The world turns its attention back to TrackTown, USA this week. The Diamond League makes its annual stop in Eugene, Oregon for the 2025 Prefontaine Classic.

 

Here are the events and the athletes to follow on the women’s side at the 50th edition of America’s most premier track and field meet on Saturday, July 5 at Hayward Field.

 

 

Within the last few years, the hammer universe has gravitated towards North America.

 

Since 2019, other than the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, the world or Olympic champion has hailed from either the United States or Canada. Three of those champions will be in Eugene on Saturday.

 

Brooke Andersen of the U.S. returns to Hayward Field for the first time since her unfortunate Olympic Trials ending last summer when she failed to get a mark in the finals. However, Andersen has had great memories of throwing at Hayward, including her 2022 world title.

 

Andersen threw world-leading 79.29 meters (262-1) at the USATF Throws Festival in late May and has won four of five contests this season. She finished third in last year’s Prefontaine Classic.

 

Reigning Olympic and world champion Camryn Rogers of Canada makes her way back to Eugene aiming to repeat as the meet champion after a record-breaking performance in 2024.

 

The British Columbia native established a new meet record by throwing 77.76m (255-1) in round six. That began a winning streak of six competitions, which concluded with her Olympic title in Paris.

 

Currently No. 4 in the world, Rogers threw a season’s best 78.14m (256-4) at the Mt. SAC Relays in April. She has won three of her last four competitions.

 

Fresh off a win at the Iron Wood Throws Classic in North Idaho, American record holder DeAnna Price of the U.S. aims to avenge a second-place finish from last season’s Prefontaine Classic, falling a little over a meter shy of Rogers’ winning throw.

 

Price, No. 3 in the world, threw a season’s best 78.51m (257-7) at the USATF Throws Festival, finishing second to Andersen.

 

Rogers and Price are two of four Paris Olympic finalists in this year’s field.

 

Olympic Silver medalist Annette Echikunwoke of the U.S., No. 10 in the world, will make her second consecutive Prefontaine Classic appearance. She finished sixth last year.

 

Three-time Olympic champion and four-time world champion Anita Włodarczyk of Poland returns to the Prefontaine Classic for the first time since 2013. Włodarczyk finished fourth in the Paris Olympic final.

 

Americans Rachel Richeson, No. 2 in the world, and Janee’ Kassnavoid, No. 9 in the world, complete one of the deepest hammer fields assembled in meet history. Kassnavoid was fourth in last year’s meet.

 

 

Some of the nation’s top para athletes will compete in a couple of precursor events before embarking on a historic USATF Para National Championships in late July/early August at Hayward Field.

 

Paris Paralympians Kym Crosby, Beatriz Hatz, Brittni Mason and Taylor Swanson of the U.S. will run in the mix classification 100 meters against Orla Comerford of Ireland, Anna Grimaldi of New Zealand and Mariss Papaconstantiou of Canada. Comerford won last year’s Prefontaine Classic race in 12.13 seconds; Crosby was the top American, finishing second in 13.42.

 

In the 800 T54 category, Paris Paralympians Tatyana McFadden and Hannah Dederick of the U.S. will race Lea Bayekula of Belgium, Shauna Bocquet of Ireland, Patricia Eachus of Switzerland and Nandini Sharma of Canada. McFadden won her 21st and 22nd career Paralympic medals in Paris, making her the most decorative Olympian and Paralympian in U.S. history.

 

 

Chase Jackson hasn’t hesitated from calling her shot this season.

 

Jackson crept a bit closer to the 21-meter line over the weekend at the Iron Wood Throws Classic en route to breaking her own American record in the women’s shot put by 19 centimeters, throwing a world-leading 20.95m (68-8.75).

 

At this weekend’s Prefontaine Classic, which is where she first broke the American record (also the 2023 Diamond League final), she expects to go beyond a mark no American woman has ever touched.

 

But unlike her competition up in North Idaho, which was competitive, the two-time world champion will face a much taller order in Eugene.

