Monaco to Host Ninth Stop of the Diamond League

By Adam Kopet

The Monaco Diamond League meeting is set for Friday and the meet once again features many of the best athletes in the world.

ENTRIES

The 2018 meet saw a world record and an American record in the women's 3,000-meter steeplechase. A world record is never guaranteed, but this year's meet features a women's mile that could see a world record. The race has been named the Brave Like Gabe Mile in honor of Gabe Grunewald, who passed away from cancer last month.

Sifan Hassan of The Netherlands and the Nike Oregon Project ran the third-fastest mile ever last year in a season that saw her set European records at 5,000 meters and the half marathon. This year, Hassan has shown her strong fitness when she became the fourth-fastest woman of all-time in the 3,000 meters at the Prefontaine Classic.

Hassan's best mile came in London last year when she ran 4:14.71 for the win. The world record of 4:12.56 is 23 years old, held by Svetlana Masterkova of Russia.

If Hassan is to take a crack at the record, she will need the front-running help of Ethiopia's Gudaf Tsegay, who finished second in last year's London race, running 4:16.14.

Also in the race is Rachel Schneider, who will be looking to improve her outdoor mile best of 4:27.23.

Another event with world record potential is the men's triple jump. For the second time in a week, a triple jump competition will feature three men who have gone beyond 18 meters in their career. Christian Taylor won the competition Tuesday at the Gyulai Istvan Memorial in Hungary, jumping 58-10 (17.93m) over fellow American Will Claye and Portugal's Pedro Pablo Pichardo, all of them able to jump 18 meters at their bests. All three will once again clash in Monaco.

The men's 100 meters features an all-star cast. Noah Lyles, fresh off his 19.50 performance in the 200 meters in Lausanne, will face off against Justin Gatlin and Nigeria's Divine Oduduru. Lyles and Oduduru have both run 9.86 this season, with Oduduru entering his first pro season after winning the 100 and 200 meters at the NCAA Division 1 Outdoor Championships last month. Gatlin finished second at the Prefontaine Classic, running 9.87.

Sydney McLaughlin is set to continue her first European professional tour as she races the 400-meter hurdles against Zuzana Hejnova of the Czech Republic and Ashley Spencer. 2017 world champion Kori Carter is also in the race.

After a terrific competition in the men's pole vault in Lausanne that saw a jump-off for first place, the entire field will be back in action in Monaco. Piotr Lisek of Poland defeated Sam Kendricks in the jump-off, with Lisek jumping a world-leading 19-8.50 (6.01m). Mondo Duplantis of Sweden and Renaud Lavillenie of France tied for third place.