackson, Marie Josée Ta Lou from Ivory Coast and Poland’s Ewa Swoboda.
Jackson won the 200 metres at last year’s edition of the Memorial Skolimowska in 21.84 a few weeks after her triumph in 21.45 at the World Championships in Eugene, where she moved to second in the world all-time list. Jackson also won the world 100m silver medal in Eugene in 10.73.
At this year’s edition of the 2023 Diamond League she finished second to Richardson in 10.85 in the 100m in Doha, third in Oslo in 10.98 and won the 200 metres in Rabat in 21.98. At last week’s Jamaican Championships Jackson improved her PB to 10.65 in the 100 metres and won the 200 metres in 21.71 into a headwind of -0.5 m/s.
Ta Lou returns to Chorzow, where she won in 10.82 at the Memorial Janusz Kusocinski last June. The Ivorian Coast sprinter won three Diamond League races this year in Florence in 10.97, in Oslo in 10.75 and Lausanne in 10.88. She set the African record of 10.72 in the Monaco Diamond League meeting last year.
Swoboda won the European indoor bronze medal in the 60 metres in Istanbul in 7.09 last March. The Polish sprinter improved her PB to 11.03 in the 100 metres at the Memorial Kusocinski in Chorzow and took the win at the European Team Championships on the same track of the Slaski Stadium in 11.09.
Women’s 400 metres:
Marileidy Paulino is unbeaten this year and is currently second on the world seasonal list with her PB of 48.98 set at the Los Angeles Grand Prix and won two Diamond League races in Doha in 50.51 and in Paris Charlety in 49.12 beating Sydney McLaughlin. Last week she won the gold medal at the CAC Games in El Salvador in 49.95. Paulino won the Olympic silver medal in Tokyo 2021 in 49.20, the world silver medal in Eugene 2022 in 49.60 and the Diamond League final in Zurich 2022 with 48.99.
The two US athletes in the field are Talitha Diggs and Lynna Irby-Jackson, who finished third and fourth at the US Championships in Eugene last week in 49.83 and 50.11 respectively.
The best European athletes are Lieke Klaver from the Netherlands and Natalia Kaczmarek from Poland
Klaver won two European Indoor silver medals in Torun 2021 and Istanbul 2023 and finished fourth at the World Championships in the 400 metresin her PB of 50.18. The Dutch athlete won the 200 metres at the European Team Championships in her PB of 22.46 in Chorzow.
Kaczmarek won the European silver medal in Munich in 49.94 and improved her PB to 49.86 in last year’s edition of the Memorial Skolimowska. The Polish athlete took three wins at the Golden Gala in Florence in 50.41, at the Memorial Kusocinski in Chorzow in 50.02 and at the Golden Spike in Ostrava in 50.88.
The line-up is completed by Sada Williams from Barbados, world bronze medallist in Eugene, Jamaican specialists Candice McLeod, fifth at the Olympic Games in 49.87, and Charokee Young, world silver medallist in the 4x400 relay in Eugene 2022.
Women’s 100 metres hurdles:
World record holder and champion Tobi Amusan will go head-to-head against 2019 world champion Nia Ali, Olympic silver medallist Kendra Harrison and European champion Pia Skrzyszowska.
Amusan broke the world record with 12.12 in the semifinal of the World Championships in Eugene before winning the world title in a wind-assisted 12.06. The Nigerian hurdler equalled her seasonal best in Lausanne with 12.47 and won in Stockolm in 12.52.
Nia Ali won the US Championships final in 12.37 in Eugene last week. Ali won the world title in Doha 2019 in 12.34 and the Olympic silver medal in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Harrison won at the New York Grand Prix in a wind-assisted 12.29 and finished second at the US Championships in Eugene in 12.42.
Another US hurdler to watch is Alaysha Johnson, first at the Memorial Kusocinski in Chorzow with 12.40 and fourth at the US Championships in 12.46 after clocking 12.37 in the semifinal.