 

Paris Olympic champion Yemisi Ogunleye of Germany is one of seven finalists from the Olympic Games. Ogunleye is ranked No. 4 in the world this year, throwing 20.27m (66-6)

 

Maddi Lee-Wesche of New Zealand threw a personal best 19.86m (65-2) to earn her first Olympic silver medal. She ranks No. 10 in the world, throwing 19.51m (64-0.25)

 

Jaida Ross of the U.S., the collegiate record holder while at the University of Oregon, returns to Hayward for the first time since making her first Olympic team. Ross, a Medford, Ore. native who’s thrown 19.62m (64-4.50) this season for No. 7 in the world, was four centimeters away from a medal in Paris.

 

Gong Lijiao of China, Jessica Schilder of the Netherlands, Fanny Roos of Sweden and Sarah Mitton of Canada are among other finalists from the Paris Games in contention Saturday. Mitton won the world indoor in Nanjing, China.

 

Two other Americans – Maggie Ewen and Mya Lesnar – add more depth to an already impressive field assembled. Lesnar won this year’s NCAA outdoor title for Colorado State.

 

The entire list of world top-10 is present for this event.

 

 

One of the toughest events to make for this year’s world team will be the American women’s long jump. Six of the nation’s top jumpers, who can all make cases to be in Tokyo in September, will all be on the runway at Hayward Field this Saturday.

 

Paris Olympic champion Tara Davis-Woodhall aims to win her second Diamond League meet of the season. She won at the Stockholm Diamond League, jumping a season’s best 7.05m (23-1.75) for No. 3 in the world.

 

Just two centimeters behind her is Alexis Brown. The recent Baylor graduate, who won the NCAA indoor title in Virginia Beach, jumped 7.03m (23-0.75) at the Big 12 Outdoor Championships in May to move her to No. 4 in the world this season.

 

World indoor champion Claire Bryant will make her Prefontaine Classic debut, ranked No. 7 in the world, jumping 6.96m  (22-10) at the World Indoor Championships. Bryant jumped an outdoor season’s best 6.93m (22-9) at the Adidas Atlanta City Games in May.

 

Monae Nichols, sixth in the Paris Olympics final, is also making her Prefontaine Classic debut. She ranks No. 11 in the world, jumping 6.88m (22-7) this year.

 

Jasmine Moore, who won two bronze medals in the long and triple jump at the Paris Olympics, is still in search of her first long jump win of the outdoor season, having only jumped a wind-legal season’s best 6.69m (21-11.50). Moore jumped 6.79m (22-3.50) during the indoor season, ranking her 16th in the world.

 

Quanesha Burks is the only returning American athlete from the 2023 Diamond League final, where she finished third in the field. This season, Burks has jumped 6.80m (22-3.75), No. 15 in the world.

 

Outside the six Americans, world leader Malaika Mihambo of Germany, 2023 Diamond League Final champion Ivana Španović of Serbia and 2024 NCAA outdoor champion Ackelia Smith of Jamaica round out the order of participants.

 

 

This year’s Prefontaine Classic could give people a sense of who could be the top three 100-meter hurdle representatives on the women’s side to represent the U.S. in Tokyo.

 

Reigning Olympic champion and current world leader Masai Russell has shown no signs of slowing down in 2025 after running an American record 12.17 seconds at the Miami Grand Slam Track in May.

 

Second to her this year is another American Tia Jones, who ran the third-fastest all-time performance in 100 hurdles in 12.19 in the same Grand Slam Track meet.

 

Both Russell and Jones will take on world record holder Tobi Amusan of Nigeria. Amusan ranks fourth in the world this season, running 12.24 at the Paris Diamond League, which was her fastest time since running 12.33 at the 2023 Diamond League Final at the Prefontaine Classic.

 

Ackera Nugent of Jamacia, winner of two Grand Slam Track titles in the short hurdles, figures to be in the mix with American’s Russell and Jones and Nigerian Amusan. Nugent ranks No. 5 in the world, running 12.30, also at the Paris Diamond League against Amusan.

