Three-time world champion Asbel Kiprop and Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz will return to the Prefontaine Classic on 27 May to compete in the IAAF Diamond League meeting&rsquo;s most famous race, the Bowerman Mile.
Meeting organisers have secured every available top miler in the world, including the man who has the most Pre Classic wins and another who has the fastest time ever achieved outside of Europe. Three others with major medals have PBs faster than 3:50, a time no US man has achieved in the past 10 years.
Kiprop is the world&rsquo;s most dominant miler. Despite being edged out of a medal in Rio, Kiprop has won four global titles, including the Olympic gold medal from 2008 when he was still a teenager. He is also the most prolific winner of the 1500m/mile Diamond Trophy, having won in 2010, 2015 and 2016.
Last year the Kenyan claimed a record fourth Bowerman Mile title and this year he can venture into more rare Pre Classic record territory. All of his previous eight Bowerman Miles have been run within 4:00. One more sub-four-minute performance will give him the most ever recorded by one athlete in Eugene. His slowest performance at the Pre Classic is 3:51.54.
Centrowitz will return to Hayward Field with a medal rarely seen &ndash; USA's first Olympic gold in the men&rsquo;s 1500m since Mel Sheppard&rsquo;s win in London in 1908. The win capped a career year for Centrowitz who also won the world indoor title in Portland in March.
The 27-year-old missed last year&rsquo;s Prefontaine Classic as he was nursing an injury but he healed and responded the next month with the fastest time in US Championships history (3:34.09) before going on to win the Olympic title, covering the last lap in 50.5 to leave two previous Olympic gold medallists in his trail.
Elijah Manangoi of Kenya is the world 1500m leader, winning the IAAF Diamond League kick-off event in Doha. The world silver medallist has a 1500m best of 3:29.67 and finished third in last year&rsquo;s Bowerman Mile.
Ronald Kwemoi of Kenya is the Commonwealth silver medallist and has a mile best of 3:52.57. Last week the Olympic finalist destroyed a superb field over 3000m in Doha to win in 7:28.73, showing a turn of speed over the last 100 metres that will give all the other fast-finishers something to think about.
USA&rsquo;s Clayton Murphy is the youngest in the field at 22 and is currently the 800m world leader. He clocked 1:43.60 at the Mt SAC Relays, and then anchored the victorious US 4x800m squad at the IAAF World Relays. The Olympic 800m bronze medallist will be running his first outdoor mile on the track, but he won the NCAA 1500m title last year in 3:36.23.
At 34, New Zealand&rsquo;s Nick Willis is the oldest in the field. Winner of silver and bronze medals at the 2008 and 2016 Olympics respectively, he is still chasing John Walker&rsquo;s national mile record of 3:49.08.
The meeting record-holder at 3:47.32, Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti was just 0.05 from a medal in Rio last summer. He missed last year&rsquo;s Pre Classic due to injury but won in 2015 and 2014, having finished fourth in 2013 and third in 2012.
Kenya&rsquo;s Silas Kiplagat won the 1500m Diamond Trophy in 2012 and 2014. The 2011 world silver medallist will be making his seventh straight appearance in the Bowerman Mile.
World bronze medallist Abdelaati Iguider of Morocco was the runner-up in last year&rsquo;s Bowerman Mile. He is Morocco&rsquo;s third-fastest miler in history, trailing only Hicham El Guerrouj and Said Aouita, both world record-setters in the 1500m. The 2012 world indoor champion has placed in the top five at the past three Olympic Games.
Ryan Gregson won the Pre Classic international miles in 2010 and 2011. Last summer he became Australia&rsquo;s first Olympic 1500m finalist since 1976.
The field also includes Kenyan trio Timothy Cheruiyot, Vincent Kibet and Bethwell Birgen, as well as Norway's European champion Filip Ingebrigtsen, USA&rsquo;s Ben Blankenship and Britain&rsquo;s Charlie Grice.
The Bowerman Mile is named after Bill Bowerman, a legendary figure in athletics history who coached national championship teams four times at the University of Oregon between 1962 and1970, where he mentored Steve Prefontaine.
Organisers for the IAAF
2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar: 5 May &ndash; Doha, QAT 13 May &ndash; Shanghai, CHN 27 May &ndash; Eugene, USA 8 Jun &ndash; Rome, ITA 15 Jun &ndash; Oslo, NOR 18 Jun &ndash; Stockholm, SWE 1 Jul &ndash; Paris, FRA 6 Jul &ndash; Lausanne, SUI 9 Jul &ndash; London, GBR 16 Jul &ndash; Rabat, MAR 21 Jul &ndash; Monaco, MON 20 Aug &ndash; Birmingham, GBR 24 Aug &ndash; Zurich, SUI 1 Sep &ndash; Brussels, BEL

Three-time world champion Asbel Kiprop and Olympic champion Matthew Centrowitz will return to the Prefontaine Classic on 27 May to compete in the IAAF Diamond League meeting’s most famous race, the Bowerman Mile.

