Anticipation is rising with just five days to go until global superstar athletes go head-to-head in a thrilling Diamond League season-opener at Qatar Sports Club on Friday.
While the likes of Qatar’s 2017 IAAF World Athlete of the Year Mutaz Barshim, Kenya’s 3,000m world champion Hellen Obiri and Greek pole vault star Katerina Stefanidi are already lined up for the Friday event, further athlete announcements were made yesterday with a thrilling showdown anticipated in the men’s 200m.
Reigning world champion Ramil Guliyev of Turkey will go up against Olympic silver medallist Andre De Grasse of Canada, 2017 Diamond League champion Noah Lyles of the USA, and world bronze medallist Jereem Richards of Trinidad and Tobago. However, the biggest surprise could come from Omar McLeod of Jamaica, the Olympic and world champion in the 110m hurdles, who will be trying his hand at the 200m in Doha in an intriguing switch.
Speaking ahead of the 2018 Doha Diamond League, Qatar Athletics Federation president Dr Thani Abdulrahman al-Kuwari, said, “We are so excited to welcome so many of the world’s biggest athletics stars back to Doha for what promises to be a phenomenal Diamond League opening meeting of the 2018 season. The Doha Diamond League is the only IAAF Diamond League meeting in the Middle East and is one of the most exciting and unmissable sporting events hosted annually in Qatar. It is our ambition to use this event to engage and inspire our nation through athletics and we are very pleased to be able to give the public this exclusive chance to meet Olympic and World Champions ahead of their competitions. We encourage everyone to come down and not miss out on this unique opportunity.”
Al-Kuwari was referring to the press conference and panel session on Thursday at 11:30 am at City Center Mall, which will also be open to the public.
The repeat of last year’s hugely successful press conference will enable the public to be at the centre of the action, hearing from the athletes first hand as well as being able to get selfies and autographs afterwards.
The event will be hosted by athletes MCs Jenny Simpson of the USA, who is the reigning 1500m world silver medallist and Olympic bronze medallist, and will be competing in the longer distance of 3000m in Doha, and 200m sprinter Nathaneel Mitchell-Blake from Great Britain, who is the world 4x100m champion and 2013 U20 champion in 200m.
Joining them on stage for the panel session will be 2017 world champion and Diamond League champion Barshim, reigning Olympic, world, European and Diamond League champion Stefanidi, reigning world champion and Olympic silver medallist in the 5,000m and Doha Diamond League record holder in the 3,000m Obiri, two-time Olympic champion, three-time world champion and six-time Diamond League champion Christian Taylor of the USA, reigning Olympic champion Thomas Rohler of Germany, who last year wowed the crowds as he broke the meet record and moved to second on the all-time list with a huge throw of 93.30m.
In the men’s 1,500m, 17-year-old rising star George Manangoi of Kenya, who is the Under 18 world champion and talented younger brother of world champion Elijah, could be the one to watch out for. Last year George won the U18 title by over a second, despite having only trained seriously for a little over a year, and this year he has already run a new personal best time of 3:36.20 suggesting a very promising future for the youngster. He will be up against many more experienced athletes including Bethwell Birgen, the 2018 world Indoor bronze medallist also of Kenya, and Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco, the 2012 world Indoor champion, London 2012 bronze medallist and 2015 world bronze medallist.
Team Qatar will be represented in the Diamond League by a total of 16 athletes, including Abdellelah Haroun, who is the 2017 world bronze medallist in the 400m, Abderrahman Samba, who recently ran a world leading time of 47.90 in the 400m hurdles, and Ahmed Bader, who is the 2017 Islamic Solidarity Games champion in the javelin.