 

American Tonea Marshall and Jamaican Danielle Williams are the only two returning racers from last year’s Prefontaine Classic race. Marshall finished third in 12.55; Williams placed sixth in 12.65.

 

Kendra Harrison, Alia Armstrong and Christina Clemons hope they can create some parity for the U.S. team. All three are ranked top 12 in the world.

 

 

Beatrice Chebet broke new ground in the women’s 10,000 at last year’s Prefontaine Classic, running 28:54.14 for a new world record and became the first woman in history to break 29 minutes over the 25 laps.

 

This year, Chebet aims to break another barrier: running under 14 minutes in the 5,000.

 

The reigning Olympic champion in both the 5,000 and 10,000 has already shown early signs of becoming the first woman to run a 5,000 race in under 14 minutes, running 14:03.69 at the Rome Diamond League this season, which is the second-fastest time in world history.

 

Chebet will renew her rivalry with Gudaf Tsegay of Ethiopia, who was billed as the person to take a crack at the 10,000 world record last year but faded hard over the last three laps. The 2023 world champion in the 10,000 has run a season’s best 14:24.86 for the 5,000 in the same Paris Diamond League race where Chebet obliterated the field.

 

Tsegay is joined by fellow Ethiopian’s Birke Haylom, Medina Eisa, Aleshigh Baweke, Hirut Meshesha, Likina Amebaw, Asayech Ayichew and Aynadis Mebraut, who are all ranked top 15 in the world this year.

 

This year’s 5,000 race will also serve as the Kenyan world team trials like last year’s 10,000 trials. Agnes Jebet Ngetich, Caroline Nyaga and Janeth Chepngetich figured to be in the top three mix with Chebet for the Tokyo team.

 

Weini Keltati Frezghi will be the lone American representative in the field. Keltati Frezghi finished eighth in the 10,000 final at the Paris Olympics.

 

 

The final field event of the meet features a rematch of Paris Olympics podium finishers: Valarie Allman of the U.S. and Sandra Elkasević of Croata.

 

Two-time reigning Olympic champion Allman is eying a fourth consecutive Prefontaine Classic in the discus. Like those times before, she will be an overwhelming favorite with her world-leading mark of 73.52m (241-2), which broke the North American record in Ramona, Oklahoma, on April 12.

 

Bronze medalist Elkasević aims to keep up with Allman just like she did at the Paris Olympics when she threw 67.51m (221-6). The Croatian record holder, ranked No. 15 in the world with a mark of 65.03m (213-4), hasn’t eclipsed 70 meters since the 2018 season.

 

Jorinde Van Klinken of The Netherlands is another Paris Olympics finalist entered. The former Oregon Duck, ranked 10th in the world this season, finished seventh in her first Olympic final.

 

Americans Laulauga Tausaga and Jayden Ulrich return to Hayward Field with intentions of having better outings then their last appearances.

 

Tausaga, who won the 2023 world title, didn’t make the Paris Olympics team after failing to move on from the qualifying round at the Olympic trials. Currently No. 2 in the world this season, Tausaga threw a personal best 70.72m (232-0) in Ramona.

 

Ulrich, a Paris Olympian, finished in an unexpected seventh place at the NCAA Outdoor Championships in June. Ulrich is No. 3 in the world this season, throwing 69.39m (227-8) in Ramona.

 

Cuban Yaimé Pérez, world No. 6, NCAA champion Cierra Jackson of Fresno State, world No.11, and German Marike Steinacker, world No. 16, make up the rest of the field.

 

 

Out of all the non-Diamond disciplines, the women’s 400 expects to draw the most eyes because of one person: Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone.

 

Not because it will be a another attempt to break Sanya Richards-Ross’ American record, but it’s also the first time McLaughlin-Levrone will compete at the Prefontaine Classic.

