With the Olympic Games just three weeks away, several top medal contenders are set to clash at the Monaco Diamond League Meeting Herculis, the penultimate meet before the Paris event.
Among the elite athletes, Jamaica’s national 400-metre hurdles champion, Malik James-King, will face three Olympic medal favorites’ in an event featuring the top five-ranked athletes of the season.
Ranked fifth globally with a time of 47.42 seconds, James-King is looking to deliver a standout performance following his third-place finish at the Paris Diamond League. This meet marks the first encounter of the season between all three medal contenders, including Rai Benjamin of the United States, who holds a season-best of 46.46 seconds and is the Budapest World Athletics Championships bronze medalist.
Alison Dos Santos of Brazil, the winner in Paris with a season-best of 46.63 seconds, and world record holder Karsten Warholm of Norway, with a season-best of 46.70 seconds, are the other top competitors James-King will face. The line-up also includes fourth-ranked Caleb Alden of the United States, with a best of 47.23 seconds, and his compatriot CJ Allen, who clocked 47.81 seconds at the US Trials.
Parchment vs Halloway in 110m hurdles
Jamaica’s Hansle Parchment will compete against Grant Holloway of the United States in the men’s 110-metre hurdles. Holloway, the world champion, is the fastest this season with a time of 12.86 seconds. Parchment, despite a season-best of 13.19 seconds, is a formidable challenger. The race will also feature Shunsuke Izumiya of Japan (13.16), Sasha Zhoya of France (13.15), and Cordell Tinch of the United States (13.03), making for an exciting contest.
Deandre Watkin, following his upset win at the JAAA/PUMA Junior and Senior National Championships, will make his Diamond League debut in the men’s 400 meters. With a personal best of 44.48 seconds, Watkin will compete against world leader Christopher Morales-Williams of Canada (44.05), Bayapo Ndori of Botswana (44.10), Quincy Hall of the United States (44.17), and Michael Norman (44.21).
National triple jump champion Shanieka Ricketts is the lone Jamaican woman at the meet. Ricketts, who has a season’s best of 14.58 meters, will aim for a significant performance in a wide-open competition following the absence of Venezuela’s Yulimar Rojas. Ricketts will face rivals such as Thea LaFond of Dominica (15.01), Leyanis Perez Hernandez of Cuba (14.90), Liadagmis Povea of Cuba (14.73), and Ana Peleteiro-Compaoré of Spain (14.85).
As the countdown to the Olympics continues, the Monaco Diamond League Meeting Herculis will serve as a critical test for these athletes, setting the stage for what promises to be an exhilarating competition in Paris.