Kiprop and Centrowitz lead all-star mile field in Eugene – IAAF Diamond League

Sixteen reigning Olympic and world champions will assemble in Doha on Friday (5) to help kick off the 2017 IAAF Diamond League series, which gets underway for the eighth straight year in the Qatari capital.
In all, 43 global medallists are expected on the Qatar Sports Club track for a programme that includes several high profile rematches from last summer's Olympic Games and previews of what we can expect as the season progresses towards the IAAF World Championships London 2017 in August.
<h3>Dibaba to challenge Semenya and 800m elite</h3>
Among the evening's most anticipated contests is the women's 800m, which reunites not only the top three finishers from last August's Rio Games &ndash; South Africa's Olympic champion Caster Semenya, Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi and Kenyan Margaret Nyambui&nbsp;&ndash; but also features world 1500m record-holder Genzebe Dibaba&rsquo;s eagerly awaited debut over the distance.
Semenya, the 2016 Diamond Trophy winner, was unbeaten over the distance last year and Niyonsaba captured the world indoor title while Dibaba has won world gold in 2015 and Olympic silver in 2016 at 1500m. In those two races, the Ethiopian covered the last 800m in 1:57.2 and 1:58.47 respectively, suggesting she&rsquo;s clearly capable of holding her own with the event&rsquo;s finest runners.
Watch out too for Pole Joanna Jozwik, this year&rsquo;s world indoor leader, who&rsquo;ll be making her outdoor season&rsquo;s debut.
<h3>Thompson vs Schippers at 200m</h3>
But there is star power across the programme.
The women&rsquo;s 200m features the first meeting of the year between rivals Elaine Thompson and Dafne Schippers, the event&rsquo;s Olympic and world champions, respectively. Both have displayed solid early season form, Thompson with a wind-aided 10.75 in the 100m and Schippers with 10.95 and 22.29 100m and 200m performances, all in mid-April.
Marie-Josee Ta Lou of Ivory Coast, who finished fourth in the Olympic 100m and 200m finals, will also be in the field, along with Veronica Campbell-Brown, the 2004 and 2008 Olympic champion.
Meanwhile, the men&rsquo;s 100m has shaped up into a battle between two generations, with Canada&rsquo;s triple Olympic medallist Andre de Grasse and South African Akani Simbine, 22 and 23 respectively, taking on Olympic silver medallist Justin Gatlin and former world record-holder Asafa Powell.
Simbine, who clocked a national record of 9.89 last year, has already dashed 9.92 this season while de Grasse will be making his season&rsquo;s solo debut after producing some impressive relay legs at the IAAF World Relays in Nassau 10 days ago. Watch out too for rising US star Ronnie Baker who after an unbeaten indoor season over 60m, opened his outdoor campaign with a 9.99 lifetime best at the Mt SAC Relays.&nbsp;
The men's 400m is equally packed with talent, featuring Bahamian Steven Gardiner, the current world leader at 44.26, who electrified his home crowd at the World Relays. Out to curb his momentum are 2008 Olympic champions LaShawn Merritt of the US, who set the meeting record of 44.19 in 2014; Botswana&rsquo;s 18-year-old rising star Karabo Sibanda, an Olympic finalist last year; and the event&rsquo;s top indoor star, world indoor champion Pavel Maslak of the Czech Republic.
Both hurdles races also feature Olympic and world medallists.
In the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles, world record-holder Kendra Harrison kicks off her IAAF Diamond League campaign riding the momentum of two early season victories to arrive as the world leader at 12.56.
Harrison will take on Olympic silver medallist Nia Ali, Olympic fourth-placer Cindy Ofili of Great Britain, and Germany&rsquo;s Cindy Roleder, the European champion and world silver medallist.
The men&rsquo;s 400m hurdles &ndash; not a point-scoring event in Doha&nbsp;&ndash; features Olympic gold and silver medallists Kerron Clement of the US and Kenyan Bonface Mucheru. They will be facing a new talent for the first time, Qatar&rsquo;s 21-year-old Abderrahman Samba, who&rsquo;s the surprise early season world leader at 48.31. Kenyan Nicholas Bett, the world champion, is also in the field.
<h3>Barshim still chasing elusive Doha Diamond League victory&nbsp;</h3>
On the infield, the primary focus will fall on the south end of the stadium and the men&rsquo;s high jump, where Qatar&rsquo;s biggest athletics star Mutaz Barshim will be defending home turf.&nbsp;
Barshim, history&rsquo;s second highest jumper at 2.43m, the Olympic silver medallist and two-time Diamond Trophy winner, has yet to claim a victory at Doha&rsquo;s Diamond League fixture but this year starts as the world leader after a 2.35m clearance in Jeddah 19 days ago.
Erik Kynard of the US, the 2016 Diamond Trophy winner, and Robbie Grabarz of Great Britain, who shared the bronze with Barshim at the 2012 Olympics, will be the home star&rsquo;s key competition.
The women&rsquo;s pole vault also features the Rio 1-2, with Olympic champion Ekaterini Stefanidi of Greece beginning her Diamond Trophy title defence by taking on Sandi Morris of the US, the Rio silver&nbsp;medallist and newest member of the event&rsquo;s five-metre club after her 5.00m clearance at the last year&rsquo;s IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels. Yarisley Silva of Cuba, the world champion, is also in the field.
In the men&rsquo;s triple jump, two-time world and Olympic champion Christian Taylor will be the favourite as he targets a third Doha win. In an epic duel two years ago with Pedro Pablo Pichardo, Taylor jumped a then-PB of 18.04m, losing by two centimetres to the Cuban to become the only man in history to sail beyond 18 metres and be denied a victory.
This year the 26-year-old US record-holder&rsquo;s chief rival will be China&rsquo;s Dong Bin, the world indoor champion and Olympic bronze medallist. Taylor, a five-time Diamond Trophy winner, has been in action twice this season, with 17.26m his best.
<h3>Rohler and Carter head the throws fields</h3>
Olympic champions figure prominently in both of the programme&rsquo;s throws events.&nbsp;
Thomas Rohler of Germany heads the javelin field, squaring off against Kenya&rsquo;s world champion Julius Yego and Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, last year&rsquo;s Diamond Trophy winner. Of the three, only Vadlejch has competed this year, throwing 85.71m in early April.
Locals will keep an eye on Qatar&rsquo;s rising talent Ahmed Bedeer Magour, a finalist at last year&rsquo;s Olympics. In all, six of the top 10 finishers in Rio will start in Doha.
In the women's shot put, which kicks off the programme at 18:00 local, Olympic champion Michelle Carter of the US leads the field, which also includes Hungary's Anita Marton, the European indoor champion, Olympic bronze medallist and current world leader at 19.63m.
<h3>Women&rsquo;s Rio steeplechase podium reunion highlights the middle distances</h3>
Moving up to the evening&rsquo;s longer distances, the women&rsquo;s steeplechase is the most loaded, featuring an Olympic podium reunion led by Ruth Jebet, who followed up her Olympic heroics with an 8:52.78 world record run at the Paris leg of the IAAF Diamond League.
The Bahraini will again face Kenya&rsquo;s world champion Hyvin Kiyeng and US record-holder Emma Coburn, the Olympic silver and bronze medallists.
The man to watch in the men&rsquo;s 1500m is a familiar face in Doha, three-time world champion Asbel Kiprop, who&rsquo;ll be gunning for a fourth victory here. The Kenyan is the meeting record-holder at 3:29.18, the fastest ever performance in the month of May, and returns after notching a resounding victory last year. Another win on Friday would be his 24th in IAAF Diamond League competition.
His compatriots are expected to provide the stiffest competition, namely Silas Kiplagat, the 2011 world silver medallist and two-time Diamond Race winner, and Elijah Manangoi, the world silver medallist.
Ayanleh Souleiman of Djibouti, the 2014 world indoor champion, could also be a factor. He's raced well in Doha before, beating a stacked field in the 800m two years ago.
As has become tradition, the meeting will conclude with the men&rsquo;s 3000m which features more Olympic and world medallists, led by Olympic steeplechase champion Conseslus Kipruto. The 22-year-old will take on Olympic 5000m silver medallist Paul Chelimo of the US, Ethiopia&rsquo;s world indoor champion Yomif Kejelcha, and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Thomas Longosiwa of Kenya.
<h3>New IAAF Diamond League structure&nbsp;</h3>
In its biggest restructure since the series began in 2010, this year&rsquo;s IAAF Diamond League will adopt a championship-style model whereby athletes earn points at the first 12 meetings to qualify for the two finals.
In previous seasons, athletes accumulated points throughout the IAAF Diamond League season with the overall winner of each of the 32 disciplines being the athlete with the most points, irrespective of whether they won the final.
This year, the winners of each discipline in the finals will be crowned as IAAF Diamond League champions, earning a $50,000 bonus and the Diamond Trophy.
The scoring system has also changed for 2017. Whereas previously only the top six finishers in each discipline earned points, the top eight will now be rewarded. Eight points will go to the winner, seven points to second place and so on, with one point going to the athlete in eighth place.
Each discipline will be staged six or four times before the finals. At the end of the 12 qualification meetings, the top seven, eight or 12 athletes (depending on the discipline) will be invited to compete in the final. In case of a tie, the best legal performance of the qualification phase wins.
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Sixteen reigning Olympic and world champions will assemble in Doha on Friday (5) to help kick off the 2017 IAAF Diamond League series, which gets underway for the eighth straight year in the Qatari capital.

