The French capital city welcomes the eighth leg of the 2014 IAAF Diamond League on Saturday, as the Meeting Areva greets the world’s finest track and field exponents to the city of Paris.
Below is an event-by-event guide detailing which athletes to watch out for in the 16 discipline competition –
Men’s 100m –
Following his 9.82 world lead and lifetime best in Spain last month, Trinidad and Tobago’s Richard Thompson will start as the favourite.
The 29-year-old 2008 Olympic silver medallist has notched up victories in Hengelo and Oslo this summer, and his closest challenger may come in the form of Great Britain’s Chijindu Ujah.
The 20-year-old European junior champion clocked a 9.96 personal best in Hengelo one place behind Thompson and is bursting with potential.
Other notable names to look out for include Alonso Edward of Panama – who won the 200m in Lausanne in a 19.84 season’s best – and Jamaican duo, Nickel Ashmead and Nesta Carter.
Women’s 200m –
The USA’s Tori Bowie has been a revelation this summer and the 23-year-old looks more than capable of continuing her winning ways in Paris.
Having registered a swift 22.18 world lead from the first lane in Eugene, Bowie went on to record 100m wins in Rome and New York, and she will face a trio of stiff competitors.
Nigeria’s world bronze medallist, Blessing Okagbare was victorious in Shanghai and second behind Bowie in Eugene, whilst Olympic champion Allyson Felix of the USA has successfully continued her comeback from injury with wins in Oslo and Ostrava.
Meanwhile, the crowd will be keen to see what sort of form Jamaica’s Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is in, following the world 100m and 200m champion’s eighth place finish in Eugene courtesy of a hamstring injury.
Women’s 400m –
Olympic champion, Sanya Richards-Ross has spectacularly turned her season around with an impressive 49.66 season’s best last weekend, and the 29-year-old American is the only athlete in this field who has run quicker than the 50-second barrier this summer.
Jamaica’s Novlene Williams-Mills is enjoying a fine campaign with top place finishes in Shanghai, Eugene and Oslo, and Amantle Montsho – the world silver medallist form Botswana – is also in good form.
Jamaica’s Stephenie-Ann McPherson and Natasha Hastings of the USA also compete.
Men’s 800m –
Eugene winner, Nijel Amos – the 20-year-old Olympic silver medallist from Botswana – will face Sudan’s Abubaker Kaki, the 2011 world runner up in an enticing head-to-head.
Other names who are expected to be in the mix include France’s European bronze medallist, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse and Polish pair, Marcin Lewandoswki and Adam Kszczot
An intriguing entrant will arrive in the form of Kenya’s world 1500m champion, Asbel Kiprop. The 1:43.15 man last competed over two laps in June last year.
Women’s 1500m –
Another mouth-watering clash is imminent between Sweden’s Abeba Aregawi and Hellen Obiri of Kenya.
23-year-old world champion, Aregawi boasts a 3:57.57 season’s best and wins in Shanghai, New York and at the European Team Championships in Braunschweig, whilst Obiri is slightly quicker this year with a 3:57.05 lifetime best.
The world bronze medallist is not only the fastest in the field but is also the only woman to have beaten the Swede – having took the scalp of her fierce rival in Eugene back in May.
Kenya’s world junior champion, Faith Kipyegon, Sifan Hassan of the Netherlands and the USA’s 2011 world champion, Jenny Simpson are additionally set to contest.
Men’s 5,000m –
Ethiopia’s Yenew Alamirew leads the world rankings with a strong 13:01.57 from his victory in Oslo – added to the Shanghai win from May and the 24-year-old’s season resume positions himself as the pre-race favourite.
Kenya’s world indoor 3,000m champion, Caleb Ndiku placed second behind him in Oslo but won Eugene, and the 21-year-old is likely to provide stern opposition.
Others expected to be in the mix include Olympic 10,000m runner up, Galen Rupp of the USA, Ethiopia’s world silver medallist, Hagos Gebrhiwet and Kenyan duo, Thomas Longosiwa and Edwin Soi.
Women’s 100m Hurdles –
The women’s high hurdles contest will be a battle between the USA’s Dawn Harper-Nelson and Australia’s returning Sally Pearson.
30-year-old Harper-Nelson – the Olympic silver medallist – finished second in both Rome and New York, whilst Pearson – the Olympic champion and world runner up – looks strong following a recent injury spell.
Two-time world indoor 60m hurdles champion, Lolo Jones and her American team-mates, Queen Harrison and Kristi Castlin are also in the line-up.
Women’s 3,000m Steeplechase –
Olympic and world bronze medallist, Sofia Assefa will be looking to add to her victories in Eugene and New York, and the 26-year-old Ethiopian should have it her own way in Paris.