Skrzyszowska improved her European under 23 record to 12.51 at last year’s edition of the Memorial Skolimowska a few weeks before winning the European title in Munich in 12.53. The Polish hurdler took the win at the European Team Championships in Chorzow in 12.77.
The line-up also features 2018 world under 20 champion Tia Jones, who equalled her PB with 12.44 in Ostrava and finished fifth at the US Championships in 12.50, 2015 world champion Danielle Williams from Jamaica, third at the National Championships in Kingston in 12.82 into a headwind of -1.9 m/s, and Marlone Fourie from South Africa, who improved her PB to 12.55 in La Chaux de Fonds this year.
Men’s shot put:
World record holder Ryan Crouser will headline the men’s shot in Chorzow, as he bids to win the second Diamond Trophy of his career.
Crouser improved his own world record to 23.56m at the Los Angeles Grand Prix and won his first two competitions of the year on European soil in Ostrava with 22.63m and Lausanne with 22.29m. He returned to the United States to win the US Championships title
Crouser returns to Silesia where he set the meeting record with 22.70m in 2020. He holds 17 of the top 30 marks and reached over 200 official puts over the 22 metres barrier. He won his first Diamond Trophy in Zurich in 2021 with 22.67m.
Crouser will be joined in the field by world bronze medallist Josh Awotunde, Payton Otterdahl and Olympic silver medallist Joe Kovacs. Awotunde finished second with his seasonal best of 22.10m at the US Championships beating Otterdahl by just one cm. Kovacs finished fourth at the US Championships with 21.90m but he will compete at the World Championships in Budapest, as Crouser has the wild card as defending world champion. Kovacs won last year’s edition of the Diamond League Final in Zurich setting the second best performance in history with 23.23m.
Tom Walsh won the world title in London 2017 and two Olympic bronze medals in Rio de Janeiro 2016 and Tokyo 2021. The shot putter from New Zealand threw three times over the 22 metres this year with 22.12m in Los Angeles, 22.22m in Bydgoszcz and 22.15m in Ostrava. Walsh will clash against compatriot Jacko Gill, who won the Commonwealth Games silver medal with 21.90m in Birmingham 2022 and threw 22.12m in Auckland last March.
The best European athletes in the line-up are Filip Mihaljevic from Croatia, Leonardo Fabbri from Italy, Tomas Stanek from Czech Republic and Michal Haratyk from Poland.
Mihaljevic won the European gold medal in Munich 2022 with 21.88m and finished third in Lausanne with 21.42m.
Fabbri took his first Diamond League win in front of his home fans in Florence with 21.73m and threw again over the 21 metres with 21.81m in Pergine Valsugana, 21.37m in Ostrava and 21.41m in Lausanne.
Stanek won the European bronze medal in Munich and equalled his PB with 21,71m in Ostrava.
Haratyk won gold medals at the European outdoor Championships in Berlin 2018 and the European indoor Championships in Glasgow 2019.
Women’s triple jump:
Olympic and world champion Yulimar Rojas will continue her bid for a third consecutive Diamond League title. The Venezuelan jumper started her campaign with a win at the Bislett Games in Oslo with a wind-assisted 14.91 and a best legal jump of 14.86m. She won two more competitions at the Spanish Club Championships in Madrid with 14.96m and at the CAC Games in El Salvador with 15.16m. Rojas, who broke the world record with 15.67m in the Olympic final in Tokyo, will take on 2019 world silver medallist Shanieka Ricketts from Jamaica and European outdoor record holder Maryna Beck Romanchuk from the Ukraine. Ricketts won the Jamaican title with a wind-assisted 14.79m in Kingston last week. Beck Romanchuk, who improved her PB to 15.02m, finished second in Rabat with 14.65m and third in Oslo with 14.75 and won at the European Team Championships Second Division in Chorzow with 14.58m.
Men’s high jump:
Mutaz Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi, who shared the Olympic gold medal in Tokyo, will clash again in Silesia.
Barshim and Tamberi agreed to share the Olympic gold medal after tying on countback at 2.37m.
