News : Last train for the Diamond League final
This Friday, September 3, the mythical Van Damme Memorial is held in Brussels, the last meeting of the Diamond League before the grand final in Zurich, which will be held on September 8-9. In the Belgian capital Olympic champions and medalists and world reference athletes will meet again, some with passports already for that great final in search of the diamond and others who rush their last options to be part of the select group that will be the following weekend in the Swiss city.
As always, we are going to analyze test by test the duels, the favorites, the possible surprises and the Spaniards present at the event, who are a few and are going to go all out.
Kerley vs. Bromell
Starting with speed, a more decaffeinated male 100 than in the last meetings, but with a spectacular duel between the two favorites: Fred kerley (9.84 SB / PB), who comes from winning the 200 against Bednarek in Paris, and Trayvon Bromell (9.77SB), which starts with the best mark of all the participants.
In the women’s 200, return to action Sha’Carri Richardson after her disappointing 100 at Eugene, where she failed to get below 11 seconds and was clearly beaten by the Jamaican treble. From that triplet we will only have Shericka Jackson (21.82 SB) in the race. A lot attention to U20 world champion Christine Mboma (21.81SB), that part with the best brand.
In the men’s 400, the athlete from Granada Kirani James is the great favorite with his best accredited mark this 2021 of 43.88. The American Michael Cherry (44.21) and the Dutch Bonevacia (44.48) will try to spoil the party.
Without the presence of the Olympic champion Athing Mu in the women’s 800, the silver in Tokyo Keely Hodgkinson (1.55.88) is the great favorite along with her compatriot Reekie (1.56.90), the Cuban Almanza (1.56.28) and the Jamaican Goule (1.56.44).
Mechaal and Katir on a 1,500 high
Two Spaniards with options to everything in the 1,500 male. Mechaal, who comes from winning in Budapest and that he made a grand final in Tokyo with a personal best (3.30.77) and Mohamed Katir (3.28.76), who holds the Spanish Record for the distance achieved in 2021. Jakob Ingebrigtsen has finally fallen, so be very attentive to the Kenyan Kipsang (3.29.56 SB), the Australian McSweyn (3.29.51SB) and the Kenyan Simotwo (3.30). .30). Carrerón.
Spectacular andl 5,000 women with the presence of a star like Hellen Obiri (14.26.38 SB), current Olympic runner-up in Tokyo, and high-level athletes such as Ethiopians Worku (14.26.80 SB), Taye (14.14.09) and Gidey (14.06.62 PB) or the British McColgan (14.28 SB).
Esther and Marta, on the mile
Double Spanish presence in the women’s mile. On the one hand, Esther Guerrero and, on the other, Marta Pérez, who achieved in Tokyo the second best ever Spanish brand in 1,500 and that has 4.28.24 of personal mark achieved this 2021. Almost all eyes will be prostrate on Sifan Hassan, who will look for the World Record that she owns with 4.12.33.
Unpredictable and unpredictable the women’s 100 hurdles with up to five athletes with 12.5 (Cunningham, Sember, Tapper, Visser and Williams. Watch out for the Nigerian Amusan.
In the 400 hurdles, without Rai Benjamin and Warholm (whom we will foreseeably see in the Zurich finals), the big favorite will be Brazilian Alison Dos Santos, a bronze medalist in Tokyo. A priori, by marks only the Virgin Islands athlete Kyron McMaster (47.08) could ‘cough’ Dos Santos.
This same Wednesday, day 1, the javelin throws will start in the middle of the city. In the women’s section, the North American Vallman (70.01 meters) is the great favorite against the Cuban Yaimé Pérez (68.99) and the Croatian Perkovic (68.31). As for the men, the Swede Stahl (71.40) will face the Ceh (70.35) or Gudzius (68.62).
Duplantis, for that record that resists
Olympic medalists on the pole Duplantis (again will aspire to that World Record that continues to elude this 2021) and Nilsen (5.97) are the main favorites.
Spectacular the roster of the women’s high jump with McDermott (she won in Paris by surprise), Olympic champion Lastiskene (2.04SB) and bronze in Tokyo Mahuchikh (2.03SB).
Spanish presence in the men’s long jump. Eusebio Cáceres, after being fourth in Tokyo and staying a few centimeters from the metal, will seek victory in Brussels against rivals of the stature of the American McCarter (8.26SB) or the South African Samaai (8.16SB).