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Ten Olympic medalists from Rio 2016 and 17 medalists from the 2019 Doha World Championship will star in the Wanda Doha Diamond League to be held at Suhaim Bin Hamad Stadium on Friday (September 25).
Through a high-quality program, the highlights of the event are expected to include the men’s pole vault and 1500m, and the women’s 100m and 3000m.
In the men’s pole vault, world record holder Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis (Sweden), a silver medalist at the 2019 Doha World Championships, will again take center stage.
Having set an absolute world record of 6.18m at the World Indoor Tour meeting in Glasgow in February, he is now officially the best jumper in history following his incredible 6.15m punt in the Wanda Roma Diamond League LA last week (September 17). His best outdoor record surpasses Sergey Bubka’s previous record of 6.14m, which was held for 26 years.
Duplantis is joined in Doha by reigning world champion Sam Kendricks (USA), as well as London 2012 Olympic gold medalist Renaud Lavillenie (France).
The men’s 1,500m includes 3000 mSC Olympic and World Champion Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya), 5000 mSC World Silver Medalists (Selemon Barega) and 3000 mSC (Lamecha Girma), both from Ethiopia, and 3000 mSC World Bronze Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco).
Double Olympic sprint champion Elaine Thompson-Herah (Jamaica) and multiple world championship medalist Marie-Josée Ta Lou (Ivory Coast) will meet in the women’s 100 meters.
Thompson-Herah’s best season of 10.85, set at the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Rome, is the fastest time of the year to date.
Olympic silver medalist Dafne Schippers (Netherlands) has retired.
In the women’s 3000m, an exciting field brings together the Kenyan quartet Hellen Obiri and Beatrice Chepkoech, the 2019 5000m and 3000mSC world champions respectively, as well as the 3000mSC Olympic silver medalist Hyvin Kiyeng; the 5000m world runner-up Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi; 1500m world bronze medalist Gudaf Tsegay (Ethiopia); and the 10,000 meter world bronze medalist Agnes Jebet Tirop (Kenya).
Obiri, Olympic silver medalist in the 5000m and 2019 cross country world champion, demonstrated her recent good form with a world leading 14: 22.12 to win the 5000m at the Wanda Monaco Diamond League in August.
In total, six reigning world champions and three reigning Olympic champions will return to Doha for the Wanda Doha Diamond League.
In addition to those mentioned above, Timothy Cheruiyot (Kenya), 1500m world champion, will run over 800m.
The 24-year-old, who has a best of 1: 43.11 since August 2019, posted an impressive 3: 28.45 to win the 1,500 meters in Monaco, just four hundredths of a second off his career best.
Mike Rodgers (USA), World Gold Medalist in the 4x100m Relay, will line up in the 100m.
Faith Kipyegon (Kenya), 1500m Olympic champion, will star in the women’s 800m. The 2017 1500m world champion, runner-up at Doha 2019, set a national record of 2: 29.15 for the 1000m in Monaco, narrowly missing the world record for the distance rarely traveled.
“Despite the incredibly challenging circumstances, I am proud of the fantastic fields we have put together for this event,” says Khalid Al Marri, Director of the Wanda Doha Diamond League Meeting.
“It has been a difficult summer for everyone, however we have seen some exceptional track and field performances. I am confident that in Doha, the fourth and final competitive match of this shortened series of the 2020 Wanda Diamond League, we will provide a fitting finale. “
The Qatar Sports Club in Doha will host the revised 12-event program of the Wanda Doha Diamond League, including obstacle courses and 800 meters for men and women; 100m, 3000m and long jump for women; and 200m, 400m, 1500m and pole vault for men.
Due to the impact of Covid-19, the 2020 Wanda Diamond League does not form a structured series of events leading to a final and athletes will not earn Diamond League points this season.