Sixteen world and Olympic champions converge on Doha to help kick off IAAF Diamond League season eight 

Another wave of Olympic medallists and world champions have announced their participation in the first meeting of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League season in Doha, adding to an already incredible list of athletics superstars who will compete on 5 May at the Qatar Sports Club.
Kenya&rsquo;s middle-distance legend Asbel Kiprop will lead the men&rsquo;s 1500m field as Olympic steeplechase gold medallist Conseslus Kipruto stars in the men&rsquo;s 3000m flat, while the women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles features a hugely talented line-up.
Kiprop, the 2008 Olympic gold medallist and a three-time world champion, will be going for an impressive 24th IAAF Diamond League meeting victory in the men&rsquo;s 1500m, which would also be his third consecutive win in Doha. The 2016 Diamond Race winner will face stiff competition from compatriots Silas Kiplagat, the 2011 world silver medallist and two-time Diamond Race winner, and Elijah Manangoi, the world silver medallist.
The excitement is set to continue in the men&rsquo;s 3000m, which features a scintillating line up of Olympic and world medallists. Kenya&rsquo;s 22-year-old Kipruto will lead the field fresh from his success in Rio after bagging the Olympic gold in the 3000m steeplechase and setting an Olympic record with 8:03.28.
Kipruto will face strong competition from the field&rsquo;s 5000m specialists, which include Olympic silver and bronze medallists Paul Chelimo of the USA and Ethiopia&rsquo;s Hagos Gebrhiwet respectively, world indoor champion Yomif Kejelcha also of Ethiopia, and 2012 Olympic bronze medallist Thomas Longosiwa of Kenya.
The women&rsquo;s 100m hurdles will be yet another race packed with the best in the world, with four of the top five in the Rio Olympic finals set to compete, alongside world record-holder Kendra Harrison. The USA&rsquo;s Brianna Rollins and Nia Ali took the gold and silver medals respectively in Rio with just 0.11 seconds separating them but they will face additional competition in Doha from talented teammate Harrison.
The exceptionally high standard of US female sprint hurdling meant that Harrison missed out on a place on the US Olympic team after finishing sixth at the US trials last year. This was her only loss of an otherwise hugely successful 2016 season, which saw her break the world record at the London IAAF Diamond League meeting en route to winning the Diamond Race.
The US hurdlers will also face challenges from Cindy Ofili of Great Britan who was just 0.03 short of a bronze medal in Rio, and Germany&rsquo;s Cindy Roleder, who took home the silver medal at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing and gold at the 2016 European Championships. With such a high level of talent lining up in the same race, this could be one of the most enthralling races of this year&rsquo;s Doha Diamond League.
Organisers for the IAAF
2017 IAAF Diamond League calendar 5 May &ndash; Doha, QAT 13 May &ndash; Shanghai, CHN 27 May &ndash; Eugene, USA 8 Jun &ndash; Rome, ITA 15 Jun &ndash; Oslo, NOR 18 Jun &ndash; Stockholm, SWE 1 Jul &ndash; Paris, FRA 6 Jul &ndash; Lausanne, SUI 9 Jul &ndash; London, GBR 16 Jul &ndash; Rabat, MAR 21 Jul &ndash; Monaco, MON 20 Aug &ndash; Birmingham, GBR 24 Aug &ndash; Zurich, SUI 1 Sep &ndash; Brussels, BEL

Another wave of Olympic medallists and world champions have announced their participation in the first meeting of the 2017 IAAF Diamond League season in Doha, adding to an already incredible list of athletics superstars who will compete on 5 May at the Qatar Sports Club.

More star power in Doha's 1500m, 3000m and 100m hurdles fields – IAAF Diamond League

Kenya&rsquo;s mixed relay secured the nation&rsquo;s first gold of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 with an eight-second victory over east African rivals Ethiopia.
At yesterday&rsquo;s press conference Asbel Kiprop thanked the IAAF for introducing the mixed relay to this year&rsquo;s programme.
&ldquo;This is what brought me back to cross country,&rdquo; the three-time world 1500m champion told the press about his long awaited return to the championships after years of abstinence from the event.
On the first leg, all eyes were on the tall Kenyan as he was setting the pace over Ethiopia&rsquo;s first leg runner Welde Tufa. Team tactics were interesting to watch: Kenya clearly wanted to push the pace from the start, while Ethiopia had placed their two strongest runners on the final two legs.
Kiprop ran impressively and reached the changeover zone at the 2km mark in 5:19. He handed over to Winfried Nzisa Mbithe with a six-second lead over Ethiopa&rsquo;s Tufa, who passed the wristband to Bone Cheluke.
&ldquo;I knew I had to deliver this for the team, so I had to run fast,&rdquo; Kiprop said of his role to lead out the team.
Mbithe, fuelled on by the many Kenyan fans that had travelled to Kampala the day before and who were racing alongside the course to support their athletes, took off like a storm. Ethiopia&rsquo;s Cheluke went out more conservatively, looking to reel in the Kenyan further down the course. It represented a chance for the Turkish team and third leg runner Meryem Akdag as the European cross country medallist moved up to the Ethiopian&rsquo;s shoulder and into second.
Over the last 600m, Cheluke&rsquo;s conservative approach paid off as she moved her team back into silver position. Meanwhile, Mbithe produced a solid 6:07 to the Ethiopian&rsquo;s 6:16 to extend the lead Kiprop built to 15 seconds overall. Ethiopia, however, still had world indoor 3000m champion Yomif Kejelcha and 1500m world record-holder Genzebe Dibaba to come.
The Ethiopian went out hard to chase down Bernard Kipkorir Koros, closely followed by the Turkish relay in third, but Uganda&rsquo;s Ronald Musagala, who initially was set to run the host nation&rsquo;s final leg, surged from fifth towards the top three to the delight of the partial home crowd.
Kejelcha&rsquo;s long strides saw him slowly close the gap to Koros and away from Turkey and Uganda to leave the two nations battle for bronze. As Beatrice Chepkoech received the wristband from Koros (5:34) with a 12 second lead over Kejelcha (5:22), all eyes turned to Dibaba.
Chepkoech, aware of the threat of Dibaba closing in on her, regularly glanced over her shoulder. Dibaba was working hard to close down the gap between herself and the Kenyan. With 600m to go she was still about 15 metres behind the leader and not even her impressive 5:27 effort was enough to catch Chepkoech in the end. With arms aloft and cheered on by the rest of her team behind the finish line, Chepkoech crossed the line to take the first gold of the day for the Kenyan relay in 22:22, eight seconds clear from Ethiopia.
The battle for bronze went to Turkey in the end (22:37), where Yasmin Can produced a strong 5:29 effort on the last leg. Hosts Uganda finished in fourth (23:03), with Bahrain in fifth.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s good and will remain in history that we won the first mixed relay,&rdquo; a delighted Kiprop said after the race.
Michelle Sammet for the IAAF
*NOTE: Intermediate times are still unofficial

Kenya’s mixed relay secured the nation’s first gold of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 with an eight-second victory over east African rivals Ethiopia.