 

With a personal best of 48.74 in the flat 400, McLaughlin-Levrone is hundredths of a second away from Richards-Ross’ time of 48.70 set back in 2006. McLaughlin-Levrone’s second crack at the American record will probably be done in solo fashion given the field assembled.

 

Without reigning Olympic champion Marleidy Paulino of the Dominican Republic and Salwa Eid Naser of Bahrain entered, Americans Isabella Whittaker and Aaliyah Butler are the next up to challenge McLaughlin-Levrone.

 

Whittaker and Butler both won NCAA titles this school year in the 400. Whittaker, representing Arkansas, won the indoor title in an American record 49.24, ranking her No. 4 in the world. Butler, representing Georgia, won the outdoor title in 49.26, No. 5 in the world.

 

Butler’s Georgia teammate, Dajenea Oakely of Jamaica, and Arkansas’ Amber Anning, a world indoor champion for Great Britian, are the only other entries in the field with sub-50-second efforts this season.

 

 

The entire globe can prepare itself for another Faith Kipyegon world record attempt.

 

A little over a week since her sub-4-minute mile attempt in Paris that resulted in her running 4:06.91, Kipyegon will look to lower her another world record of hers in the women’s 1,500 at the Prefontaine Classic.

 

The three-time Olympic gold medalist and four-time world champion ran 3:49.04 in last year’s Paris Diamond League, becoming the first woman in history to run below 3:50 for the 1,500.

 

Given the conversion of her 4:06.91 mile, that puts her right at 3:48.61 for the 1,500. Not to mention she will have to run 109 less meters this time.

 

Kipyegon returns to Hayward for the first time since the 2023 Diamond League Final where she also won the 1,500.

 

Second to Kipyegon in Paris was Jessica Hull of Australia, who returns to her alma mater for the first time as an Olympic medalist. Hull ran the fifth-fastest 1,500 time in history in that same Paris Diamond League, running 3:50.83.

 

Hull finished second in last year’s 1,500 at Prefontaine Classic to Diribe Welteji of Ethiopia, who won last year’s race in 3:53.75. She’s back to defend her title.

 

Georgia Hunter Bell of Great Britain, bronze in the Paris Olympics 1,500 final, is searching for her second Diamond League win of the year. She won the 800 at the Stockholm Diamond League in 1:57.66, earning her first career Diamond League victory.

 

The American contingent will be well represented, featuring American record holder Shelby Houlihan, who returned to the Diamond League scene for the first time since 2019, racing at the Rome Diamond League in the 5,000 in 14:45.29. The last Diamond League prior to 2025 she ran in was the Prefontaine Classic in the 1,500, finishing third overall.

 

Reigning USATF outdoor and indoor 1,500 champion Nikki Hiltz makes their season debut in the Diamond League after competing in Grand Slam Track earlier this season. Hiltz finished fifth in last year’s Prefontaine Classic 1,500.

 

Paris Olympians Elise Cranny and Emily Mackay, Nanjing world indoor competitors Heather Maclean and Sinclaire Johnson, and 800 specialist Sage Hurta-Klecker are the other Americans racing.

 

Other notable names include Freweyni Hailu of Ethiopia, the world indoor 3,000 champion, Saron Berhe of Ethiopia, Susan Lokayo Ejore of Kenya, Sarah Healy of Ireland and Erin Wallace of Great Britain.

 

 

Faith Cherotich of Kenya has put the Paris Olympics in the past and is dialed in on winning it all in 2025.

 

Third to both Winfred Yavi of Bahrain and Peruth Chemutai of Uganda in the Olympic steeplechase final, Cherotich has already reversed the order against both of those women in three Diamond League races this season.

 

At both the Doha and Oslo Diamond League, Cherotich out-kicked reigning Olympic champion Yavi by a thin margin in both races, then held off silver medalist Chemutai recently at the Paris Diamond League in a world-leading 8:53.37.

 

Cherotich is No. 1 in the world this season, followed by Chemutai second and Yavi fifth.

