Sandra Perkovic, winner of the discus at the IAAF Diamond League meeting in Paris (© Jiro Mochizuki)
The curtain may have fallen on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, but athletics action will continue with the IAAF Diamond League circuit, which includes the Meeting de Paris on 27 August.
Eight Olympic champions crowned in Rio de Janeiro have confirmed their presence at the Meeting de Paris: US 400m hurdler Kerron Clement, US shot putter Ryan Crouser, Jamaican sprinter Elaine Thompson, US sprint hurdler Brianna Rollins, Kenyan 1500m runner Faith Kipyegon, US long jumper Tianna Bartoletta, Bahraini steeplechaser Ruth Jebet and Croatian discus thrower Sandra Perkovic will all be in action at the Stade de France.
But they will be up against a host of athletes who will be trying to steal the thunder of the Olympic champions as they seek revenge.
Crouser, who set an Olympic record of 22.52m to win the shot put in Rio, will be up against the two other medallists from the competition, compatriot Joe Kovacs and New Zealand’s Tomas Walsh.
There will also be the full set of medallists in the women’s 3000m steeplechase and discus. Jebet will take on Hyvin Kiyeng and Emma Coburn in the steeplechase, while Sandra Perkovic faces Melina Robert-Michon and Denia Caballero in the discus.
The women’s 100m hurdles looks to be one of the best events of the evening as world record-holder Kendra Harrison faces the three Olympic medallists: Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin.
Three of France’s six Olympic medallists will compete at the Meeting de Paris.
Olympic 200m bronze medallist Christophe Lemaitre will contest the shorter distance of 100m, where he will face European record-holder Jimmy Vicaut.
Olympic pole vault silver medallist Renaud Lavillenie will take on USA’s Olympic bronze medallist Sam Kendricks, while Olympic silver medallist Melina Robert-Michon is set to compete in the discus.
Organisers for the IAAF
2016 IAAF Diamond League calendar
6 May – Doha, QAT
14 May – Shanghai, CHN
22 May – Rabat, MAR
28 May – Eugene, USA
2 Jun – Rome, ITA
5 Jun – Birmingham, GBR
9 Jun – Oslo, NOR
16 Jun – Stockholm, SWE
15 Jul – Monaco, MON
22-23 Jul – London, GBR
25 Aug – Lausanne, SUI
27 Aug – Paris, FRA
1 Sep – Zurich, SUI
9 Sep – Brussels, BEL