Kenya prevails in inaugural mixed relay – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017 

On the eve of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, some of the world&rsquo;s top middle and long distance runners joined IAAF President Sebastian Coe, dignitaries from the Local Organising Committee and IAAF Ambassadors Tegla Loroupe and Paul Tergat at the pre-event press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in central Kampala on Saturday (25).
<h3>A &lsquo;Big moment for Uganda, for Africa&rsquo;</h3>
&ldquo;The quality of performances you will see tomorrow absolutely and quintessentially exemplifies the fact that this is a truly global sport,&rdquo; Coe said, speaking to more than 70 journalists gathered at the press conference.
&ldquo;557 athletes from 59 countries are here. This is a big moment. It&rsquo;s a big moment for Uganda because it&rsquo;s the first time the country is hosting a world athletics series event. It&rsquo;s a big moment for Africa. Because bringing our championships here was one of my commitments and was echoed amongst my Council colleagues. There&rsquo;s no greater heartland for that talent and that passion than Africa for these cross country championships.&rdquo;
&ldquo;This is a country, and this is a continent that takes cross country very seriously. And that&rsquo;s very close to my heart.&rdquo;
Charles Bakkabulindi, the LOC chairman &amp; Minister of State for Sports, echoed those sentiments.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m so excited,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It began as a dream some years back that the World Cross Country Championships would be in Africa, in Uganda. The country is excited. We are looking forward to tomorrow at Kololo.&rdquo;
&ldquo;Kampala is very proud to host the 42nd edition of these championships,&rdquo; Andrew Kitaka, acting Executive Director of Kampala City Authority, added. &ldquo;The 557 athletes that have come here show the true recognition of the importance of this event.&rdquo;
<h3>Helping refugee communities</h3>
Coe and local organisers had hoped that a 60th squad representing an Athletes Refugee Team would be taking part in Sunday&rsquo;s championships, but administrative hurdles ultimately prevented the members from making the trip to Kampala.
Coe paid tribute to IAAF Ambassador Tegla Loroupe whose Peace Foundation initiated the refugee team concept in 2014, a project funded by the IAAF, and noted that efforts remain in motion to ensure that refugees are represented at future IAAF World Athletics Series events.
&ldquo;We will be doing everything we possibly can to have that refugee team represented and be with us at the IAAF World Relays in Bahamas in a few weeks time,&rdquo; Coe said.
&ldquo;Tegla came to the IAAF a few years ago with the concept that wherever possible, that the sport should reach out to challenged communities.
&ldquo;I take great pride that it was the IAAF that initially funded and saw the vision sitting behind Tegla&rsquo;s foundation. Had it not been for that initial work we would not have been celebrating the refugee team in Rio last year.&rdquo;
Loroupe underscored that the project is a critical long-term commitment of her foundation.
&ldquo;I really want to thank the IAAF for helping us with the refugee communities, knowing that one day they will be participating in this event,&rdquo; Loroupe said. &ldquo;As you all know it is difficult for refugees to travel.&rdquo;
&ldquo;But we are not discouraged,&rdquo; she added.
&ldquo;The IAAF has given great solidarity to the refugee athletes. It&rsquo;s all about using sport to bring our people together. (The IAAF) have given us the opportunity to show that the person who is a called a refugee is not a bad person. That they are not bad people. But that they are people who can contribute to society and to sport.&rdquo;
<h3>Mixed relay - &lsquo;A new experience&rsquo;</h3>
While this edition will not, unfortunately, see the participation of a refugee team, Kampala will introduce the inaugural mixed relay, a concept that helped bring Asbel Kiprop, a world and Olympic 1500m champion, back into the World Cross Country Championships for the first time since he won the junior race in Mombasa in 2007.
&ldquo;When the IAAF introduced the mixed relay, I must say thank you,&rdquo; he said.&nbsp;
&ldquo;This is what brought me back to cross country. It&rsquo;s a new experience and is going to be very interesting. This race, and the World Relays, is all also an important part of the build-up towards London.&rdquo;
He&rsquo;s also pleased that like in 2007, he didn&rsquo;t have to travel too far.
&ldquo;Having the world come to east Africa, I feel proud to come to these championships as an athlete.&rdquo;
So does Stephen Kiprotich, a former world and Olympic marathon champion, and the host nation&rsquo;s biggest star at these championships.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m very happy for the world to come to my country,&rdquo; he said, expressing the home team&rsquo;s aspirations. &ldquo;This race is very important to us. If given the chance tomorrow, we&rsquo;re going to do our best (to win team gold).&rdquo;&nbsp;
Faith Kipyegon, the reigning Olympic 1500m champion and two-time winner at these championships in the junior ranks, is part of a strong Kenyan squad who have also arrived in the Ugandan capital with lofty ambitions.
&ldquo;I think we have trained well and I think we will do well,&rdquo; said. &ldquo;I think we are strong. And I&rsquo;m ready.&rdquo;
Also looking forward to the event is Kenyan cross country legend Paul Tergat, who raced to five consecutive world titles in the late 1990s.
&ldquo;Cross country is in my veins,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;So I am very proud of my work as an Ambassador. I do it with a lot of pride, commitment, and passion.&rdquo;
So does Canada&rsquo;s Sasha Gollish, this year&rsquo;s NACAC champion, who is part of her country&rsquo;s rising wave of internationally competitive talent.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s a really exciting time in Canada,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Before it might have been that we one person competitive in each event, and now we have many more. There really is a change.&rdquo;
<h3>Challenging east African dominance</h3>
Globally however, mounting a serious challenge to east African overall dominance in cross country appears far from the horizon. Addressing a reporter&rsquo;s question about the decline in cross country participation and performance in some European countries, Coe&rsquo;s response was direct.
&ldquo;I think it&rsquo;s not remotely non-coincidental to the fact that cross country isn't taken seriously as it once was,&rdquo; he said.
&ldquo;It was a part of my staple diet, it was a part of the diet of my fellow countrymen that were performing extremely well. And if you went into most other European countries young athletes were brought up to believe that cross country was an inseparable part of their pathway to top performances. We've got to return to the fundamental belief among the younger generation of coaches that cross country is very important part of their programme.&rdquo;&nbsp;
On a more upbeat note, Coe also spoke to cross country&rsquo;s more universal appeal.
&ldquo;If there is one message from me this morning, it&rsquo;s to the new generation of coaches to recognise that cross country isn&rsquo;t just a physical or mental strength. It actually brings running communities together in one of the purest forms in our sport.&rdquo;
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

On the eve of the IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017, some of the world’s top middle and long distance runners joined IAAF President Sebastian Coe, dignitaries from the Local Organising Committee and IAAF Ambassadors Paul Tergat and Tegla Loroupe at the pre-event press conference at the Sheraton Hotel in central Kampala on Saturday (25). 

IAAF/LOC press conference highlights – IAAF World Cross Country Championships Kampala 2017