Piotr Malachowski: “In an event where turnover is high and the shelf life of leaders is generally limited, these are monumental figures. They are both charismatic to boot”.
They are among the most successful athletes in the history of the Diamond League, with 24 victories and 5 titles between them. Barshim won his first Trophy in 2014 in Brussels when he set the Asian record of 2.43m and triumphed in two more editions of the circuit in 2015 and 2017 in Zurich. Tamberi won the Diamond Trophy in 2021 and 2022 in Zurich with the same height of 2.34m.
Both Barshim and Tamberi have already competed at the Memorial Skolimowska in the past. Barshim, who is coached by Swedish trainer of Polish origin Stanislaw Szczyrba, took the win at this meeting with 2.30m in 2016, when this event was held in Warsaw. Tamberi cleard 2.30m in 2021. The Italian 31-year-old jumper took the win the European Team Championships in Chorzow with 2.29m beating Thomas Carmoy from Belgium, who will compete on Sunday. Tamberi won the European Indoor silver medal in Torun 2021 beating Carmoy.
Gianmarco Tamberi: “I am very excited. I have competed in Silesia before in 2021 and it was an amazing atmosphere”.
Hamish Kerr from New Zealand, who shared the world indoor bronze medal with Tamberi at the World Indoor Championships in Belgrade 2022, recently took the win at the Diamond League meeting in Stockolm with 2.24m in rainy and cold weather conditions.
The line-up also features Ukraine’s Andiy Protsenko, world and European bronze medallist last year, Tobias Potye from Germany, European outdoor silver medallist in Munich, Brandon Starc, Commonwealth Games gold medallist in Gold Coast and Diamond League champion in 2018, Donald Thomas from the Bahamas, world champion in Osaka 2007 with 2.37m, Luis Zayas from Cuba, world under 20 champion in Bydgoszcz 2016.
Women’s high jump:
Nicola Olyslagers and Yaroslava Mahuchik will renew their rivalry in the women’s high jump in a re-match of the recent Lausanne competition.
Olyslagers is unbeaten in eight competitions this year and cleared 2.00m in Paris Charlety, 2.01m in Turku and a world lead of 2.02m in the City event in Lausanne. The Australian jumper won the Olympic silver medal with 2.02m beating Mahuchik.
Mahuchik, European champion in Munich, world silver medallist in Eugene and European Indoor Championships in Istanbul, started the season with wins in Nairobi with 2.00m, Rabat with 2.01m and at the European Team Championships Second Division with 1.97m and finished second in Lausanne with 1.97m.
Olympic and world fourth placer Iryna Geraschenko also showed her good form equalling her PB of 2.00m in Lausanne.
Australia’s Eleanor Patterson will make her come-back from an injury, which sidelined her from this season. Patterson won the world indoor silver medal in Belgrade with 2.00m and the world gold medal in Eugene with 2.02m.
Angelina Topic and Morgan Lake had a similar level of performances this year. Both jumpers cleared 1.97m in Paris and 1.94m in Lausanne. Topic won the European under 18 gold medal in Jerusalem and two bronze medals at the World under 20 Championships and at the European senior Championships in Munich. Lake broke the British record with 1.99m in Hustopece.
The line-up also features 2017 world silver medallist Yuiya Levchenko, Kateryna Tabashnyk, European Indoor bronze medallist in Istanbul 2023, Nadezhda Dubovitskaya from Kazakhstan, world indoor bronze medallist in Belgrade 2022, and Jamaica’s Lamara Distin, gold medallist at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham 2022 with 1.95m
Men’s 400 metres:
Wayde Van Niekerk will chase his second Diamond League win of the season after taking victory at the Bislett Games in Oslo in 44.38. The South African star also won the national title in Potchefstroom in 44.21 and at the Racers Grand Prix in Kingston in 44.17. Van Niekerk rewrote the history books of the 400 metres when he broke Michael Johnson’s world record clocking 43.03 in the Olympic final in Rio de Janeiro 2016.