 

Last year’s Prefontaine Classic race saw Chemutai win in 8:55.09, beating Cherotich by over nine seconds and Yavi by an absurd 26 seconds. Yavi last won the steeplechase at Hayward Field in 2023 at the Diamond League Final.

 

The rest of this year’s field includes six more finalists from the Paris Olympics: European record holder Alice Finot of France; Sembo Almayew and Lomi Muleta of Ethipoia, Courtney Wayment and Valarie Constein of the U.S.; and Gesa Felicitas Krause of Germany. All six are ranked top 20 in the world this season.

 

Gabby Jennings and Lexy Halladay-Lowry of the U.S., Marwa Bouzayani of Tunisa, Norah Jeruto of Kazakhstan and Alemant Walle of Ethiopia are among other highly ranked world competitors in the field.

 

 

Honoring the Prefontaine Classic’s winningest athlete, Maria Mutola, the first “Mutola 800m" features a rematch between Paris Olympics medalists Tsige Duguma of Ethiopia and Mary Moraa of Kenya.

 

Originally billed as an Olympic podium rematch (Keeley Hodgkinson is a late scratch), silver medalist Duguma and bronze medalist Moraa will rehash their Olympic final that was separated by less than three tenths of a second. Moraa is the top returner from last year’s Prefontaine Classic, finishing second to Hodgkinson.

 

Shafiqua Maloney of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Prudence Sekgodiso of South Africa are another pair of Paris Olympics finalists entered. Maloney finished fourth and Sekgodiso was eighth.

 

And for the first time this season, Athing Mu-Nikolayev of the U.S. will race her main discipline after experimenting with some unusual distances earlier this season, including a “time trial” in the 3,000 in the middle of a 5,000 race at the Mt. SAC Relays. Mu-Nikolayev’s last 800 was ran in July of last year, but her last 800 at Hayward Field was a disastrous ninth-place finish in the Olympic Trials final.

 

Anais Bourgoin of France brings some intrigued to the field with her 1:57.83 effort from the Rabat Diamond League.

 

Jemma Reekie of Great Britain is another top three-returner from last year’s Prefontaine Classic race. She’s ran 1:58.56 this season.

 

Hayward Field favorite Raevyn Rogers of the U.S. returns to the Prefontaine Classic for the first since 2022.

 

 

The final race and the final Paris Olympics podium rematch brings in numerous storylines to follow in the women’s 100.

 

Week-by-week, reigning Olympic champion Julien Alfred of St. Lucia is slowly becoming the face of women’s sprinting, having already posted times of 10.75 in the 100 and 21.88 in the 200 this season, ranking her top two in the world in both.

 

Bronze medalist Melissa Jefferson-Wooden of the U.S. has recently emerged as the next up-and-coming star after running a blistering 10.73 time in the 100 at Grand Slam Track Philadelphia, elevating her to 10th on the all-time world list. She also ran 21.99 in the 200, ranking her fourth in the world this season.

 

And then silver medalist Sha’Carri Richardson of the U.S., who’s only raced once this season back in May when she ran 11.47 in the 100 at the Seiko Golden Grad Prix in Tokyo. Not fast by her standards, but with another month of training under her belt, the Prefontaine Classic could be her breakout race to begin the long 2025 season.

 

Outside those three, there’s also Jamaican twins Tia and Tina Clayton, who have also recently emerged as another pair of rising stars over the last couple of weeks. Tina won the 100 at the Jamaican Trials in a new personal best 10.81; Tia ran 10.86 in the preliminary round of the 100, although she did not finish the final. Both Tia and Tina also finished 1-2, respectively, in the 100 at the Doha Diamond League.

 

Tia Clayton, Twanisha “TeeTee” Terry of the U.S. and Marie Josée Ta Lou-Smith of Ivory Coast are three more competitors in the field from the Paris Olympics final.

 

World record holder in the 150 meters, Favour Ofili of Nigeria, and Paris Olympics silver medalist in the 4x100 relay, Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britian, should have a presence in Saturday’s race.