Shot put winner Valerie Adams of New Zealand (© Getty Images)
With the likes of Valerie Adams, Yarisley Silva, Caterine Ibarguen and Piotr Malachowski among the latest names confirmed for the Meeting International Mohammed VI, it means there will be 29 global champions past and present set to compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat on 22 May.
Adams, the Olympic shot put champion, put a difficult 2015 season behind her to make it on to the podium at the recent IAAF World Indoor Championships Portland 2016. The New Zealander, who holds the meeting record of 19.69m, will be up against Hungary’s Anita Marton, who finished ahead of Adams in Portland.
World champion Silva is part of a classy pole vault field that includes world indoor silver medallist Sandi Morris, Diamond Race winner Nikoleta Kyriakopoulou, world indoor bronze medallist Ekaterini Stefanidi and three-time Diamond Race winner Silke Spiegelburg, a former winner in Rabat back in 2008 and 2009.
The men’s discus field is just as impressive. Led by world champion Malachowski, it contains the top six finishers from the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, including world silver medallist Philip Milanov, world bronze medallist Robert Urbanek and 2008 Olympic champion and meeting record-holder Gerd Kanter.
Two former winners of the world indoor title highlight the men’s long jump line-up. Fabrice Lapierre is the world silver medallist indoors and outdoors and won the world indoor title in 2010. He will take on the man who won the 2012 and 2014 world indoor titles, Brazil’s Mauro da Silva.
Current world leader Ruswahl Samaai of South Africa and Pan-American Games silver medallist Marquise Goodwin will also compete in the long jump in Rabat.
Elsewhere, world champion Caterine Ibarguen takes on world indoor champion Yulimar Rojas in the triple jump. Both will have the meeting record of 14.75m in their sights.
Organisers for the IAAF
Sign up for the Fantasy Diamond Race
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar
6 May – Doha, QAT
14 May – Shanghai, CHN
22 May – Rabat, MAR
28 May – Eugene, USA
2 Jun – Rome, ITA
5 Jun – Birmingham, GBR
9 Jun – Oslo, NOR
16 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
15 Jul – Monaco, MON
22-23 Jul – London, GBR
25 Aug – Lausanne, SUI
27 Aug – Paris, FRA
1 Sep – Zurich, SUI
9 Sep – Brussels, BEL
