Caster Semenya starts a red-hot favourite to upgrade on her Olympic silver medal from London four years ago after enjoying a peerless campaign this summer.
The 2009 world champion has endured several below-par seasons since 2012, but this year the South African has so far proved invincible with eight 800m wins in as many races, including four IAAF Diamond League victories and the African title.
Semenya has also registered three of the four fastest times in the world this year, but perhaps most impressive has been the way Semenya has run most of the races with seemingly something to spare.&nbsp;
Her national record of 1:55.33 in Monaco last month elevated the 25-year-old to 12th on the world all-time list, while some experts believe Jarmila Kratochvilova&rsquo;s 33-year-old world record of 1:53.28 could even be vulnerable in Rio.
The best of the rest this season has been Francine Niyonsaba.
The Burundian athlete, who placed sixth in the 2012 Olympic final, started the year with a bang by clinching the world indoor 800m crown in Portland.
During the outdoor campaign, Semenya has inflicted three defeats out of three on the 23-year-old, but three sub-1:57 performances also prove that Niyonsaba is a top-class athlete and she will be boosted by her national record time of 1:56.24 set in Monaco last month as she bids to be her country's first female Olympic medallist in any sport.
The 2013 world champion and 2015 world bronze medallist Eunice Sum has been a formidable championship performer in recent times. With a season&rsquo;s best of 1:57.47 &ndash; also recorded in Monaco &ndash; it would be unwise to write off the Kenyan&rsquo;s chances, despite the dominance of Semenya.
Look out too for her teammate, the 20-year-old Margaret Wambui, who secured victory at the Kenyan Olympic Trials and banked bronze in Portland in March.&nbsp;
<h3>Consistent Bishop a threat</h3>
The non-African challenge is led by Canada&rsquo;s world silver medallist Melissa Bishop, who emerged last year as a world-class force.
The 27-year-old Pan American Games champion has enjoyed a consistent year and will have been lifted by a PB of 1:57.43 in Edmonton in mid-July.
World champion and 2014 European champion Mariya Arzamasova is also entered and her record alone should earn respect. The Belarusian has a relatively modest season&rsquo;s best of 1:59.65 and has not competed since 10 June, but her build-up is not too dissimilar to her season ahead of last year's World Championships.
Others who have performed well this season include 2012 European champion Lynsey Sharp of Great Britain, who raced to a lifetime best of 1:57.75 in Monaco. Her compatriot, the World Championships fifth-place finisher Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, is another to watch.
Another threat could be Renelle Lamote of France, who impressed at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Birminghamwith a PB of 1:58.01 and backed it up to the take silver medal at the European Championships last month.
The US challenge is led by world Indoor silver medallist Ajee&rsquo; Wilson and supported by US champion Kate Grace.
Recently crowned European champion Natalya Pryshchepa of Ukraine is another emerging talent who will be chasing a final spot. She is joined in Rio by teammate and 2012 European indoor champion Nataliya Lupu.
Cuba&rsquo;s last medal at an Olympic women&rsquo;s 800m was delivered 20 years ago in Atlanta courtesy of Ana Quirot&rsquo;s silver but their bid for more glory is led by world and Olympic semi-finalist Rose Almanza. Morocco&rsquo;s World Championships fourth-placer Rabab Arrafi is also entered.
Poland&rsquo;s European 1500m champion Angelika Cichocka may specialise in the longer event but she is also entered in the 800m and a 1:58.97 run in Monaco marks her out as a potential danger over two laps.
Steve Landells for the IAAF

Caster Semenya starts a red-hot favourite to upgrade on her Olympic silver medal from four years ago after enjoying a peerless campaign.

