Commonwealth Games 800m champion Wycliff Kinyamal has now set his sights on winning his specialty at the Diamond League meeting in Rome at the end of this month.
Fresh from setting a new course record in Shanghai over the weekend where he clocked 1:43.91, the youngster will be seeking to prove that the win was not a fluke.
Kinyamal faces a competitive field in the two-lap race that including compatriots medallist Kipyegon Bett, the world 800m bronze medallist and Ferguson Rotich as well as World 800m champion Pierre Ambroise of France and former Commonwealth Games champion Nijel Amos of Botswana.
Others in the field are fast-rising Canadian, Brandon McBride and Adam Kszczot of Poland.
The men’s 3,000 steeplechase race has strong Kenyan feel to it and includes Commonwealth Games bronze medallist Amos Kirui, former Africa senior champion Jairus Birech and Nicholas Kiptanui.
They will face competition from veteran Frenchman Mahiedine Mekhissi, Ethiopian duo of Chala Beyo and Tesfaye Deriba as well as Yemane Haileselassie of Eritrea.
Former world junior champion Celliphine Chespol leads a strong Kenyan contingent in the water jump event alongside Shanghai winner Beatrice Chepkoech, former world 3,000m steeplechase champion Hyving Kiyeng, Norah Jeruto, Daisy Jepkemei while world champion Emma Coburn will seek to upset the form-book again.
World and Commonwealth Games champion Elijah Manangoi renews his rivalry with world silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot in a loaded field for the three and half-lap race.
The duo will face former Commonwealth champion Silas Kiplagat, Djibouti’s Ayanleh Souleiman, Marcin Lewandoski of Poland, Ethiopia’s Aman Wote and Bahrain’s Sadik Mikhou.
The men’s 400m hurdles line-up includes world champion Karsten Warholm, Olympic champion Kerron Clement, Diamond League champion Kyron McMaster, European champion Yasmani Copello and world leader Abderrahman Samba.
World champions will line up against Olympic champions in all three of the men’s field events as Sam Kendricks and Thiago Braz clash in the pole vault, Luvo Manyonga and Jeff Henderson face off in the long jump and Andrius Gudzius and Christoph Harting duel in the discus.
World champion Maria Lasitskene will face 2016 world indoor champion Vashti Cunningham, world silver medallist Yuliya Levchenko and world bronze medallist Alessia Trost in the high jump.
The fields for the women’s hurdles events are led by the two US athletes who won Olympic gold in 2016: Brianna McNeal and Dalilah Muhammad. World indoor champion Courtney Okolo will take on world silver medallist Salwa Eid Naser and Italian record-holder Libania Grenot in the 400m.
Commonwealth champion Isaac Makwala will contest the men’s 400m, double world silver medallist Marie-Josee Ta Lou will line up in the women’s 200m, and Sandra Perkovic headlines the discus field.
Facebook Comments