Van Niekerk will face Zambian 20-year-old rising star Muzala Samukonga, who finished second in Oslo in 44.49. Samukonga won the gold medal at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham and broke the 44 seconds barrier for the first time in his career with 43.91 in Gaborone.
Brazil’s Alison Dos Santos will make his come-back after a serious knee injury in training, which sidelined him from competitions in the first part of the season. Dos Santos won the 400 metres hurdles in 47.80 in last year’s edition of the Memorial Skolimowska one month after his gold medal at the World Championships in Eugene in 46.29, the third fastest in history. The South American athlete set his 400m PB of 44.54 in Walnut.
Bryce Deadmon and Vernon Norwood will compete in their first race since the US Championships. Deadmon won the US title in 44.22 beating Norwood (44.39). Ryan Willie, who finished fifth at the US Championships in Eugene, will be also in the line-up.
The other athletes to watch are Bayapo Ndori from Botswana, who improved his PB to 44.61 in Gaborone and won the Olympic bronze medal in the 4x400 in Tokyo, and Zakhiti Nene from South Africa, winner at the Diamond League meeting in Stockolm in 45.30.
Men’s 110 metres hurdles:
Two of the top three finishers of the US Championships final Daniel Roberts and Freddie Crittenden are in the 110 metres line-up. Roberts took first place in Eugene in 13.05 and at the New York Grand Prix in his seasonal best of 13.01.
Crittenden finished third at the US National Championships in 13.23 and won the US indoor title in Albuquerque in 7.49.
The other US hurdlers in the field are Trey Cunningham, world silver medallist in Eugene and NCAA Indoor and outdoor champion in 2022, Robert Dunning, who improved his PB to 13.09 in Atlanta this year, and Eric Edwards, second at the NCAA Championships.
European bronze medallist Just Mathey Kwaou is looking to continue his good period of form after setting the fastest time in Europe this year with 13.09 in Paris Charlety.
The line-up also features Jamaican hurdlers Tyler Mason, who improved his PB to 13.12 before finishing fourth in 13.22 at the National Championships in Kingston, Damion Thomas, world under 20 champion in Tampere 2018, and Damian Czykier from Poland, fourth at the World Championships in Eugene and national indoor record with 7.49 in Torun.
Men’s 3000 metres steeplechase:
Olympic and world champion Soufiane El Bakkali is chasing his third Diamond League win this season after taking victories in Rabat in a national record of 7:56.68 and in Stockolm in 8:009.84. El Bakkali claimed the Diamond League title in Zurich last year.
The Moroccan athlete will face Getnet Wale from Ethiopia, fourth at the World Championships in Eugene 2022 and at the Olympic Games in Tokyo 2021, Commonwealth Games champion Abraham Kibiwot, Benjamin Kigen, Olympic bronze medallist and Diamond League champion in 2021, Avinash Sable, Commonwalth Games silver medallist in Birmingham 2022.
Women’s 800 metres:
Kenya’s Mary Moraa is looking to continue her good season after winning the 800 metres in Lausanne in 1:57.43 and the 400 metres at the Kenyan Trials with her national record of 50.38.
The other top names are 2019 world champion Halimah Nakaayi from Uganda, Jamaican record holder Natoya Goule (winner at the Diamond League in Monaco last year), three-time European silver medallist Renelle Lamote from France, 37-year-old Noelle Yarigo from Benin (PB 1:58.65). Oceanian record holder Catriona Bisset from Australia, two-time 1500m European medallist Sofia Ennaoui and Elena Bellò from Italy, who improved her PB to 1:58.97 in Rome last year.
Women’s 3000 metres:
The women’s 3000 metres line-up features Gudaf Tsegay from Ethiopia and Beatrice Chebet from Kenya, who won the gold and silver medal in the 5000 metres respectively at the World Championships in Eugene last year. Tsegay won the 1500m in Rabat in 3:54.03 and the 10000 metres at the Ethiopian Trials in 29:29.73. Chebet started her Diamond League campaign with two wins in the 3000 metres in Oslo in 8:25.01 and in the 5000 metres in Stockolm in 14:36.52.