In the ninth part of our 2016 end-of-year reviews, statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best middle-distance performances of the year.
<h3>Men&rsquo;s 800m</h3>
After winning the 2012 Olympic title in a world record of 1:40:91, things didn&rsquo;t quite go to plan for David Rudisha.
The Kenyan missed the IAAF World Championships Moscow 2013 and was beaten at the 2014 Commonwealth Games. He did, however, make a victorious return at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015.
The 2016 season wasn&rsquo;t easy, but Rudisha was focused on retaining his Olympic title. Having finished fifth at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Shanghai in May and fourth in Stockholm in June, Rudisha won his first big meeting of the summer in Szekesfehervar in June in a world-leading 1:43.35.
In Rio he had no problems progressing to the final. After a convincing run in the semifinal, few doubts remained about the world record-holder&rsquo;s form.
Rudisha won another fast Olympic final, running 1:42.15 &ndash; the fastest time in the world since his London triumph four years prior. Morocco&rsquo;s 2012 Olympic 1500m champion Taoufik Makhloufi bagged his first major 800m medal, clocking a 1:42.61 national record for the silver.
While US duo Duane Solomon and Nick Symmonds ran sub-1:43 PBs in 2012 and missed out on a medal, this time the USA made it on to the podium as 21-year-old Clayton Murphy ran a 1:42.93 PB to take a surprise bronze. The NCAA outdoor 1500m and indoor 800m champion had a best of just 1:44.76 before Rio.
<h3>Men&rsquo;s 1500m</h3>
Asbel Kiprop was the No.1 1500m runner during the early season. The three-time world champion and 2008 Olympic champion clocked a world-leading 3:29.33 in Birmingham in June and was the favourite for the Olympic title.
The Olympic final, however, was run at a pedestrian pace which opened up possibilities for other runners.
Taoufik Makhloufi, the reigning champion from 2012, had already earned a silver medal in the 800m and it was clear he was going to be strong in a slow race. But it was a different type of race to the 2012 final, where Makhloufi clocked 3:34.08 for the win.
Instead, USA&rsquo;s Matthew Centrowitz dictated the pace from the outset. The 27-year-old had narrowly missed out on a medal in 2012 when he finished fourth, just 0.04 behind bronze medallist Abdalaati Iguider. Most observers expected Kiprop to kick his way to gold in the final straight, but Centrowitz held on to his lead and won in 3:50.00.
Makhloufi took the silver this time in 3:50.11 and Nick Willis was not far behind, clocking 3:50.24 for the bronze, eight years after taking the silver medal. Djibouti&rsquo;s Ayanleh Souleiman was fourth in 3:50.29, Iguider fifth in 3:50.58 and Kiprop faded to sixth in 3:50.87.
<h3>Women&rsquo;s 800m</h3>
The 800m is usually a fiercely competitive event where wins and losses are traded during the season. But this year the top order was carved in rock.
Caster Semenya won all of her races, including the Olympics and five IAAF Diamond League races. Francine Niyonsaba lost only to Semenya (six times) and won the remaining two IAAF Diamond League events, while Margaret Wambui finished behind only Semenya and Niyonsaba (three times).
After several years of mixed success, Semenya was simply a class apart this summer. Content to follow the leader in the early part of her races, she seemed to be able to leave the opposition whenever deciding to do so in the closing stages.
This season also marked the return of Niyonsaba. She burst on to the international scene in 2012 when she ran 1:56.59 at the age of 19, but after an injury in early 2013 she had been missing on the world stage for almost three years.
Behind Semenya, Niyonsaba and Wambui, the fortunes shifted continuously and no fewer than 14 different athletes achieved top-six finishes across the seven IAAF Diamond League races. Joanna Jozwik, for example, finished no higher than eighth in her first three IAAF Diamond League races of 2016, but she finished off her season with a fifth-place finish in Rio and a fourth-place finish at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich.
<h3>Women&rsquo;s 1500m</h3>
Genzebe Dibaba was invincible last year, but injury problems at the start of the 2016 summer meant that she went to Rio having run just one race, a solo 3:59.83.
Meanwhile, world silver medallist Faith Kipyegon had a perfect preparation for the Olympics, comfortably winning three IAAF Diamond League races &ndash; two of them sub-3:57 &ndash; plus the Kenyan trials.
Although Dibaba adopted similar tactics to those she had employed at the World Championships one year prior, Kipyegon maintained her supremacy in Rio. Dibaba upped the pace with two laps remaining, but was unable to shake off Kipyegon. The Kenyan took the lead with 200 metres remaining and, having covered the final 800m in 1:57.2, went on to win by 1.35 seconds in 4:08.92. A tiring Dibaba almost lost the silver to fast-finishing Jenny Simpson.
Laura Muir was the main victim of Dibaba&rsquo;s brutal gear change, dropping from third to seventh during the course of the final 200 metres. At the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London three weeks prior, Muir &ndash; who thrives off a fast, even pace &ndash; had impressed with a 3:57.49 British record, winning by more than three seconds.
At the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris, just 11 days after the Olympic final, Muir&rsquo;s gutsy approach was richly rewarded as she handed Kipyegon her first defeat of 2016, winning by one-and-a-half seconds in a world-leading 3:55.22. Aside from Dibaba&rsquo;s world record, it was the fastest time in the world for almost 20 years.
Muir managed another sub-3:58 clocking &ndash; and once again defeated Kipyegon &ndash; at the IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich just five days later, but was beaten in a close finish by Shannon Rowbury.
Mirko Jalava (men&rsquo;s events) and A Lennart Julin (women&rsquo;s events) for the IAAF

In the ninth part of our 2016 end-of-year reviews, statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best middle-distance performances of the year.

2016 end-of-year reviews – middle distance

Of the dozens of Athletissima match-ups that feature prominently on tomorrow evening&rsquo;s IAAF Diamond League meeting programme, among the most intriguing is the one pitting Matthew Centrowitz of the US, the freshly-minted Olympic 1500m champion, and Asbel Kiprop, Kenya&rsquo;s three-time world 1500m champion, over the rarely-run 1000m distance.
&ldquo;Asbel comes from the 800 so it might be a little bit easier for him to approach it,&rdquo; Centrowitz said.
&ldquo;For me it's little shorter than what I'm used to, so I have to approach it like an 800 and get out really fast, and use my strength in the last 200 and hopefully be competing with some of these guys.&rdquo;
That finishing strength was put on vivid display in last week&rsquo;s tactical 1500m contest in Rio, one which Centrowitz largely led from gun to tape with Kiprop caught too far back too late into the race to make an impact.
Of their Olympic encounter and his 3:50.00 performance, Centrowitz said: "I was prepared for a fast or slow race. Honestly I was actually hoping it would be fast so there wouldn't be as many guys there in the last 400.&rdquo;
Kiprop admitted that the slow early going wasn&rsquo;t to his liking.
"It happened that we went a little bit slower than expected," Kiprop said. "Anyway, it was about winning the gold. My colleague Matt Centrowitz was good enough and he was set for any kind of a race. On my side I was eyeing a little bit of a faster race. The chances for Matt Centrowitz were better than mine."
But not so, Kiprop believes, in tomorrow night&rsquo;s 1000m contest.
&ldquo;This is where most of us meet and a distance that brings us together,&rdquo; he said. &ldquo;It's a race that favours both the 1500m athletes and the 800m athletes. I find it an advantage."
But, Kiprop insisted, &ldquo;I&rsquo;m not saying this is a revenge (race). This is sport and I&rsquo;ve come to do my best.&rdquo;
Predictions? Only one, by Centrowitz. &ldquo;I'm sure the stadium record will go down. It's only 2:18.&rdquo;
<h3>McLeod on auto-pilot</h3>
Like Centrowitz, Omar McLeod is also relishing his last few appearances in a season that brought him the Olympic title.
"My body is on auto-pilot right now," said McLeod, who dominated the Olympic 110m hurdles final in 13.05. "I am just ready to have some fun tomorrow."
That fun will include a rare outing in the 100m about an hour before the high hurdles competition, his first over the flat distance since he clocked 9.99 in late April.
"It'll be really exciting to see how fast my body can go. I'm really looking forward to it."
That light approach is a welcome respite from the early portion of the season when expectations were high with every race. That's a pressure he welcomes, even when things don't go as planned.
"Pressure is a privilege, when people expect things of you, it is a great position to be in," he said.
"I treat each race, each competition, the same. You have to take each race, one at a time. I had two mishaps in the Diamond League this year which I don't like to talk about, but it happens. It's a humbling experience that helped me come to the realisation that things happen in sport. We're never guaranteed a perfect career. You cannot take any race lightly. You have to always be on your A game.&rdquo;
With a career best of 12.97, one thing McLeod isn't counting on anytime soon is an assault on Aries Merritt's world record. But he is becoming accustomed to questions about possible record assaults.
"The world record is not an objective, but I will be forced to accept it if comes," he said. "I want to grow more, set goals for after each year. This year the target was to win at the World Indoors and in Rio. I don't want to get too ahead of myself. I have a lot of developing to do before I start focusing on world records.&rdquo;
<h3>Ibarguen looking forward to &lsquo;many more&rsquo; Diamond Trophies&nbsp;</h3>
Neither is Caterine Ibarguen, the dominant force in the triple jump for the past four seasons, who took the Olympic title in Rio after a runner-up finish in London four years ago.
&ldquo;To break the world record would be a dream but it&rsquo;s not an obsession for me,&rdquo; the Colombian star said.
&ldquo;To beat 15.50m I would need to work on every aspect of my jump but beyond that the conditions would have to be perfect: the perfect day, the perfect track, a perfect mindset.&rdquo;
Here, she said, her focus will be on the Diamond Race and securing a fourth straight Diamond Trophy. &ldquo;I would love to win it many more times.&rdquo;
Perhaps even as many as Renaud Lavillenie, the only athlete to have won the trophy each season since the series&rsquo; inception in 2010. The Frenchman, arriving on the heels of his silver medal finish in Rio, will be looking to pad his Diamond Race lead with a fourth 2016 series win on Thursday.
&ldquo;The conditions will be good but I don&rsquo;t know if we can expect to jump for the stadium record of 5.91m so soon after the Olympics," said Lavillenie. "In any case, we&rsquo;ll try.&rdquo;
World champion Shawn Barber of Canada, who was a distant tenth in Rio, is looking forward to the competition to help put his first Olympic appearance behind him.
&ldquo;I am a bit disappointed by my performance,&rdquo; said Barber, whose 5.50m clearance in Rio was well shy of his 5.91m season&rsquo;s best. &ldquo;I had good form and I had good health leading into it. That being said, now is a good chance to learn from it and move forward and try for other aspirations.&rdquo;
<h3>Harrison looking forward to getting back on the track</h3>
For Keni Harrison, 2016 disappointment came even sooner. The hottest 100m hurdler in the world for the first half of the season, a sixth-place finish at the do-or-die US Olympic Trials banished all hope for her Olympic aspirations. She followed up the best she could, by clocking a stunning 12.20 world record at the London stop of the IAAF Diamond League two weeks later.
So, the obvious question: how was watching the Olympics from home?
"It was tough," Harrison said. "It was tough watching it but that was something that I needed to do and something that I wanted to do. I wanted to still cheer my teammates on.
&ldquo;Watching the Olympics only made me want to train harder and focus on my next meets, beginning with tomorrow."
Bob Ramsak for the IAAF

