Sandra Perkovic maintains her winning streak at the 2013 Monaco Diamond League (© Philippe Fitte)
A handful of world champions and Diamond Race winners will head to the Herculis meeting at the Stade Louis II on 17 July to compete at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
World and Olympic discus champion Sandra Perkovic is just one victory away from winning the Diamond Race in her event. The Croatian will still need to compete at the IAAF Diamond League final later in the year to guarantee her victory, but maximum points in Monaco will give her an unassailable lead in the overall standings.
Perkovic won in Monaco in 2012 and 2013 with respective marks of 65.29m and 65.30m. But the meeting record of 69.30m, set 23 years ago, is within her capabilities.
World champion Abeba Aregawi will take on 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson in the 1500m. Aregawi’s PB of 3:56.54 is faster than Simpson’s best of 3:57.22, but the US runner is undefeated this year and has finished ahead of Aregawi in their three most recent encounters.
European champion Sifan Hassan is also in the field and the meeting record of 3:56.97 could be under threat.
After missing most of 2014 through injury, world pole vault champion Raphael Holzdeppe is back to his best and will take on world record-holder Renaud Lavillenie in Monaco.
The pair cleared 5.85m at the European Team Championships earlier this month with Lavillenie only winning on count-back. Three days later, Holzdeppe set a lifetime best of 5.92m in Baku.
Russia’s three reigning global champions will clash in the women’s high jump. World champion Svetlana Shkolina will be joined by Olympic champion Anna Chicherova and world indoor champion Maria Kuchina as they take on two-time world champion Blanka Vlasic and European champion Ruth Beitia.
World 100m and 200m leader Justin Gatlin returns to Monaco looking for a third victory in a row. This time he will contest the 100m and will chase the meeting record of 9.82.
Organisers for the IAAF
2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar
Doha, QAT – 15 May
Shanghai, CHN – 17 May
Eugene, USA – 30 May
Rome, ITA – 4 June
Birmingham, GBR – 7 June
Oslo, NOR – 11 June
New York, USA – 13 June
Paris, FRA – 4 July
Lausanne, SUI – 9 July
Monaco, MON – 17 July
London, GBR – 24-25 July
Stockholm, SWE – 30 July
Zurich, SUI – 3 September
Brussels, BEL – 11 September