Preview: women's 800m – Rio 2016 Olympic Games

<a href="#FR">Fran&ccedil;ais</a>
The traditional pre-meeting press conference of the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha took place on Thursday (5) and the emphasis was very much on how the series, now in its seventh season, directly laid the foundations for many an elite athlete&rsquo;s road to Rio.
&ldquo;I guess, with 10 IAAF Diamond League meetings before Rio, the IAAF Diamond League will provide a benchmark for expectation,&rdquo; said IAAF President Sebastian Coe, heralding the start of the 2016 series in the Qatari capital on Friday night.
&ldquo;Doha hosted the first ever Diamond League meeting in 2010 and has since held the honour to host the curtain raiser of the main international season.
&ldquo;This year that curtain-raiser holds more significance than in some years because, as the athletes know all too well, the denouement of the season is the Olympic Games,&rdquo; he added.
"The IAAF Diamond League has achieved a lot since it was created in March 2009. It is Athletics&rsquo; most lucrative circuit ever with a total prize purse across the series of 8 million US Dollars. Broadcast annually in over 120 countries it provides Athletics with its most prominent global shop window outside major championships," commented Coe.
&ldquo;We have set high standards in organising such an important and prestigious sporting event in previous years and we aim to continue at the highest possible level,&rdquo; said Qatar Athletics Federation President and IAAF Vice President Dahlan Al Hamad. "As 2016 is an Olympic year, with the Games in Rio, we are confident that the Doha Diamond League will offer the athletes an ideal start."
<h4>High bar hopes</h4>
As always an erudite and enthusiastic commentator, Christian Taylor preferred to concentrate on the immediate task ahead rather than his ambition of getting a second successive Olympic triple jump title.
&ldquo;First and foremost, I&rsquo;ve got to get some points (in Doha),&rdquo; said the four-time Diamond Race winner, whose performances at IAAF Diamond League meetings four years ago foreshadowed his triumph in London.
&ldquo;If that calls for 18 metres, that&rsquo;s what I&rsquo;m here to do. I&rsquo;m here to compete," he added. "Qatar is very special to me because it&rsquo;s the first place I went over 18 metres (in 2015). It&rsquo;s a blessing and curse. Now the bar is set really high."
Dutch sprinter Dafne Schippers, the world 200m champion, will be competing in Doha for the first time.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve heard that it&rsquo;s a very nice track, and it&rsquo;s very nice to be able to compete against these very fast women,&rdquo; said Schippers in her usual understated way.
&ldquo;We&rsquo;ll see what happens tomorrow,&rdquo; she added ahead of her first 100m outing of 2016.
Another athlete facing some high expectations, perhaps even a little more than most, is Qatar&rsquo;s Femi Ogunode.
Last month, Ogunode equalled his own Asian record in the 100m clocking 9.91, still the fastest time in the world this year, and on home soil there are expectations that he can improve his Asian 200m record of 19.97, set at the IAAF Diamond League final in Brussels last September.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m calm, I&rsquo;m not anxious about competing here, I&rsquo;m in my home country. I trust in myself and believe in myself, so there is no pressure,&rdquo; said Ogunode, who is also the Asian champion in both sprints.
Switching continents and event areas, later press points lined up some of the best African middle and long-distance runners.
Ethiopia&rsquo;s world 5000m champion Almaz Ayana won five out of her six races in 2015 but came out with the revelation that she thought such a sparse racing programme was a little excessive, although the emphasis may have been lost in translation slightly.
&ldquo;After Zurich I felt overload,&rdquo; said Ayana. &ldquo;My left knee didn&rsquo;t stop hurting me and spoiled my whole preparation plan towards the 2016 season. I didn&rsquo;t do any races indoors or outdoors yet, so Doha will be my first. I am not fully recovered, but I&rsquo;ll try my best tomorrow and we&rsquo;ll see how it&rsquo;s going to end up.&rdquo;
<h4>Sum counts her rivals</h4>
Kenya&rsquo;s 2013 world 800m champion Eunice Sum predicted that her specialist event could be one of the most open of the 32 Diamond Races to be contested this year, especially as Burundi&rsquo;s world indoor champion Francine Niyonsaba and South Africa&rsquo;s 2009 world champion Caster Semenya already look like they are going to be in great form.
&ldquo;It&rsquo;s true the 800m is going to be tougher in 2016," said Sum. "Caster and Francine have already gone really fast, Ajee Wilson as well. I am ready to run faster than my personal best judging from the training I&rsquo;ve been doing, but there is no reason to change my usual tactics."
Two other Kenyan runners, Ezekiel Kemboi and Asbel Kiprop, also arrived in Doha pleased with their progress in recent months and ready to impress, not only in Doha but throughout what is likely be a long season.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;ve been competing in Doha for the past few years and I&rsquo;m yet to lose once," said Kemboi, a four-time world champion and double Olympic champion. "It&rsquo;s now become almost like my home race. I&rsquo;ve a legacy here. If I make a strong start in Doha, then I feel I can take it all the way to the Rio Games.
&ldquo;I like winning medals at major competitions because it gives my career a better profile," he added. "For an athlete, it&rsquo;s always more important to win medals. I want to continue on top for as long as I can. I want to be known as an outstanding athlete and a legend. World records aren&rsquo;t important, medals are.
&ldquo;Sometimes, world records come to you without you planning it. At other times, you plan for it but it never happens. Some day, some time, I may take a look at breaking the world record, but that time isn&rsquo;t now. However, ever since the 2004 Games, I&rsquo;ve been growing stronger, and younger,&rdquo; joked the steeplechaser.
Kiprop, who has world and Olympic 1500m titles to his name, will be looking to regain the crown he won eight years ago in Beijing in a few months&rsquo; time.
&ldquo;Doha is the first step in my build-up for the season," he said. "After this race, I&rsquo;ll know exactly what shape my body is in and where I'm at. I'm eagerly looking forward to the race in Doha.&rdquo;
The third-fastest 1500m runner of all time revealed that he almost certainly has ruled out any attempts at the world record this year, despite going so close at getting his name in the history books at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco last summer.
&ldquo;I&rsquo;m not going to attempt a world record time this season," he said. "This is an Olympic year and my only priority is to win in Rio. I think that&rsquo;s what every athlete will aim at."
<a name="FR"></a>Phil Minshull for the IAAF
&nbsp;
<hr />
<h3>Les points &agrave; retenir de la conf&eacute;rence de presse de Doha &ndash; la Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF</h3>
La conf&eacute;rence de presse pr&eacute;c&eacute;dant traditionnellement la comp&eacute;tition de la Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF de Doha s&rsquo;est d&eacute;roul&eacute;e ce jeudi (5). L&rsquo;importance que rev&ecirc;tiront cette ann&eacute;e les diff&eacute;rentes &eacute;tapes de la s&eacute;rie &ndash; dont c&rsquo;est la septi&egrave;me saison - dans les pr&eacute;parations pour Rio 2016 d&rsquo;un grand nombre des athl&egrave;tes d&rsquo;&eacute;lite y a &eacute;t&eacute; largement &eacute;voqu&eacute;e.
&ldquo;J&rsquo;imagine volontiers que, avec dix meetings de la s&eacute;rie entre maintenant et l&rsquo;ouverture des Jeux Olympiques, la Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF va servir de point de r&eacute;f&eacute;rence par rapport &agrave; ce &agrave; quoi on peut s&rsquo;attendre &agrave; Rio en termes de performances, a d&eacute;clar&eacute; le pr&eacute;sident de l&rsquo;IAAF, Sebastian Coe, pr&eacute;sent dans la capitale qatarie ce vendredi soir pour lancer la s&eacute;rie 2016.
&ldquo;C&rsquo;est &agrave; Doha, en 2010, que s&rsquo;est tenue la toute premi&egrave;re r&eacute;union de la Diamond League, et, depuis lors, c&rsquo;est cette ville &agrave; qui revient l&rsquo;honneur d&rsquo;organiser la comp&eacute;tition inaugurale de la saison internationale d&rsquo;athl&eacute;tisme.
&ldquo;Cette ann&eacute;e, plus que d&rsquo;autres encore, ce rendez-vous rev&ecirc;t encore plus d&rsquo;importance aux yeux des athl&egrave;tes, bien conscients que leur saison culminera avec les Jeux Olympiques.
"La Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF a radicalement progress&eacute; depuis sa cr&eacute;ation en mars 2009. Elle repr&eacute;sente le circuit le plus lucratif de notre sport jamais organis&eacute;, avec un total de primes en jeu, r&eacute;parties au travers de la s&eacute;rie, de 8 millions de dollars US. Diffus&eacute;e chaque ann&eacute;e dans plus de 120 pays, elle offre &agrave; l&rsquo;athl&eacute;tisme sa vitrine mondiale la plus visible, en dehors des championnats majeurs,&rdquo; a ajout&eacute; le Pr&eacute;sident Coe.