Of the dozens of Athletissima match-ups that feature prominently on tomorrow evening’s IAAF Diamond League meeting programme, among the most intriguing is the one pitting Matthew Centrowitz of the US, the freshly-minted Olympic 1500m champion, and Asbel Kiprop, Kenya’s three-time world 1500m champion, over the rarely-run 1000m distance.

Lausanne press conference highlights – IAAF Diamond League

The last two Olympic champions, Asbel Kiprop and Taoufik Makhloufi, qualified with ease for Saturday&rsquo;s final from the first of two semi-finals which followed the stereotype for championships middle-distance racing at this level of a major championship.
The first race saw Ethiopia&rsquo;s Dawit Wolde and then Morocco&rsquo;s Brahim Kaazouzi lead during the early stages of the race, the latter taking the field through to 800m in 2:03.86 with Kiprop loping along at the back looking very relaxed
Bahrain&rsquo;s Benson Seurei darted to the front about 60 metres before bell and suddenly the pace jumped into a much faster gear.
Seurei held the lead until midway down the back straight for the last time, when Kiprop glided into pole position after gradually working his way forward over the previous 150 metres.
The 2008 Olympic champion, and three-time world champion, looked superbly comfortable at the front before crossing the line in 3:39.73 but there was an enthralling battle behind his to work out who would take the remaining four automatic qualifying places.
As we have seen so often, Makhloufi can accelerate over the final 100 metres or so of a middle-distance race like few of his peers and he came through to finish second just 0.15 behind Kiprop, just edging out New Zealand&rsquo;s 20008 Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis, who was third in 3:39.96.
USA&rsquo;s Ben Blenkenship and Great Britain&rsquo;s Charlie Grice took fourth and fifth place in what was essentially a seven-man sprint for the line.
The second semi-final followed a similar pattern.
Uganda&rsquo;s Ronald Musagala took the field through the majority of the first half of the race before passing 800m in 2:03.59, very marginally faster than the first semi-final.
Ayanlah Souleiman shortly afterwards moved his way to the front and Djibouti&rsquo;s 2014 world indoor champion was still ahead at the bell and then as they entered the back straight for the last time.
Down the back straight, Kenya&rsquo;s Ronald Kwemoi challenged and then went past Souleiman in the home straight and the USA&rsquo;s two-time world championships medallist Matt Centrowicz also duelled with the two East Africans down the home straight.
Kwemoi crossed the line in 3:39.42 &ndash; running close to 52 seconds for the last lap as the official results, with Souleiman in the lead, gave the final 400m split as 52.53 &ndash; with Souleiman 0.04 further back and Centrowitz taking third in 3:39.61.
Australia&rsquo;s Ryan Gregson and USA&rsquo;s Robby Andrews took fourth and fifth places, the latter giving USA a trio of runners in the final, but early pacemaker Musagala&rsquo;s sixth place in 3:40.37 was not quite quick enough to see him progress as one of the two non-automatic qualifiers with Morocco&rsquo;s London 2012 Olympic Games bronze medallist Abdelaati Iguider and Canada&rsquo;s Nate Brannen going through to the final on time. &nbsp;
Kenya&rsquo;s IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 silver medallist Elijah Manangoi did not start the second semi-final for an unstated reason.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF

The last two Olympic champions, Asbel Kiprop and Taoufik Makhloufi, qualified with ease for Saturday’s final from the first of two semi-finals which followed the stereotype for championships middle-distance racing at this level of a major championship.

