Potential for Fast 100 Meters at Rabat Diamond League Meeting with Loaded Field

By Adam Kopet

The men's 100-meter dash at the Rabat Diamond League meeting will feature an all-star lineup. Noah Lyles continues his impressive outdoor campaign and Christian Coleman returns to racing after missing June with injury.

Lyles holds the world lead in the 100, having run 9.88 to win the USATF Outdoor Championships. Lyles has equaled the world lead in the 200 meters twice, running 19.69, including at last week's Lausanne Diamond League meeting.

Coleman was last year's world leader at 9.84 and he broke the indoor 60-meter world record earlier this year. He also earned silver at the 2017 IAAF World Outdoor Championships.

However, the 100 is not just a Lyles and Coleman showdown. Ronnie Baker, winner of the 100 in Eugene, Rome and Paris, equaled Lyles' world lead of 9.88 in the latter. He earned a bronze medal in the 60 meters at the IAAF World Indoor Championships and was runner-up to Lyles in the 100 at the USATF Outdoor Championships.

Michael Rodgers stands third on the world list this season from the 9.89 he ran in the prelims at the USATF Outdoor Championships. He did not compete for the title, but he has picked up two recent wins in Europe.

Also in the race are Arthur Cisse of the Ivory Coast, Yoshihide Kiryu of Japan, Abdullah Abkar Mohammed of Saudi Arabia, and Reece Prescod and CJ Ujah of Great Britain.

In all, the race features the five fastest all-conditions performers this year and six of the top 11.

The Rabat Diamond League meeting takes place Friday in Morocco. A full list of entries is available at the Diamond League website.