&ldquo;Nous avons, ces derni&egrave;res ann&eacute;es, impos&eacute; des standards &eacute;lev&eacute;s qu&rsquo;il faut continuer &agrave; respecter pour pouvoir pr&eacute;tendre accueillir une manifestation sportive de cette importance et de ce prestige, et notre volont&eacute; est de nous maintenir au plus haut niveau de qualit&eacute; possible, a ajout&eacute; le pr&eacute;sident de la F&eacute;d&eacute;ration d&rsquo;athl&eacute;tisme du Qatar et vice-pr&eacute;sident de l&rsquo;IAAF, Dahlan Al Hamad.
&ldquo;2016 &eacute;tant une ann&eacute;e olympique, avec les Jeux organis&eacute;s &agrave; Rio, nous sommes confiants que ce meeting de la Diamond League de Doha va offrir aux athl&egrave;tes un d&eacute;part id&eacute;al &agrave; leur saison."
<h4>Des ambitions &agrave; la hauteur du rendez-vous</h4>
S&rsquo;exprimant avec la verve et l&rsquo;enthousiasme qu&rsquo;on lui conna&icirc;t si bien, Christian Taylor a confi&eacute; qu&rsquo;il pr&eacute;f&eacute;rait se concentrer sur la t&acirc;che en main, plut&ocirc;t que d&rsquo;&eacute;voquer son ambition de d&eacute;crocher un second titre olympique successif dans le triple saut.
&ldquo;Avant toute chose, il me faut engranger des points ici &agrave; Doha, a expliqu&eacute; celui qui a remport&eacute; la Course de diamant &agrave; quatre reprises, et dont les performances r&eacute;alis&eacute;es lors des diff&eacute;rentes comp&eacute;titions du circuit de la Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF, voil&agrave; quatre ans, avaient laiss&eacute; pr&eacute;sager son triomphe olympique &agrave; Londres.
&ldquo;Si, pour marquer des points, il me faut atteindre les 18m, alors c&rsquo;est ce que je ferai. C&rsquo;est pour &ccedil;a que je suis ici &ndash; pour me mesurer aux autres. Le Qatar repr&eacute;sente quelque chose de tr&egrave;s sp&eacute;cial pour moi, parce que c&rsquo;est ici que j&rsquo;ai d&eacute;pass&eacute; les 18m pour la premi&egrave;re fois (en 2015). C&rsquo;est &agrave; la fois un bien et un mal, en ce sens que maintenant les attentes sont vraiment &eacute;lev&eacute;es."
La sprinteuse n&eacute;erlandaise Dafne Schippers, championne du monde du 200m, sera, elle, en lice &agrave; Doha pour la premi&egrave;re fois.
&ldquo;J&rsquo;ai entendu dire que la piste ici est tr&egrave;s bonne, et je suis ravie de cette opportunit&eacute; de me mesurer &agrave; des adversaires aussi rapides, a expliqu&eacute; Schippers, toujours aussi discr&egrave;te dans sa mani&egrave;re d&rsquo;&ecirc;tre.
&ldquo;On verra bien ce qui va arriver demain,&rdquo; a-t-elle ajout&eacute;, avant sa premi&egrave;re sortie sur 100m de 2016.
Un autre athl&egrave;te dont on attend &eacute;norm&eacute;ment - peut-&ecirc;tre m&ecirc;me davantage encore que de ses homologues &ndash; est le &ldquo;r&eacute;gional de l&rsquo;&eacute;tape&rdquo;, le Qatari Femi Ogunode.
Le mois dernier, Ogunode a &eacute;gal&eacute; son propre record d&rsquo;Asie du 100m avec 9&rdquo;91, &agrave; date le temps le plus rapide de 2016, et &agrave; Doha, &eacute;voluant devant son propre public, certains esp&egrave;rent bien le voir am&eacute;liorer son record d&rsquo;Asie du 200m, 19&rdquo;97, couru lors de la finale de la Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF de Bruxelles en septembre dernier.
&ldquo;Je suis calme, je n&rsquo;ai aucune anxi&eacute;t&eacute; par rapport au fait de courir ici, dans mon propre pays. J&rsquo;ai confiance en moi et je crois en moi, et ne ressens aucune pression,&rdquo; a dit Ogunode, qui est &eacute;galement le champion d&rsquo;Asie dans les deux distances du sprint.
Faisant suite &agrave; la conf&eacute;rence, diff&eacute;rents points presse &eacute;taient organis&eacute;s avec une focalisation sur un autre continent et d&rsquo;autres disciplines, permettant aux journalistes de s&rsquo;entretenir avec une s&eacute;lection des meilleurs coureurs de fond et de demi-fond africains.
La championne du monde &eacute;thiopienne du 5000m, Almaz Ayana, qui a gagn&eacute; cinq des six courses auxquelles elle a particip&eacute; en 2015, a r&eacute;v&eacute;l&eacute; qu&rsquo;elle pensait qu&rsquo;un programme aussi l&eacute;ger en mati&egrave;re de comp&eacute;titions &eacute;tait &ldquo;un peu excessif&rdquo;. On peut imaginer que le fond de sa pens&eacute;e ait peut-&ecirc;tre &eacute;t&eacute; un peu perdu au niveau de l&rsquo;interpr&eacute;tation&hellip;
&ldquo;Apr&egrave;s Zurich je me suis sentie en surcharge, a dit Ayana. Mon genou gauche me faisait constamment souffrir, et cela a eu un impact n&eacute;gatif sur mon plan de pr&eacute;paration de la saison 2016. Je n&rsquo;ai pas encore couru, ni en salle ni en ext&eacute;rieur, pour le moment, et de fait cette comp&eacute;tition de Doha est ma premi&egrave;re sortie. Je n&rsquo;ai pas encore r&eacute;cup&eacute;r&eacute; totalement, mais je vais faire de mon mieux demain, et on verra bien ce qui adviendra...&rdquo;
<h4>Sum jauge ses rivales</h4>
Championne du monde du 800m en 2013, la Kenyane Eunice Sum a pr&eacute;dit que sa discipline de pr&eacute;dilection pourrait bien &ecirc;tre parmi les plus disput&eacute;es des 32 Courses de diamant de cette ann&eacute;e, notamment en raison de l&rsquo;excellente forme d&eacute;j&agrave; affich&eacute;e par la championne du monde en salle, la Burundaise Francine Niyonsaba, et par la championne du monde de 2009, la Sud-africaine Caster Semenya.
&ldquo;C&rsquo;est vrai que le 800m s&rsquo;annonce plus ardu en 2016, a dit Sum. Caster et Francine ont d&eacute;j&agrave; accompli des temps tr&egrave;s rapides, et c&rsquo;est &eacute;galement le cas pour Ajee Wilson. Je suis, de mon c&ocirc;t&eacute;, pr&ecirc;te pour aller plus vite que ma meilleure performance personnelle, au vu de ce que je r&eacute;ussis &agrave; l&rsquo;entra&icirc;nement, mais il n&rsquo;y a aucune raison de modifier ma tactique habituelle."
Deux autres coureurs kenyans, Ezekiel Kemboi et Asbel Kiprop, sont arriv&eacute;s &agrave; Doha en se d&eacute;clarant satisfaits de leurs progr&egrave;s enregistr&eacute;s au cours des derniers mois et pr&ecirc;ts &agrave; faire forte impression sur la piste, non seulement ici, devant le public qatari, mais pour tout le reste de ce qui sera certainement une saison longue.
&ldquo;Cela fait quelques ann&eacute;es que je viens ici &agrave; Doha, et, jusqu&rsquo;ici, je n&rsquo;y ai jamais &eacute;t&eacute; battu, a dit Kemboi, quadruple champion du monde et double champion olympique. J&rsquo;en viens presque &agrave; la consid&eacute;rer comme ma course f&eacute;tiche, c&rsquo;est un rendez-vous toujours tr&egrave;s sp&eacute;cial. Si je d&eacute;marre fort &agrave; Doha, alors j&rsquo;ai le sentiment que je serai &agrave; m&ecirc;me de conserver un bon tempo jusqu&rsquo;aux Jeux de Rio.
&ldquo;J&rsquo;aime remporter des m&eacute;dailles lors de comp&eacute;titions majeures, parce que cela am&eacute;liore mon profil, en termes de carri&egrave;re, a-t-il ajout&eacute;. Pour un athl&egrave;te, il est toujours plus important de gagner des m&eacute;dailles. Je veux continuer et rester au sommet pendant aussi longtemps que je le pourrai. Et &ecirc;tre reconnu comme un athl&egrave;te hors pair et une l&eacute;gende. Les records du monde ne sont pas importants, ce sont les m&eacute;dailles qui le sont.
&ldquo;Parfois, il arrive que les records du monde vous tombent dessus sans que vous ne vous y attendiez. D&rsquo;autres fois, vous voulez les planifier, mais les choses ne se passent pas comme pr&eacute;vu. Un jour, quelque part, il se peut que je cherche &agrave; &eacute;tablir un record du monde, mais ce ne sera pas ici, maintenant. Pour autant, j&rsquo;ajouterai que, depuis les Jeux de 2004, je n&rsquo;en finis, ni de devenir plus fort, ni de rajeunir,&rdquo; a plaisant&eacute; le sp&eacute;cialiste du steeple en guise de conclusion.
Kiprop, qui compte des titres de champion olympique et de champion du monde du 1500m &agrave; son palmar&egrave;s, va chercher, dans quelques mois, &agrave; reconqu&eacute;rir le titre olympique qu&rsquo;il avait fait sien voil&agrave; huit ans, &agrave; P&eacute;kin.
&ldquo;Doha repr&eacute;sente la premi&egrave;re &eacute;tape de mes pr&eacute;paratifs pour la saison, a-t-il expliqu&eacute;. Au terme de cette comp&eacute;tition, je saurai exactement o&ugrave; j&rsquo;en suis, et quelle est ma forme physique. La perspective de cette course me r&eacute;jouit.&rdquo;
Celui qui est le troisi&egrave;me coureur de 1500m le plus rapide de tous les temps a r&eacute;v&eacute;l&eacute; qu&rsquo;il avait pratiquement pris sa d&eacute;cision finale en ce qui concerne d&rsquo;&eacute;ventuelles tentatives de battre le record du monde, et ce en d&eacute;pit de l&rsquo;avoir approch&eacute; de si pr&egrave;s l&rsquo;&eacute;t&eacute; dernier, &agrave; l&rsquo;occasion du meeting de la Diamond League de l&rsquo;IAAF de Monaco.
&ldquo;Je ne vais pas m&rsquo;attaquer &agrave; un record du monde cette saison, a-t-il expliqu&eacute;. Nous sommes dans une ann&eacute;e olympique, et mon unique priorit&eacute; est de gagner &agrave; Rio. Je pense que ce sera l&agrave; l&rsquo;objectif de tous les athl&egrave;tes de l&rsquo;&eacute;lite."
Phil Minshull, pour l&rsquo;IAAF