Report: men's 1500m semi-finals – Rio 2016 Olympic Games

Three-time world champion and 2008 Olympic gold medallist Asbel Kiprop progressed smoothly to Thursday&rsquo;s 1500m semi-finals with a comfortable win in the first heat on Tuesday.
Kiprop lingered towards the back of the leading pack for much of the race, as France&rsquo;s Florian Carvalho made the pace through to 900 metres, but then started to ease past his rivals with 300 metres to go.
With the race passing though 1200 metres in 2:57.68, this pace was well within Kiprop&rsquo;s comfort zone.
He was third going into the final bend and then his long, almost languid, stride took him into the lead and he managed to repel all challenges down the home straight.
In truth, with the first six to go through, nobody who could be a serious challenger was challenging too hard, but Kiprop&rsquo;s performance was still a confident display of running.
Australia&rsquo;s Ryan Gregson took second in 3:39.13, Djibouti&rsquo;s 2014 world indoor champion Ayanleh Souleiman was third in 3:39.25, just 0.01 ahead of Great Britain&rsquo;s Chris O&rsquo;Hare while USA&rsquo;s two-time World Championships medallist Matt Centrowicz was equally assured when needing only to exert himself a little bit over the final 50 metres to get fifth place.
The second heat was less straightforward in the manner of its delivery and its outcome.
World silver medallist Elijah Manangoi from Kenya led from almost the gun to tape, controlling the pace as he wished in a much slower heat than the first one. In the end he was just pipped by 2012 Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi, who eased through in the final two metres to secure the win, the Algerian back on the track barely 12 hours after winning the 800m silver medal in Rio.
Makhloufi won in 3:46.82 with Manangoi just 0.01 in arrears.
<h3>Ingebrigtsen in trouble</h3>
USA&rsquo;s Robby Andrews had to work hard down the home straight but finished third in the traditional first-round heat mass sprint for the line, clocking 3:46.97.
Behind the leading trio though there was a modicum of controversy.
Norway&rsquo;s European champion Filip Ingebrigtsen was waging a physical battle in the middle of the leading pack during some of the race and, after he had finished in fifth place, he was judged to have impeded Charlie Grice and Homiyu Tesfaye.&nbsp;
Ingebrigtsen was subsequently disqualified follwoing seperate protests by the Geat Britain and Germany teams, and both Grice and Tesfaye were advanced to the semi-finals despite having finished outside of the top six.
Knowing what was required to advance as one of the fastest non-automatic qualifiers, not surprisingly the third heat was faster. In terms of the way it unfolded, it was similar to the previous heats with a large group still in contention at the bell and content to just sprint for the line coming off the final bend.
Czech Republic&rsquo;s Jakub Holusa, who is hard to beat in races at this speed owing to his sprint abilities, won in 3:38.31 with Kenya&rsquo;s highly rated 20-year-old Ronald Kwemoi just 0.02 behind and Morocco&rsquo;s world bronze medallist Abdalaati Iguider third a further 0.07 back.
Norway's 2012 European 1500m champion Henrik Ingebrigtsen, unaware of the debate about his younger brother&rsquo;s actions in the previous heat, secured his own place in the semi-finals in fifth place, just in front of 2008 Olympic silver medallist Nick Willis from New Zealand.
Being the quickest heat, the next four men across the line progressed as non-automatic qualifiers but Turkey&rsquo;s 2012 world indoor silver medallist Ilham Tanui Ozbilen looked far from his best form and could only finish 12th and was eliminated.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF

Three-time world champion and 2008 Olympic gold medallist Asbel Kiprop progressed smoothly to Thursday’s semi-finals with a comfortable win in the first heat on Tuesday.

Report: men's 1500m heats – Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The big favourite &ndash; on the basis that he has won the past three world titles and was the 2008 Olympic champion&nbsp;&ndash; has to be Asbel Kiprop.
The Kenyan has been in outstanding form this season with the one notable exception of his last outing at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco.
He clocked a world-leading 3:29.33 when winning at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birmingham two months ago and won in Doha as well as over a mile in Eugene and Oslo.
However, a dramatically misjudged race in Monaco, when he finished sixth in a race won by his Rio-bound compatriot Ronald Kwemoi, who clocked 3:30.49 to go second on the 2016 list, has given his rivals hope despite the fact that it has been his only loss in eight outings over 1500m or a mile this year.
Kwemoi, the Commonwealth silver medallist, is still only 20 and set a world U20 record of 3:28.81 in Monaco two years ago.
His career seemed to stagnate slightly last year and he even finished out of the medals at the African Games, a consolation prize for not making the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015 team, but the Japan-based runner is clearly back on track.
Before his eye-catching win in Monaco, Kwemoi clinched his place on the plane to Rio by finishing third at the Kenyan Olympic Trials behind Kiprop and world silver medallist Elijah Manangoi, who additionally had to settle for second place in Monaco.
With Manangoi crossing the line in Monaco in 3:31.19 for third place on the 2016 world list, the thought has crossed a few pundits&rsquo; minds that Kenya might become the first nation to take a clean sweep of the 1500m medals in the history of the Olympic Games.
<h3>Double difficulties</h3>
Paramount among the men who will try to stop them is Algeria&rsquo;s defending champion Taoufik Makhloufi, who showed he is in good shape by finishing third in Monaco.
But Makhloufi may have a hard decision to make.
He is also entered in the 800m and has advertised his intention to double, but the Rio programme is not too sympathetic to such ambitions with the final of the 800m late on the night before the 1500m heats.
Also entered for another event in addition to the 1500m is 2012 world indoor champion and Olympic bronze medallist Abdalaati Iguider.
However, Iguider &ndash; who ran a 1500m season&rsquo;s best of 3:31.54 for fourth place in the deep Monaco race &ndash; is also entered for the 5000m and at these championships it is impossible to run both so it is expected that the Moroccan will likely to focus on the shorter event.
Djibouti&rsquo;s one and only Olympic medal in any sport came in the men&rsquo;s marathon back in 1988, but 2014 world indoor 1500m champion Ayanleh Souleiman has shown good enough form this summer to possibly be capable of adding to that meagre tally.
The only potential problem for Souleiman is that, like Makhloufi, he is also entered in the 800m, the distance at which he won the world bronze medal in 2013.
The prevailing feeling is that doubling over 800m and 1500m in Rio, due to the programme, might be slightly detrimental to a runner&rsquo;s medal hopes in contrast to if he had concentrated on just one event, although Makhloufi and Souleiman have the pedigree to take on both events without too many difficulties.
It seems unlikely that the 1500m medals will be won by anyone from outside of Africa, but USA&rsquo;s Matt Centrowitz has proved adept at confounding that theory in recent years and the US champion is back again to lead the challenge from the rest of the world.
Another non-African to keep an eye on is Norway&rsquo;s European champion Filip Ingebrigtsen, who possesses a devastating turn of speed over the final 150 metres, which may just cause a surprise if he is in a slow-run final.
Phil Minshull for the IAAF

The big favourite – on the basis that he has won the past three world titles and was the 2008 Olympic champion – has to be Asbel Kiprop.

