by Alfonz Juck
Noah Lyles to battle Michael Norman on June 6 in Rome, photo by PhotoRun.net
Faith Kipyegon leads field in Shanghai on May 18! photo by PhotoRun.net
Filippo Tortu looking to better PB in Rome on June 6, photo by PhotoRun.net
Soufianne El Bakaali to thrill in Rabat on June 16, photo by PhotoRun.netIAAF DIAMOND LEAGUE NEWS
ROME (ITA): An excellent men’s 200m has been assembled for the Golden Gala Rome Diamond League on 6 June when top US sprinters Noah Lyles and Mike Norman and reigning world and European champion Ramil Guliyev from Turkey will all clash. World bronze medallist Jereem Richards and Italian 100m record-holder Filippo Tortu are also confirmed. In the women’s 100m, treble European champion Dina Asher-Smith faces double Olympic champion Elaine Thompson from Jamaica and double world silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast. European indoor champion Gianmarco Tamberi faces European champion and silver medallist Mateusz Przybylko and Maksim Nedasekau on home soil in the high jump. Czech Republic’s Barbora Spotakova returns to competition in the javelin up against European champion Christin Hussong from Germany and China’s Lyu Huihui and her main home rival Nikola Ogrodnikova.
SHANGHAI (CHN): The best women 1500 m field so far in 2019 is assembled for the Saturday meet. Meet record 3:56.82 of Faith Kipyegon from 2016 could be under threat, and World lead for sure. In total five entered runners are having sub 4 personal best. Sifan Hassan of Netherlands, Moroccan Rababe Arafi, Kenyan Winny Chebet and Ethiopians Dawit Seyaoum and Gudaf Tsegay.
ROME (ITA): Filippo Tortu is looking to break his 200m PB of 20.34 when he lines up in the Rome Diamond League next month, informs FIDAL. “The minimum goal is a personal best. I really want to run the 200m to see if I can do it at the World Championship in Doha. Rome, therefore, will be a fundamental race for this year, but also for the next one, the one in Tokyo,” he said.
RABAT (MAR): Local superstars Abdelaati Iguider and Soufiane El Bakkali are set to grace the track in Rabat when the Road to the Final reaches Africa on June 16. The sixth IAAF Diamond League meeting of the year, the Meeting International Mohammed VI will welcome a host of international stars to Morocco, while home fans will be able to cheer on both Iguider (5000m) and El Bakkali (3000m steeplechase) in the long distance events.