The traditional pre-meeting press conference of the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Doha took place on Thursday (5) and the emphasis was very much on how the series, now in its seventh season, directly laid the foundations for many an elite athlete’s road to Rio.

Doha press conference highlights – IAAF Diamond League

Organisers of the Meeting International Mohammed VI have confirmed that five more Diamond Race winners from last year will be in action at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat on 22 May.
Following last week&rsquo;s announcement of the participation of Nijel Amos and Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce, it means seven of last year&rsquo;s Diamond Race winners have now been confirmed for the newest meeting on the IAAF Diamond League circuit.
The women&rsquo;s 800m contains three global champions as world indoor champion Francine Niyonsaba takes on world champion Marina Arzamasova and 2013 world champion and three-time Diamond Race winner Eunice Sum.
Including Arzamasova and Sum, the field contains six of the eight finalists from last year&rsquo;s World Championships: Morocco&rsquo;s Rababe Arafi, Britain&rsquo;s Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, European bronze medallist Joanna Jozwik and last year&rsquo;s Rabat winner Renelle Lamote. 2012 European champion Lynsey Sharp and world 1500m finalist Malika Akkaoui add further quality to the line-up.
Diamond Race steeplechase winner Jairus Birech returns to Rabat following his victory at the Prince Moulay Abdellah Stadium last year. He will face meeting record-holder Paul Kipsiele Koech, world silver medallist Conseslus Kipruto and two-time Olympic silver medallist Mahiedine Mekhissi.
Zuzana Hejnova, twice a winner of the world title and the Diamond Race, leads a 400m hurdles field that includes five finalists from last year&rsquo;s World Championships. The Czech star will be up against world bronze medallist Cassandra Tate, Jamaican champion Janieve Russell, Danish record-holder Sara Petersen, African champion Wenda Nel and world indoor 400m champion Kemi Adekoya.
In the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles, Diamond Race winner and 2013 world champion David Oliver takes on 2011 world champion Jason Richardson, 2015 US indoor champion Aleec Harris and 2014 world indoor bronze medallist Garfield Darien of France.
Panama&rsquo;s 2015 Diamond Race winner Alonso Edward is part of a 200m field that includes world 100m bronze medallist Trayvon Bromell, 2013 world bronze medallist Curtis Mitchell, Asian record-holder Femi Ogunode and Moroccan record-holder Aziz Ouhadi, who won at this meeting in 2013.
Having won over 3000m in Rabat last year with an African all-comers&rsquo; record of 8:22.22, world champion Almaz Ayana will contest the 5000m in the Moroccan capital this year. The Ethiopian will line up against fix of the top six finishers from last year&rsquo;s World Championships, including world silver medallist Senbere Teferi, 2013 world silver medallist Mercy Cherono, Kenya&rsquo;s Viola Kibiwot and Commonwealth silver medallist Janet Kisa.
Two of the men in the 400m field joined the illustrious sub-44-second club last year. Botswana&rsquo;s Isaac Makwala and Jamaican record-holder Rusheen McDonald, with respective PBs of 43.72 and 43.93, will join the likes of US champion David Verburg and Olympic 4x400m champion Chris Brown of The Bahamas in chasing the meeting record of 45.06.
<a href="http://fantasydiamondrace.com/" target="_blank">Sign up for the 2016 Fantasy Diamond Race</a>
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar 6 May &ndash; Doha, QAT 14 May &ndash; Shanghai, CHN 22 May &ndash; Rabat, MAR 28 May &ndash; Eugene, USA 2 Jun &ndash; Rome, ITA 5 Jun &ndash; Birmingham, GBR 9 Jun &ndash; Oslo, NOR 16 Jun &ndash; Stockholm, SWE 15 Jul &ndash; Monaco, MON 22-23 Jul &ndash; London, GBR 25 Aug &ndash; Lausanne, SUI 27 Aug &ndash; Paris, FRA 1 Sep &ndash; Zurich, SUI 9 Sep &ndash; Brussels, BEL

Organisers of the Meeting International Mohammed VI have confirmed that five more Diamond Race winners from last year will be in action at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Rabat on 22 May.

Five more Diamond Race winners confirmed for Rabat – IAAF Diamond League

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best middle-distance performances of the year.<h3>Men&rsquo;s 800m</h3>David Rudisha ruled this event for four years, culminating in the unforgettable Olympic final in London. However, when he returned to the championship scene in Beijing &ndash; after a couple of injury plagued years &ndash; it looked as though he never had been away.Rudisha once more majestically strode along unchallenged at the front all the way to the finish line. But there was one major difference: the pace. Rather than 49/50 seconds, the first lap was covered in a leisurely 54 seconds, yet still no opponent took any action. Rudisha&rsquo;s mere presence seemed to have a paralysing effect.Perhaps the scenario would have been different had Nijel Amos not been eliminated in a slow and tactical semi-final. Overall, Amos was the most consistent 800m runner of 2015, never finishing below second and having three performances at 1:43.28 or better. He also defeated Rudisha in both of their pre-Beijing encounters.Amos belonged to the &lsquo;teenage wave&rsquo; that hit the 800m scene in 2012, but being a teenage phenomenon is not a prerequisite for success in this event. Just ask Amel Tuka and Boris Berian.Tuka ran 1:51 as junior and had a 1:46 PB coming into this year. But within the space of 17 days in July, the Bosnian ran 1:44.19, 1:43.84 and 1:42.51 before going on to take bronze in Beijing.Berian was a 400m runner in his teens and came into 2015 with a 1:48.89 PB. His rise was also meteoric: 1:46.16 in April, 1:45.30 in May, 1:43.84 for second behind Rudisha at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in New York and 1:43.34 for fourth place in Monaco.<h3>Men&rsquo;s 1500m</h3>There is little doubt that Asbel Kiprop is the outstanding 1500m runner of the post-El Guerrouj era.But despite having won a number of major titles, Kiprop has in previous years also lost a number of slower races after finding himself with too much catching up to do on the final lap.In 2015, his ninth year on the international scene, Kiprop didn&rsquo;t make any costly mistakes and his long-striding kick looked better than ever.In a slow 1500m final at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, Kiprop was in 10th place with just 300 metres to go. He then duly flew past his nine opponents, all of whom were all-out sprining, to take gold.For the fourth straight year Kiprop had chosen Monaco as the meeting to go to for a fast time. After 3:28.88 in 2012, 3:27.72 in 2013 and 3:28.45 in 2014, Kiprop lowered his PB to 3:26.69, just 0.69 off the world record and moving him to third on the world all-time list. His mark is the fifth-fastest time ever and the fastest in the world for 14 years.Thanks to Kiprop, the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco has become &lsquo;the&rsquo; 1500m race of the season. This year it provided the top seven marks in the world. Of those seven athletes, Mo Farah was the only one who didn&rsquo;t set a PB in Monaco.The largest improvement belonged to exciting Kenyan newcomer and former 400m runner Elijah Manangoi, who knocked five seconds off his best when clocking 3:29.67. Manangoi went on to take the silver medal in Beijing.<h3>Women&rsquo;s 800m</h3>Kenya&rsquo;s 2013 world champion Eunice Sum was in good form during the early part of the 2015 season. The 27-year-old won all of her six finals prior to Beijing, including five IAAF Diamond League meetings, including a world-leading 1:56.99 personal best in Paris in July.But at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015, she had trouble qualifying for the final from the hardest semi-final. In retrospect, it wasn&rsquo;t a surprise, because the top three from this semi-final were also the three medallists in the final, albeit in a different order.European champion Maryna Arzamasova went to Beijing off the back of a completely different season compared to Sum. The 27-year-old Belarusian had nothing to show before Beijing; she had a season&rsquo;s best of just 2:00.87 and two fourth-place finishes in international competition before the World Championships. But she won her heat in 1:58.69 before advancing to the final with a PB of 1:57.54. In the final, Arzamasova took the lead with 200 metres to go and just held on to win in 1:58.03.The biggest surprise in Beijing was Melissa Bishop. The 27-year-old Canadian dipped under two minutes for the first time in 2012, but had not really progressed beyond that level since. She won the Pan American Games in Toronto in July, but still her 1:57.52 national record to win in the third semi-final was a shock.Bishop went on to take the silver medal in the final in 1:58.12 with Sum in third place in 1:58.18.<h3>Women&rsquo;s 1500m</h3>It was a season of fast times for the women&rsquo;s 1500m.The first sub-four-minute race came early, at the start of June in Rome. USA&rsquo;s 2011 world champion Jenny Simpson won in a world-leading 3:59.31 as Sifan Hassan and 18-year-old Ethiopian Dawit Seyaoum also finished within four minutes.But in early July Genzebe Dibaba, the world indoor record holder, produced a huge solo performance at the Catalunyan Championships in Barcelona. The 24-year-old crushed the African record with 3:54.11. Significantly, she was totally alone for the last 800m and finished with a 61.1-second last lap.After this it was clear that Qu Yunxia&rsquo;s world record of 3:50.46, which had stood for almost 22 years, was finally in jeopardy.Just nine days later, Dibaba attacked that mark at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Monaco and memorably set a 3:50.07 world record. Behind her, Hassan set a Dutch record of 3:56.05 for second place and in third Shannon Rowbury broke the North American record with 3:56.29. Simpson was fourth in 3:57.30 and Britain&rsquo;s Laura Muir was fifth in a PB of 3:58.66.Dibaba was the overwhelming favourite for the 1500m title at the IAAF World Championships Beijing 2015. Having broken the world record and being a fast finisher, there was nothing the others could do tactically to beat her.In a slow race, the script was easy and Dibaba sprinted away for the gold in 4:08.09, having covered the final 800m in 1:57.2. It was her first senior outdoor global gold medal, having won world indoor titles in 2012 and 2014.Kenya&rsquo;s Faith Kipyegon took the silver in 4:08.96, having raced in just two international races before Beijing, finishing in second place in both Oslo and Lausanne. Hassan, the European champion indoors and out, took the bronze in 4:09.34.A Lennart Julin (men&rsquo;s events) and Mirko Jalava (women&rsquo;s events) for the IAAF

Statisticians A Lennart Julin and Mirko Jalava look back on the best middle-distance performances of the year.