The line-up also features Lemlem Hailu, world indoor champion in the 3000 metres in Belgrade 2022, Freweyni Hailu, fourth in the 1500 metres at the Olympic Games in Tokyo and second in the 1500m in Rabat in 3:57.65 this year, Tereiah Gatheri, world under 20 champion in the 3000 metres in Nairobi 2021, Jessica Hull from Australia, who broke the national record in the 1500 metres with 3:57.29 at the Golden Gala in Florence, and Grace Nawowuna, second in the 10000m in Hengelo in 29:47.12.
Women’s 1500 metres:
Ethiopia’s Diribe Welteji will clash against her compatriots Birke Haylom and Hirut Meshesha.
Welteji finished fourth in the 800 metres in 1:57.02 at the World Championships in Eugene and won two 1500 metres races in Los Angeles in 3:57.84 and in Ostrava in 3:57.38. Haylom won the world under 20 title in the 1500m in Cali and broke Zola Budd’s world under 20 record over the mile distance with 4:17.13. Meshesha won the world indoor bronze medal in the 1500 metres in Belgrade.
The other top athletes in the field are Worknesh Mesele, who finished fifth at the Dream Mile in Oslo in 4:19.19, Linden Hall from Australia, sixth in the Olympic final in the 1500m in 3:59.01, Jemma Reekie from Great Britain, fourth in the 800m final at the Olympic Games in 1.56.90, Melissa Courtney Bryant from Great Britain, European Indoor bronze medallist in the 3000m in Istanbul 2023, Janet Chemusto from Uganda, who clocked 4:20.04 in the Dream Mile in Oslo, and Gaia Sabbatini from Italy, who won the European Under 23 gold medal in Tallin 2021 and improved her seasonal best to 4:03.84 in Ostrava.
Women’s javelin throw:
Haruka Kitaguchi from Japan is chasing her third win on European soil after finishing first in Paris Charlety with 65.09m and Ostrava with 63.72m.
Mackenzie Little also performed well this year winning at the Diamond League meeting in Lausanne with her PB of 65.70m. Little will renew her rivalry against her compatriot Kelsey Lee Barber, who won two consecutive world titles in Doha 2019 and Eugene 2022.
The line-up is completed by Norway’s Sigrid Borge, world seasonal leader with 66.50m in Halle, Adriana Vilagos from Serbia, two-time world under 20 champion in Nairobi 2021 and Cali 2022 and European senior silver medallist in Munich 2022, Nikola Ogrodnikova, European silver medallist in Berlin 2018, and Tori Peeters from New Zealand, who set a national record of 63.26m in Yokohama.
Women’s hammer throw:
World champion Brooke Andersen from the USA will take on Olympic bronze medallist Malwina Kopron from Poland in the women’s hammer throw competition dedicated to 2000 Olympic champion Kamila Skolimowska. Andersen has become the third woman ever to throw over the 80 metres barrier with her PB of 80.17m set in Tucson last May. The US thrower recently won the US title with 78.65m in Eugene.
The line-up also features USA’s Janee Kassanavoid, world bronze medallist in Eugene and third at the US Championships in Eugene with 76.44m, Sara Fantini from Italy, fourth at the World Championships in Eugene and European champion in Munich, and Bianca Ghelber from Romania, European champion in Munich.
Men’s hammer throw:
Olympic champion Wojciech Nowicki and world champion Pawel Fajdek will face Olympic silver medallist Elvind Henriksen from Norway, who is expected to be one of biggest rivals of the Polish athletes at the World Championships in Eugene.
Nowicki showed his very good form recently when he set the world seasonal lead with 81.92m in Oslo. He also took the win at the European Team Championships in Chorzow with 79.61m.
Fajdek will make his 13th appearances at the Memorial Skolimowska, where he won eight times.
US record holder Rudy Winkler threw over the 80 metres barrier with 80.88m and won the National title in Eugene with 79.04m.
