News10 Apr 2017


More star power in Doha's 1500m, 3000m and 100m hurdles fields – IAAF Diamond League

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Asbel Kiprop at the 2016 IAAF Diamond League in Doha (© Hasse Sjogren)

Another wave of Olympic medallists and world champions have announced their participation in the first meeting of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League season in Doha, adding to an already incredible list of athletics superstars who will compete on 5 May at the Qatar Sports Club.

Kenya’s middle-distance legend Asbel Kiprop will lead the men’s 1500m field as Olympic steeplechase gold medallist Conseslus Kipruto stars in the men’s 3000m flat, while the women’s 100m hurdles features a hugely talented line-up.

Kiprop, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist and a three-time world champion, will be going for an impressive 24th IAAF Diamond League meeting victory in the men’s 1500m, which would also be his third consecutive win in Doha. The 2016 Diamond Race winner will face stiff competition from compatriots Silas Kiplagat, the 2011 world silver medallist and two-time Diamond Race winner, and Elijah Manangoi, the world silver medallist.

The excitement is set to continue in the men’s 3000m, which features a scintillating line up of Olympic and world medallists. Kenya’s 22-year-old Kipruto will lead the field fresh from his success in Rio after bagging the Olympic gold in the 3000m steeplechase and setting an Olympic record with 8:03.28.

Kipruto will face strong competition from the field’s 5000m specialists, which include Olympic silver and bronze medallists Paul Chelimo of the USA and Ethiopia’s Hagos Gebrhiwet respectively, world indoor champion Yomif Kejelcha also of Ethiopia, and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Thomas Longosiwa of Kenya.

The women’s 100m hurdles will be yet another race packed with the best in the world, with four of the top five in the Rio Olympic finals set to compete, alongside world record-holder Kendra Harrison. The USA’s Brianna Rollins and Nia Ali took the gold and silver medals respectively in Rio with just 0.11 seconds separating them but they will face additional competition in Doha from talented teammate Harrison.

The exceptionally high standard of US female sprint hurdling meant that Harrison missed out on a place on the US Olympic team after finishing sixth at the US trials last year. This was her only loss of an otherwise hugely successful 2016 season, which saw her break the world record at the London IAAF Diamond League meeting en route to winning the Diamond Race.

The US hurdlers will also face challenges from Cindy Ofili of Great Britan who was just 0.03 short of a bronze medal in Rio, and Germany’s Cindy Roleder, who took home the silver medal at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing and gold at the 2016 European Championships. With such a high level of talent lining up in the same race, this could be one of the most enthralling races of this year’s Doha Diamond League.

Organisers for the IAAF

2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar
5 May – Doha, QAT
13 May – Shanghai, CHN
27 May – Eugene, USA
8 Jun – Rome, ITA
15 Jun – Oslo, NOR
18 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
1 Jul – Paris, FRA
6 Jul – Lausanne, SUI
9 Jul – London, GBR
16 Jul – Rabat, MAR
21 Jul – Monaco, MON
20 Aug – Birmingham, GBR
24 Aug – Zurich, SUI
1 Sep – Brussels, BEL

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