2015 end-of-year reviews – middle distance

The highly publicised 3000m duel between a trio of gold medallists from the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 was supposed to be one of the highlights of the 2015 IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich and so it proved, with Ethiopia&rsquo;s Almaz Ayana coming out on top on Thursday (3).Ayana and her compatriot Genzebe Dibaba, respectively the 5000m and 1500m world champions in Beijing, were helped initially by the Kenyan pacemaker Lydia Wafula, who took the pair through 1000m in 2:49.92, putting them nicely on course for a fast time below 8:30.Poland&rsquo;s Renata Plis then took over but the two Ethiopians wanted a faster pace than she could deliver and so, with just over three laps to go, Ayana went to the front, towing Dibaba behind her as she passed 2000m in 5:35.36.With two laps to go, the gap between the two Ethiopians and the rest of the field had grown to about 80 metres.Many pundits in the stands were assuming that Dibaba was just biding her time before pouncing on Ayana, but the latter has clearly grown in confidence after her world title and had other ideas.Ayana started to pull away from her great domestic rival with 250 metres to go. Unlike in some other races in the past two years, Dibaba couldn&rsquo;t respond and it was Ayana who took the honours and crossed the line in 8:22.34, a meeting record and just 0.12 outside her own national record.Dibaba came home second in 8:26.54 but had the consolation of taking the Diamond Race and the US $40,000 winner-takes-all cheque that goes with it.Kenya&rsquo;s world 10,000m champion Vivian Cheruiyot admitted the day before that the distance may be too short for her, and the Ethiopians too quick, and this turned out to be the case as she finished sixth in 8:38.91.Russia&rsquo;s world 110m hurdles champion Sergey Shubenkov proved that he&rsquo;s the man of the moment by showing the rest of his rivals a clean pair of heel over the barriers.The quickest to react to the gun, by the fifth hurdle there was daylight between him and the rest of the field and he won in 13.15, a good time considering the conditions.His predecessor as world champion, USA&rsquo;s David Oliver, was a relatively distant second in 13.30, the same time as Orlando Ortega although the Spain-based Cuban was given third. Oliver's season-long consistency meant that the popular US sprint hurdler took the Diamond Race.<h3>Sum's race tactics finally add up</h3>After a disappointing World Championships, where she failed to retain her title and instead had to settle for bronze, Kenya&rsquo;s Eunice Sum bounced back by taking the 800m in 1:59.14.Germany&rsquo;s Fabienne Kohlmann led into the last bend but Great Britain&rsquo;s Lynsey Sharp got to the front off the last bend. However, neither runner could resist the finishing surge of Sum, who passed both of them with 60 metres to go, her win also confirming her Diamond Race victory.Sharp was second in 1:59.37 and Kohlmann third in 1:59.68. Belarus&rsquo;s world champion Marina Arzamasova, who won the European title last year on the same track, finished a disappointing fifth in 2:00.69 and always looked a little leaden once the pace started to increase over the final 200 metres.Just preceding Sum, Panama&rsquo;s Alonso Edward also got the win he wanted &ndash; to add to his victories in Shanghai and Stockholm &ndash; to take the men&rsquo;s 200m Diamond Race. Dominant over the last 50 metres, he crossed the line in 20.03 with Jamaica&rsquo;s Rasheed Dwyer second in 20.20.Another Kenyan to occupy a place on the plinth for the Diamond Race winners in Zurich was three-time world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop.After a rather modest first kilometre, Norway&rsquo;s Henrik Ingebrigtsen darted to the front just before the bell and made an audacious long-range bid for home. It briefly looked as though he was going to pull off the trick as the chasing pack were slow to react. At the bell, Kiprop was back in 10th place, with Ingebrigtsen 20 metres clear.However, with just over 200 metres to go, like hyenas chasing down a gazelle, the pack started to hunt down the tiring Norwegian and devoured its prey coming off the last bend. Kiprop, fourth with 100 metres to go, then went through the gears down the home straight and passed three men before hitting the front with 40 metres to go, winning in 3:35.79 and taking the Diamond Race into the bargain.Following him home, making it the same one-two as Beijing, fellow Kenyan Elijah Manangoi was second in 3:36.01.Phil Minshull for the IAAF

The highly publicised duel between a trio of gold medallists from the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 in the women’s 3000m was supposed to be one of the highlights of the 2015 IAAF Diamond League final in Zurich and so it proved, with Ethiopia’s Almaz Ayana coming out on top on Thursday.

 Ayana wins the battle of the world champions in Zurich – IAAF Diamond League

Kenya&rsquo;s defending
champion Euince Sum ended up having to settle for the bronze medal on this
occasion after a tense and enthralling three-way battle down to home straight
as &nbsp;Marina Arzamasova returned the world
800m title to Europe on Saturday.Sum came to Beijing
after a six-race unbeaten streak this season, but she was beaten in her
semi-final race, showing signs of vulnerability, when Canada&rsquo;s Pan American
Games champion Melissa Bishop and the 2014 European champion from Belarus out-sprinted
her on the homestretch.However, in the final,
the Kenyan chose to follow a similar race pattern, leading from the gun, and
perhaps it proved her undoing.The only thing she did
differently was starting a little more conservatively, at 59.1sec over the
first 400m versus 57.4 two days ago as she, probably, tried to conserve more
energy for her finishing kick this time.However, at this pace,
her rivals had no problem staying with Sum. Morocco&rsquo;s Rababe Arafi
was a few metres behind the pack for the half of the first lap, but quickly moved
back up, joining the rest of the finalists in contention for the medals.In the meantime, Sum
stayed in the lead. The Kenyan slightly
picked up the pace after the bell, but Arzamasova, Bishop and France&rsquo;s Renelle
Lamote stayed on her shoulder, almost exactly like in her troublesome
semi-final heat.The key events in the
race unfolded on the last bend, as the Belorussian powerfully moved forward and
overtook the lead. Most importantly,
after making her move on the outside of Sum, Arzamasova managed to cross to the
inside, quickly and safely, without risking on getting herself into a
collision.Sum had no space in
front of her to quickly respond to Arzamasova&rsquo;s move. The Kenyan tried to go
wide, but this only opened the inside to Melissa Bishop, who had plenty of
energy for the finishing spurt.In her desperate dash
to the finish line, Sum couldn&rsquo;t match her rivals&rsquo; pace and finished third in
1:58.18.The resemblance to the
semi-final race, however, wasn&rsquo;t complete, as tonight Arzamasova was in charge,
clocking 1:58.03 for the win, while Melissa Bishop finished second in 1:58.12
after clocking the fastest second lap in the race at 58.73.The Belorussian added
the world title to her European title and the world indoor championships bronze
medal from 2014, while for Bishop this silver is her first success on a global
stage.Both Arzamasova and
Bishop won the first ever world championships medals in the 800m for their
respective countries.Elena Dyachkova for the IAAF

Kenya’s defending champion Euince Sum ended up having to settle for the bronze medal on this occasion after a tense and enthralling three-way battle down to home straight as  Marina Arzamasova returned the world 800m title to Europe on Saturday.