Eugene runner up, Hiwot Ayalew will provide a stern test for her compatriot, whilst the USA’s Emma Coburn – a surprise winner in Shanghai – and Kenya’s Purity Kirui, who placed second in New York, also start.
Men’s 400m Hurdles –
Puerto Rico’s Olympic bronze medallist, Javier Culson looked strong in taking the honours in Lausanne, and the 29-year-old has been in fine form lately with wins in Hengelo and New York.
He faces the man who placed second in the Swiss city, Michael Tinsley of the USA – the 30-year-old world and Olympic runner up – and the pair will also go up against Olympic champion, Felix Sanchez of the Dominican Republic and Trinidad and Tobago’s Jehue Gordon, the world champion.
Women’s High Jump –
With the only season’s best of a two-metre clearance in the field, Inika McPherson has enjoyed a big improvement this summer, and the 27-year-old American champion goes up against a cluster of experienced women.
Leading the way is Croatia’s two-time world indoor and outdoor champion, Blanka Vlasic – who placed second in Oslo – and Spain’s 35-year-old world bronze medallist, Ruth Beitia.
Russia’s world indoor champion, Mariya Kuchina has notched up wins in Oslo and Braunschweig, whilst Poland’s Justyna Kasprzycka – the world indoor fourth placer – finished second in Eugene.
Women’s Long Jump –
Tianna Bartoletta is the only athlete in the competition who has jumped in excess of seven meters this summer, and the 28-year-old 2005 world champion is expected to win here.
With a 7.02m lifetime best from victory in Oslo last month, the American will face her team-mate Brittney Reese – the Olympic and three-time world champion.
Others of note include Serbia’s world bronze medallist, Ivana Spanovic – who won Eugene – France’s world indoor champion, Eloyse Lesueur and Russia’s Darya Klishina, the European indoor champion.
Men’s Pole Vault –
World indoor record holder, Renaud Lavillenie starts as the red-hot favourite to claim yet another win on the international circuit.
The 27-year-old Frenchman was victorious in Lausanne on Thursday and also in Shanghai, Eugene, Hengelo, Oslo, Ostrava and Braunschweig, and the Olympic champion is head and shoulders above the rest of the competition in the French capital.
Poland’s 21-year-old Piotr Lisek has improved by over 20cm to 5.82m this summer, whilst Germany’s world indoor runner up, Malte Mohr also competes.
Men’s Triple Jump –
The USA’s Will Claye is in dominant form this season with first place finishes in Eugene, Rome and Oslo, and the 23-year-old Olympic runner up looks set to emerge victorious once more.
Expected to close behind the world bronze medallist is his compatriot, Christian Taylor – the Olympic champion who took the runner up spot in Eugene, Rome and Oslo.
Cuba’s world indoor silver medallist, Ernesto Reve will be hoping to upset the form book.
Men’s Shot Put –
The men’s shot put field is loaded with talent but the victor could end up being the man with no major international titles to his name.
The USA’s Joe Kovacs has improved to 22.03m this summer and in addition to his win in Oslo, placed second in Shanghai and Eugene.
Germany’s two-time world champion, David Storl will be determined to reassert his dominance following the Olympic runner up’s victory in Braunschweig, whilst the USA’s world indoor champion, Ryan Whiting is also in the field.
His team-mate, the 2007 world champion, Reese Hoffa also competes, as does Poland’s two-time Olympic champion, Tomasz Majewski.
Women’s Discus –
Croatia’s Sandra Perkovic is a near-cert for the victory following wins in Shanghai, Eugene and Oslo, as the 24-year-old Olympic and world champion has a two-meter-plus advantage over the rest of the competition.
Australia’s Dani Samuels is her closest match – the 2009 world champion has enjoyed a vast improvement this season to 67.99m.
Men’s Javelin –
The Czech Republic’s Vitezslav Veseley has notched up wins in Eugene and Ostrava this season but the 31-year-old world champion goes up against Oslo winner, Tero Pitkamaki of Finland and world leader, Ihab Abdelrahman.
The Egyptian threw an almighty 89.21m lifetime best to win Shanghai back in early May but has not been in the same form since.
Men’s 110m Hurdles (non-Diamond League event) –
Pascal Martinot-Lagarde of France starts as the warm favourite in this loaded high hurdles field.
The 22-year-old world indoor 60m hurdles silver medallist clocked a 13.06 lifetime best to win in Lausanne and will have the edge following his wins in Eugene and Oslo, also.
Additional names eager to assert their authority include world champion David Oliver of the USA, Cuba’s Orlando Ortega and Olympic bronze medallist, Hansel Parchment of Jamaica.
