Sifan Hassan, Joshua Cheptegei, Jakob Ingebrigtsen, Femke Bol, Laura Muir and Dina Asher-Smith are among the athletes in action on Thursday as World Athletics’ flagship series moves to Italy
The Wanda Diamond League on Thursday (June 10) may have moved from Rome to a smaller venue in Florence but the athlete line-ups are by no means diminished.
The women’s 1500m features a terrific clash between Sifan Hassan, Faith Kipyegon and Laura Muir. Hassan holds the world record for the mile and is world champion at 1500m and 10,000m. The Dutch athlete also broke the world 10,000m record on Sunday in Hengelo. Kipyegon, meanwhile, is the Olympic 1500m champion and Muir is the European gold medallist.
In addition, Muir’s GB team-mates Eilish McColgan and Katie Snowden are part of the 1500m line-up together with Ireland’s Ciara Mageean at this Pietro Mennea Golden Gala meeting.
The men’s 5000m is no less stacked with world record-holder Joshua Cheptegei leading the way. The Ugandan is making his first Diamond League appearance of the summer and he takes on Jakob Ingebrigtsen of Norway.
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In-form Mohammed Katir – the Spanish runner who won at the Diamond League in Gateshead last month – plus Australian Stewart McSweyn are also in the line-up.
Dina Asher-Smith takes on a women’s 200m field that includes Dafne Schippers and Marie-Jose Ta Lou. Fellow Brit Beth Dobbin also races.
There is home interest at the Italian venue with Gianmarco Tamberi in the high jump up against three-time Diamond League champion Mutaz Essa Barshim, plus Andriy Protsenko and recent Doha Diamond League winner Ilya Ivanyuk.
In the hurdles races, Britain’s Andy Pozzi takes on Omar McLeod of Jamaica in the 110m hurdles. The women’s 400m hurdles features Dutch star Femke Bol and Britain’s Jessica Turner among others, while the women’s 100m hurdles line-up is led by Jasmine Camacho-Quinn of Puerto Rico.
Andy Pozzi (Colombo/FIDAL)
Another in-form Brit, Holly Bradshaw, is part of a women’s pole vault line-up that includes four-time Diamond Trophy winner Katerina Stefanidi and world champion Anzhelika Sidorova.
Elsewhere, Isaac Makwala, Anthony Zambrano and Matt Hudson-Smith are among the field in the men’s 400m. Akani Simbine and CJ Ujah are in the men’s 100m. The men’s shot put field is led by Tom Walsh of New Zealand,.
Last but not least, an interesting women’s long jump contest sees world champion Malaika Mihambo versus in-form Chantel Malone, local rising star Larissa Iapichino and Olympic triple jump champion Caterine Ibarguen.
For results, entries and timetable, CLICK HERE
The event is shown in the UK on BBC Four and the BBC Sport website from 7-9pm BST.
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