Report: women's 800m final – IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015

With just four weeks to go until the 2015 edition of the Weltklasse Z&uuml;rich, the first of this year's IAAF Diamond League finals, the meeting organisers were able to announce sparkling entry lists for another three events on Thursday (6).In all three disciplines &ndash; men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, men&rsquo;s high jump, women&rsquo;s 800m &ndash; the current top-five athletes of this season will compete at Letzigrund Stadium on 3 September.In the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, USA&rsquo;s Evan Jager has set his eyes on the eight-minute barrier.He was the tragic hero of IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris last month. When clearly in the lead and on his way to a historic run under eight minutes, Jager fell after the last hurdle. However, with his impressive outing in Paris, Jager has become a serious challenger for Kenya&rsquo;s legendary steeplechasers, whose team for the IAAF World Championships in Beijing will include three-time world champion and 2012 Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi. &nbsp; At Weltklasse Z&uuml;rich, the &lsquo;Jager v Kenya&rsquo; theme will continue and the American will race against the current seven fastest Kenyans this season, including Kemboi, 2014 Diamond Race winner Jairus Birech and 2013 world championships silver medallist Conseslus Kipruto. The men&rsquo;s high jump will see three of the best high jumpers ever in an exciting battle: Qatar&rsquo;s 2014 world indoor champion and 2015 world leader Mutaz Essa Barshim, Ukraine&rsquo;s 2013 world champion Bohdan Bondarenko, who won in Zurich after his Moscow success that year, and Russia&rsquo;s London 2012 Olympic Games champion Ivan Ukhov. In addition, China&rsquo;s winner at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Oslo, Zhang Guowei, Canada&rsquo;s 2.40m jumper Derek Drouin as well as USA&rsquo;s 2012 Olympic silver medallist Erik Kynard and recently-minted Italian record holder Gianmarco Tamberi should help provide a spectacular competition. The field in Zurich includes the six most successful athletes of the current season.The women&rsquo;s 800m has local star Selina B&uuml;chel being on the entry list. She holds the national record, and ranks fourth on the current world&rsquo;s list.Alongside her will be Kenya&rsquo;s 2013 world champion and 2013 Zurich winner Eunice Sum, Cuba&rsquo;s Rose Mary Almanza, USA&rsquo;s Ajee Wilson and Germany&rsquo;s Fabienne Kohlmann, the current top five of the 2015 list.Organisers for the IAAF2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar Doha, QAT &ndash; 15 May Shanghai, CHN &ndash; 17 May Eugene, USA &ndash; 30 May Rome, ITA &ndash; 4 June Birmingham, GBR &ndash; 7 June Oslo, NOR &ndash; 11 June New York, USA &ndash; 13 June Paris, FRA &ndash; 4 July Lausanne, SUI &ndash; 9 July Monaco, MON &ndash; 17 July London, GBR &ndash; 24-25 July Stockholm, SWE &ndash; 30 July Zurich, SUI &ndash; 3 September Brussels, BEL &ndash; 11 September

With just four weeks to go until the 2015 edition of the Weltklasse Zürich, the first of this year's IAAF Diamond League finals, the meeting organisers were able to announce sparkling entry lists for another three events on Thursday (6).

Three more star-studded fields announced for Zurich – IAAF Diamond League

Following the conclusion of the national trials, Athletics Kenya selected 46 athletes to compete at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 later this month.Three-time world champion and double Olympic champion Ezekiel Kemboi only finished fourth in the steeplechase at the trials, but will make use of his wild card as the defending world champion.World champions Asbel Kiprop and Eunice Sum also had wild cards in the men&rsquo;s 1500m and women&rsquo;s 800m respectively, but they guaranteed their places on the team by winning in Nairobi this weekend.Two-time world marathon champion Edna Kiplagat was among the names announced earlier this year on the provisional marathon teams for Beijing. World record-holder Dennis Kimetto and Wilson Kipsang feature on the men&rsquo;s team.Brimin Kipruto, Vivian Cheruiyot and Janeth Jepkosgei, all winners at past editions of the IAAF World Championships, are among the names on this year&rsquo;s team.<h3>Kenyan team for Beijing</h3>MEN 200m: Mike Mokamba, Carvin Nkanata 400m: Alphas Kishoyian 800m: Ferguson Cheruiyot, Alfred Kipketer, David Rudisha 1500m: Asbel Kiprop, Silas Kiplagat, Elijah Manangoi 5000m: Emmanuel Kipsang, Isaiah Koech, Caleb Ndiku, Edwin Soi 10,000m: Geoffrey Kamworor, Bedan Karoki, Paul Tanui Marathon: Dennis Kimetto, Wilson Kipsang, Mark Korir 3000m steeplechase: Jairus Birech, Ezekiel Kemboi, Brimin Kipruto, Conseslus Kipruto 400m hurdles: Nicholas Bett, Harun Koech, Boniface Mucheru Javelin: Julius YegoWOMEN 400m: Maureen Jelagat, Joyce Zakari 800m: Janeth Jepkosgei, Eunice Sum 1500m: Nancy Chepkwemoi, Faith Kipyegon, Violah Lagat 5000m: Irene Cheptai, Mercy Cherono, Viola Kibiwot, Janet Kisa 10,000m: Vivian Cheruiyot, Sally Kipyego, Betsy Saina Marathon: Visiline Jepkesho, Edna Kiplagat, Helah Kiprop, Jemimah Sumgong 3000m steeplechase: Rosefline Chepngetich, Hyvin Jepkemoi, Virginia Nyambura 400m hurdles: Francisca Koki

Following the conclusion of the national trials, Athletics Kenya selected 46 athletes to compete at the IAAF World Championships, Beijing 2015 later this month.

Defending champions Kemboi, Sum, Kiprop and Kiplagat lead Kenya’s team for Beijing

Dafne Schippers brought day two of the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London to a record-breaking conclusion at the Olympic Stadium when she sliced 0.02 from her Dutch record to win the women&rsquo;s 100m in 10.92 at the Sainsbury&rsquo;s Anniversary Games on Saturday (25). Schippers had already clocked 10.99 in her heat when she beat Nigeria&rsquo;s Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor by 0.01.In a previous heat, Dina Asher-Smith ran the same time but had also made history by becoming the first British woman ever to break 11 seconds.&nbsp; The 19-year-old, a kit carrier in the same stadium at the London 2012 Olympic Games, received a massive roar from the crowd before blasting past Murielle Ahoure to clock 10.99.Asher-Smith described her heat run as &ldquo;messy in places&rdquo; but also admitted she was so &ldquo;over the moon&rdquo; that she struggled to regain her focus in time for the final where she finished fourth in 11.06. By contrast, Schippers timed her effort perfectly and emerged between the fast-starting Ahoure and Okagbare-Ighoteguonor to take victory over the Nigerian, who clocked 10.98. Ahoure was third in 11.01.Schippers lowered her national 100m record to 10.94 in Hengelo at the end of May, and the world heptathlon bronze medallist&rsquo;s performance here again justified her decision to target the sprints at the IAAF World Championships in Beijing next month. &ldquo;It was a difficult decision but I think I am a sprinter now and it feels good,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;I am more relaxed every race and I think it's better for me to do only one thing. I can focus on my start and that was difficult to do when I was in the heptathlon. &ldquo;It is good that people from Europe can beat girls from America and Jamaica. It's nice that we have both run a national record here. I think I can run faster than today.&rdquo;<h3>Perfectly paced race for van Niekerk</h3>Another athlete with his sights set firmly on Beijing is Wayde van Niekerk, who had another morale-boosting victory in the men&rsquo;s 400m. Just three weeks after beating Olympic champion Kirani James in Paris, the South African overtook Isaac Makwala to win the men&rsquo;s 400m. Van Niekerk became the first African to break 44 seconds when he beat James earlier this month, but he saw that record evaporate 24 hours later when the Botswanan ran 43.72, making this something of a grudge match.Van Niekerk responded superbly to the challenge, coming from behind again to take victory in 44.63. Makwala stormed away at the start but faded to fourth in the home straight, clocking 45.29 as US champion David Verburg came through for second in 45.01 with Chris Brown taking third in 45.33. Van Niekerk is now just two points behind James in the Diamond Race, but his mind is already in China.&ldquo;The season has certainly been a blessing to me so far,&rdquo; said the South African. &ldquo;The Diamond Race points are a bonus to me, whatever happens, happens. This was my last Diamond League race before the World Championships so I just wanted to finish it with a good time and feel confident for the race.&rdquo;Asbel Kiprop retained the Emsley Carr Mile title when he emerged from a huge pack to outsprint USA&rsquo;s Matthew Centrowitz in the home straight. The world 1500m champion clocked 3:54.87 after drifting from the front to a seemingly impossible boxed position with a lap to go.As the final stages of the race unfolded, he stepped out of the huddle and clawed his way past Centrowitz and Ayanleh Souleiman, who were second and third respectively.Kenyans were in winning form in the women&rsquo;s distance events too, as Eunice Sum underlined her status as favourite for the world 800m title with her fourth IAAF Diamond League victory.Sum overpowered Dutch runner Sifan Hasan to clock 1:58.44 and move 10 points clear of USA&rsquo;s Ajee Wilson in the Diamond Race. Hassan was rewarded for her bold move down the back straight with a personal best of 1:59.46 in second place.<h3>No mercy for Cherono's rivals</h3>Mercy Cherono made up a 50-metre gap on Molly Huddle to take maximum points in the women&rsquo;s 5000m and move to third in the standings.Cherono came home in 14:54.81 after being 30 metres adrift with 800m to go.She finally caught Huddle at the bell but the US runner, who had led for the whole race, challenged again on the last lap before succumbing and finishing second in 14:57.42.Kenyans dominated the men&rsquo;s steeplechase too, but it was not Diamond Race leader Jairus Birech who took maximum points this time.Birech was beaten for the second time this season when world silver medallist Conseslus Kipruto outkicked him in the home straight to win in 8:09.47. Birech was second in 8:09.81 with Ezekiel Kemboi, who had beaten Birech in Oslo, third in 8:12.13.There were no Diamond Race points available in the men&rsquo;s 800m, but plenty of pride at stake as David Rudisha returned to the scene of his world-record-breaking Olympic triumph. Nijel Amos chased him home on that day but it was the Botswanan who was too good this afternoon, outkicking the Kenyan in the home straight to win in 1:44.57.Rudisha still looks a shadow of his 2012 best, but he held on to take second from the fast-finishing Pole Adam Kszczot in 1:44.67.There was a meeting record in the women&rsquo;s 200m, another non-Diamond Race event, when Jamaica&rsquo;s Elaine Thompson ran a meeting record of 22.10 to beat Tori Bowie.Thompson took 0.27 from her personal best and moved to fourth on the 2015 world list. Bowie was second in 22.32 while behind her Sanya Richards-Ross ran 22.87 in seventh and Olympic heptathlon champion Jessica Ennis-Hill produced her third season&rsquo;s best of the meeting, running 23.49 in eighth.Matthew Brown for the IAAF