Preview: men's 1500m – Rio 2016 Olympic Games

The IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco has a reputation for high-class performances. With the Rio Olympics just a month away, the clashes in store at Herculis on Friday (15) will have added spice.
For quality, the men&rsquo;s 1500m takes the biscuit. World champion Asbel Kiprop, who ran his personal best of 3:26.69 at this meeting last year, has been itching for a pacemaker to set him on a world record tilt all season. When the Kenyan ran the world lead (3:29.33) in Birmingham, he did it by overtaking the pacers and romping to a near four-second win.
Should they get it right this time, Diamond Race leader Kiprop may not be running on his own. Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi has showed good pace over 800m this season and will hope it pays off in a fast race in Monaco.
Other in-form athletes hoping to go fast include Kenya&rsquo;s world silver medallist Elijah Manangoi, who is currently second in the Diamond Race, and Morocco&rsquo;s Abdalaati Iguider, who won over 3000m at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat and is third on this year&rsquo;s 1500m world list with 3:33.10.
Distance king Mo Farah adds further depth. The Briton will surely follow the pace as he tunes up to defend his 5000m and 10,000m titles in Brazil.
Ingebrigtsen brothers Filip and Henrik, first and third respectively at the European Championships, also run.
Caster Semenya has been unbeatable in the women&rsquo;s 800m this season &ndash; literally &ndash; with three straight IAAF Diamond League wins and a world-leading 1:56.64 in Rome.
Francine Niyonsaba, the world indoor champion who won in Birmingham (with Semenya absent) in 1:56.92, and world junior champion Margaret Wambui, who is ranked third this year with 1:57.52, are the most likely to push the South African in Monaco. Any of the three could challenge the 1:56.04 meeting record.
The men&rsquo;s steeplechase features Conseslus Kipruto, who is fastest this year with 8:00.12. He goes after his fifth straight IAAF Diamond League win in 2016, though the meeting record of 7:53.64 might be just out of his grasp.
<h3>Oceans apart, now together</h3>
The women&rsquo;s 100m will see athletes from both sides of the Atlantic face off for the first time in a month following a break for national and continental championships.
When Dafne Schippers won 100m gold at the European Championships last weekend, her 10.90 was nearly a third of a second faster than second place. How the 200m world champion fares against stiffer opposition should provide a clue as to whether she can improve on the World Championships silver she won in the shorter event last year.
Tianna Bartoletta set a personal best of 10.78 to finish second in the 100m at the US Olympic Trials 10 days ago and runs again in Monaco. Few expected to see Veronica Cambell-Brown finish fourth at the Jamaican Trials. The 2007 world champion was way back in 11.10, though a 10.83 season&rsquo;s best (equal to Schippers&rsquo;) suggests she will add even more bite to the contest.
Similarly, the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles will pit Europe&rsquo;s finest against the best in the world. This year, that title belongs to Jamaica&rsquo;s Omar McLeod. The world indoor champion&rsquo;s 12.98 in Shanghai ranks him number one in 2016.
Frenchman Pascal Martinot-Lagarde and Spain&rsquo;s Orlando Ortega are the only other two men in the field to have run faster than 13 seconds. Joining them is newly crowned European champion Dimitri Bascou.
World 400m champion Wayde van Niekerk hasn&rsquo;t lost a race all season. He will have to contend with 2013 world silver medallist Tony McQuay, who recently clocked a lifetime best of 44.24, world junior champion Machel Cedenio, Grenada&rsquo;s Bralon Taplin and Botswana&rsquo;s sub-44-second man Isaac Makwala. With two-time world indoor champion Pawel Maslak also in the mix, the one-lap event could produce one of the races of the night.
<h3>Champions face off</h3>
The quality continues in the field events. German shot putter Christina Schwanitz added European gold to the world title she scooped in Beijing last year. She&rsquo;ll have to contend with Valerie Adams, the two-time Olympic champion who could not defend her world crown last year due to injury.
World indoor champion Michelle Carter is also in the field. She showed the best form of her outdoor season to take the US title last week with 19.59m.
Ekaterini Stefanidi set a championship record of 4.81m to win the European pole vault title. She&rsquo;ll be joined in Monaco by world champion Yarisley Silva, who won last time out in Birmingham with 4.84m.
Fabiana Murer competes for the first time since she set a South American record of 4.87m to win the Brazilian national title earlier in the month.
Elsewhere, Canada&rsquo;s world high jump champion Derek Drouin makes his second IAAF Diamond League appearance of the season. World indoor champion Gianmarco Tamberi is full of confidence after winning European gold in Amsterdam.
Mutaz Essa Barshim, the second-best jumper of all time, returned to winning ways in Birmingham. After back troubles for the past 18 months, his performance in Monaco will be of particular intrigue.
The women&rsquo;s javelin will see world record-holder and Olympic champion Barbora Spotakova against world champion Katharina Molitor. Both come to Monaco on the back of a defeat to Tatsiana Khaladovich, who will seek a maiden IAAF Diamond League win following her European gold medal in Amsterdam.
South Africa&rsquo;s Sunette Viljoen, bronze medallist at last year&rsquo;s World Championships, is also in hot form after taking the African title a fortnight ago.
The women&rsquo;s triple jump brings together world champion Caterine Ibarguen, Olympic champion Olga Rypakova, world indoor champion Yulimar Rojas and European champion Patricia Mamona. Rojas is fresh from becoming the youngest 15-metre jumper in history, but Ibarguen will enjoy jumping into the same pit where she produced her lifetime best of 15.31m two years ago.
European 100m champion Churandy Martina was denied a possible sprint double in Amsterdam after being disqualified for a lane violation. The Dutch sprinter will have a chance of redemption in Monaco as he contests the longer event, where he&rsquo;ll face the likes of two-time Diamond Race winner Alonso Edward and 2011 world bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre.
Shamier Little will also have something of a point to prove. The world leader made a shock exit in the 400m hurdles at the US Olympic Trials after failing to reach the final. In Monaco she&rsquo;ll line up alongside US silver medallist Ashley Spencer and European champion Sara Slott Petersen.
Elsewhere, Kenyan duo Mercy Cherono and Hellen Obiri lead the women&rsquo;s 3000m field, world discus champion Piotr Malachowski will look to maintain his lead in the Diamond Race standings, and world silver medallist Fabrice Lapierre takes on African champion Ruswahl Samaai in the long jump.
Thomas Byrne for the IAAF

The IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco has a reputation for high-class performances. With the Rio Olympics just a month away, the clashes in store at Herculis on Friday (15) will have added spice.

World’s best converge for high class Monaco meeting – IAAF Diamond League

Athletics Kenya has nominated a team of 50 athletes (including reserves) to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.
The team features all seven of Kenya&rsquo;s world champions: David Rudisha, Asbel Kiprop, Ezekiel Kemboi, Nicholas Bett, Julius Yego, Vivian Cheruiyot and Hyvin Kiyeng.
Additions can be made to the team before the 11 July deadline, pending any further qualifiers. A third runner in the men&rsquo;s 5000m will also be named at a later date.
The athletics programme at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games will run from 12-21 August.
<h3>&nbsp;Kenyan team for Rio</h3>
MEN
200m: Carvin Nkanata, Mike Mokamba 400m and 4x400m: Alphas Kishoyan, Raymond Kibet, Alex Sampao, Boniface Mweresa 800m: Alfred Kipketer, Ferguson Rotich, David Rudisha 1500m: Asbel Kiprop, Elijah Manangoi, Ronald Kwemoi 5000m: Caleb Mwangangi Ndiku, Isaiah Kiplangat Koech 10,000m: Paul Tanui, Charles Yosei, Geoffrey Kamworor, Bedan Karoki Marathon: Eliud Kipchoge, Stanley Biwott, Wesley Korir 3000m steeplechase: Brimin Kipruto, Conceslus Kipruto, Ezekiel Kemboi 400m hurdles: Nicholas Bett, Boniface Mucheru, Haron Koech High jump: Mathew Sawe Javelin: Julius Yego 20km race walk: Samuel Gathimba, Simon Wachira
 WOMEN
400m: Maureen Jelagat, Margaret Wambui 800m: Margaret Wambui, Eunice Sum, Winnie Chebet 1500m: Faith Kipyegon, Nancy Chepkwemoi, Viola Lagat 5000m: Vivian Cheruiyot, Hellen Obiri, Mercy Cherono 10,000m: Vivian Cheruiyot, Betsy Saina, Alice Aprot Marathon: Jemima Sumgong, Helah Kiprop, Visline Jepkesho 3000m steeplechase: Hyvin Kiyeng, Beatrice Chepkoech, Lydia Rotich 400m hurdles: Maureen Jelagat 20km race walk: Grace Wanjiru

Athletics Kenya has nominated a team of 50 athletes (including reserves) to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.