Dafne Schippers brought day two of the IAAF Diamond League meeting in London to a record-breaking conclusion at the Olympic Stadium when she sliced 0.02 from her Dutch record to win the women’s 100m in 10.92 at the Sainsbury’s Anniversary Games on Saturday (25). 

National 100m records for Schippers and Asher-Smith in London – IAAF Diamond League

Wayde Van Niekerk made a little bit of history at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris when he became the first African to run faster than 44 seconds for one lap of the track, when he ran 43.96 on Saturday (4).The 22-year-old South African not only snatched his first victory in the Diamond Race but also announced himself as a genuine world title contender as he beat Olympic champion Kirani James, handing the Grenadian his first defeat of the year and moving up to 10th on the world all-time list for the event.With van Niekerk on his outside, James strained every sinew in lane four to make up ground in the home straight but had to settle for second in 44.17. US champion David Verburg was well back in third in 44.81.On a night of five world leads on the track but a series of disappointments for the French fans, at least sprinter Jimmy Vicaut was able to send the crowd home happy after matching the European 100m record.Vicaut ran 9.86, equalling Francis Obikwelu's 2004 mark, to finish second behind Asafa Powell in the Stade de France. The latter clocked 9.81, his quickest time for four years, to win a race that was meant to feature his fellow Jamaican Usain Bolt. Mike Rodgers took third for the USA in 9.99, ensuring three men ran faster than 10 seconds for seventh time this year. Vicaut&rsquo;s area record was the third of the night, following van Niekerk and Evan Jager, who set a North American record in the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase.The results of the steeplechase will show another world lead for 2014 Diamond Race winner Jairus Birech as the Kenyan notched up another victory, but the bald facts don&rsquo;t tell half the story.Birech was well beaten before the final barrier by the outstanding Jager who had kicked away over the last 600 metres. Just as the US champion looked as if he would claim a famous victory, he clattered the last hurdle and tumbled flat on the track, allowing his long-time shadow to streak past for an unlikely victory in 7:58.83, a meeting record and the night&rsquo;s first world-leading performance.How close Jager came to claiming that mark for himself. He had dragged Birech away from the rest with three laps to go and opened a five-metre lead with 600 metres left.Birech closed briefly before the bell but the US athlete was having the run of his life and streaked away down the back straight and over the final water jump. But just when he had the finish line in sight, his form failed him.The pony-tailed runner earned a good consolation prize, though, as he picked himself up to finish second in 8:00.45, smashing his own US and North American records.&ldquo;The stupid mistake cost me the sub-eight minutes, one of my big goals,&rdquo; rued Jager afterwards. &ldquo;Of course, I&rsquo;m happy I made the Kenyans worried. I train for that. Today, I proved I can compete for the top position at the World Championships.&rdquo;<h3>Sum supreme</h3>There were two more world leads just a few minutes later as the ever consistent Eunice Sum took her 800m personal best down below 1:57 for the first time, and the irrepressible Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce blasted to 10.74 in the 100m, 0.05 quicker than her Jamaican Championships win a week ago and just 0.04 away from her national record.Sum clocked 1:56.99 after Ilona Usovich had taken her through 400m in 56.33. The Kenyan followed the Belarusian pacer to 500m before kicking for home, chased by Cuba&rsquo;s Rose Mary Amanza who also ran a personal best with 1:57.70.Selina Buchel took more than two seconds from her best when runnng a Swiss record of 1:57.95 in third while, in what was surely the best 800m of the year so far, there were bests as well for the US pair of Molly Ludlow in fourth and Chanelle Price in fifth, with 1:58.68 and 1:59.10 respectively.Fraser-Pryce was pressed hard by Blessing Okagbare who had beaten her easily in Shanghai back in May. This time the Jamaican was more than a match for the Nigerian and thrust ahead to win by 0.06. USA&rsquo;s English Gardner was well beaten into third in 10.97.The crowd barely had time to catch breath before another world lead fell in the men&rsquo;s 1500m as Silas Kiplagat outkicked Ayanleh Souleiman to take his second IAAF Diamond League victory of the year in 3:30.12. The Djibouti runner was just 0.05 behind his Kenyan rival while Ronald Kwemoi dipped ahead of Olympic champion Taoufik Makhloufi, 3:30.43 to 3:30.50.Orlando Ortega produced his first sub-13-second performance to win the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles in yet another world-leading time. The Cuban came late to overtake David Oliver on the line in 12.94 as the world champion also dipped under 13 seconds for the first time in 2015.He thrust his chest out to stop the clock at 12.98 while Sergey Shubenkov took 0.03 from his own Russian record in third with 13.06.Zuzana Hejnova looked to be approaching her pre-injury form from two years ago in the women&rsquo;s 400m hurdles. The Czech world champion ran a season&rsquo;s best and fell just short of the world lead with 53.76.Behind her, two athletes clocked national records: Sara Petersen lowering Denmark&rsquo;s national mark to 53.99 while Bahrain&rsquo;s Kemi Adekoya was third in 54.12.Matthew Brown for the IAAF

Wayde Van Niekerk made a little bit of history at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris when he became the first African to run faster than 44 seconds for one lap of the track, when he ran 43.96 on Saturday (4).

Van Niekerk makes history in Paris – IAAF Diamond League

Mutaz Essa Barshim rekindled his Hayward Field magic and added to his growing resume in the high jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene, going over a meeting record of 2.41m on Saturday (30). The Qatari didn&rsquo;t miss a jump all day at the famous Prefontaine Classic meeting and had first-time clearances at 2.24m, 2.28m and 2.35m. But, after passing 2.38m and then watching China&rsquo;s Zhang Guowei go clear at that height and add three centimetres to his personal best, Barshim needed to go higher to win.&nbsp; He was up to the task and did so. Victory secured, Barshim did not make any further attempts due to some slight cramping. Zhang also didn't attempt anything higher but his performance in Eugene elevates him into medal consideration for the IAAF World Championships this summer on home soil in Beijing.In the women&rsquo;s triple jump, Colombia&rsquo;s world champion Caterine Ibarguen needed a sixth-round jump of 15.18m to snatch the win from Russia&rsquo;s Yekaterina Koneva and extend her winning streak to 24 competitions.Koneva set a personal best of 15.04m on her second attempt, with a legal following wind of 1.7m/s. Ibarguen got close in the fifth round with 15.01m and then uncorked her big jump with her final effort, both leaps being helped with breezes just over 2.0m/s.Both of the women&rsquo;s 100m races produced fast times and had the benefit of strong, but legal, tailwinds.&nbsp; In the &lsquo;international&rsquo; section of the women&rsquo;s 100m, USA&rsquo;s English Gardner and Jamaica&rsquo;s Elaine Thompson both posted times of 10.84, with Gardner being declared the winner and world leader.&nbsp; However, that latter accolade lasted only about 10 minutes as Jamaica&rsquo;s Shelly-Ann Fraser Pryce won the Diamond Race discipline in 10.81.&nbsp; &ldquo;I think I can take away that I started very well today, that is a plus, and then I can work on the middle and then I can work on the end,&rdquo; said the world champion.Murielle Ahoure of Ivory Coast chased the Jamaican all the way. She also ran 10.81, a national record, but had to settle for second.<h3>James nearly usurps Johnson</h3>In the men&rsquo;s 400m, Kirani James became the first man to run faster than 44 seconds this year and he almost broke Michael Johnson&rsquo;s meeting record in the process.&nbsp; The Grenadian ran 43.95, well ahead of LaShawn Merritt, who finished second in 44.51. James was only 0.03 off Johnson&rsquo;s mark from the 2000 edition of the meeting.&nbsp; The expected duel between Allyson Felix and Sanya Richards-Ross in the women&rsquo;s 400m, not a Diamond Race discipline, resulted in a surprisingly comfortable victory for Felix.&nbsp; After a relatively controlled and conservative first 200 metres, Felix gained control of the race and never relented, finishing in 50.05.&nbsp; &ldquo;I feel like the first half of the race could be more aggressive,&rdquo; said Felix after her first 400m in more than a year.&nbsp; &ldquo;I just really wanted to see where I was at and kind of what things I need to work on moving forward.&rdquo;&nbsp; Behind Felix, Richards-Ross ran 50.29. Justin Gatlin posted a world-leading time in the men&rsquo;s 200m. The US sprinter got off to a quick start and was never challenged, crossing the line in a meeting record of 19.68. The time equals his personal best that he set last year in Monaco.&nbsp; Anaso Jobodwana set a South African record of 20.04 in second place.&nbsp;&nbsp; <h3>Martinot-Lagarde starts his summer with world lead</h3> Pascal Martinot-Lagarde began his 2015 season in superb form, running 13.06 in the men&rsquo;s 110m hurdles, the fastest debut of his career and a world lead.&ldquo;The weather is always good (in Eugene),&rdquo; said the defending Prefontaine Classic champion Martinot-Lagarde. &ldquo;There is a power here; you feel it when you warm up.&rdquo;&nbsp; Olympic champion Aries Merritt finished second in 13.12 and moved closer to the form that also took him to the world record in 2012.&nbsp;&nbsp; The final lap of the Bowerman Mile was extra thrilling because of the presence of local star Matthew Centrowitz.&nbsp; The crowd roared as he stalked Djibouti&rsquo;s Ayanleh Souleiman but the latter held his position over the final lap and broke the tape in 3:51.10.&nbsp; Centrowitz had the best IAAF Diamond League finish of his career to come home second in 3:51.20 and finish ahead of Kenya&rsquo;s world 1500m champion Asbel Kiprop. In the men&rsquo;s 3000m steeplechase, Ezekiel Kemboi and Jarius Birech both ran faster than the meeting record of 8:03.59.&nbsp; The two Kenyans were the only two remaining contenders at the final water jump. Kemboi emerged with a slight lead off the barrier and held it all the way to the finish, winning in 8:01.71 with Birech second in 8:01.83. The women&rsquo;s 800m saw another Kenyan win. Eunice Sum and USA&rsquo;s 2012 world junior champion Ajee Wilson came home clear of their rivals but Sum just held off the American and took the win, and the world lead, in 1:57.82. Wilson was just 0.2 away from her personal best in second place with 1:57.87.&nbsp;&nbsp; Jenny Simpson held true to her pre-race pledge to prioritise winning over fast times this year.&nbsp;&nbsp; The 2011 world champion ran 4:00.98 in the women&rsquo;s 1500m and beat a tough field that included Mercy Cherono, Sifan Hassan and Shannon Rowbury. &ldquo;There&rsquo;s not going to be a single race this year that&rsquo;s easy to win,&rdquo; said Simpson. &ldquo;It feels really good to start off with a win, to start with a good time. I don&rsquo;t think I&rsquo;ve ever run my first 15 (1500m) in four flat so that&rsquo;s really good.&rdquo;&nbsp; Kevin Sully for the IAAF

Mutaz Essa Barshim rekindled his Hayward Field magic and added to his growing resume in the high jump at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene, going over a meeting record of 2.41m on Saturday (30). 

Barshim soars, sprinters fly in Eugene – IAAF Diamond League

Expectations are high for US 800m star Ajee&rsquo; Wilson this summer and she will get a chance to impress in front of a home audience at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene on 30 May after the meeting organisers announced their women&rsquo;s 800m field on Wednesday (22).Wilson, who will turn all of 21 on 8 May, captured the&nbsp;US indoor and outdoor 800m titles last year.As a 19-year-old, Wilson was also a finalist at the 2013 IAAF World Championships in Moscow, where she set the US junior record of 1:58.21.&nbsp; Her international experience also includes gold medals at the 2012 IAAF World Junior Championships and 2011 IAAF World Youth Championships, and she is the only US athlete to win either title. &nbsp;Her domestic rivals include Brenda Martinez, who anchored the USA&rsquo;s winning 4x800m team at last year&rsquo;s inaugural IAAF World Relays, receiving the baton from Wilson before a 1:57.2 split to extend the lead over Kenya, which was anchored by world champion Eunice Sum.&nbsp; Martinez has some history of making history. At the 2013 World Championships she earned a bronze medal, the first world outdoor medal of any kind for a US woman in this event.&nbsp;Alysia Montano took a year off from racing in 2014. Well, almost as she was seven months pregnant when famously running a heat at last June&rsquo;s US Championships, giving birth to daughter Linnea on 15 August 15.&nbsp; However, the 2010 world indoor bronze medallist is keen to recapture her place among the top US runners over two laps of the track.Chanelle Price is the world indoor champion, becoming the first-ever US woman to win a major world title in this event.&nbsp; She is also the defending Pre Classic champ, and her memories of Hayward Field date back to a US junior title in 2009 as a University of Tennessee first-year student.&nbsp; The woman they will all be looking to beat is Eunice Sum, who has won the Diamond Race in this event for the past two years.&nbsp; She flirted with a sub-four in last year&rsquo;s Pre Classic 1500m, when she ran 4:01.54, but the world has seen her best fit in the 800m.&nbsp; In 2014, she won four straight IAAF Diamond League races and then claimed the African Championships and Commonwealth Games gold medals. Her compatriot Janeth Jepkosgei was the first Kenyan woman to win a global 800m title when she won at the 2007 World Championships. She also owns the fastest personal best in the field with 1:56.04.Three top-class Europeans add lustre to an incredible field worthy of an IAAF World Championships final, and each has set personal bests on a big stage.&nbsp; Lynsey Sharp of Great Britain was the 2012 European gold medallist but ran her best of 1:58.80 when earning silver at last year&rsquo;s continental championships.&nbsp; Marina Arzamasova of Belarus won the European title in Zurich last August, finishing in front of Sharp in 1:58.15 and Russia&rsquo;s Ekaterina Poistogova is the Olympic bronze medallist when she ran her best of 1:57.53.Organisers for the IAAF2015 IAAF Diamond League calendar Doha, QAT &ndash; 15 May Shanghai, CHN &ndash; 17 May Eugene, USA &ndash; 30 May Rome, ITA &ndash; 4 June Birmingham, GBR &ndash; 7 June Oslo, NOR &ndash; 11 June New York, USA &ndash; 13 June Paris, FRA &ndash; 4 July Lausanne, SUI &ndash; 9 July Monaco, MON &ndash; 17 July London, GBR &ndash; 24-25 July Stockholm, SWE &ndash; 30 July Zurich, SUI &ndash; 3 September Brussels, BEL &ndash; 11 September

Expectations are high for US 800m star Ajee’ Wilson this summer and she will get a chance to impress in front of a home audience at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Eugene on 30 May after the meeting organisers announced their women’s 800m field on Wednesday (22).