Top Five Events to Watch at the Paris Diamond League

Top Five Events to Watch at the Paris Diamond League

The Paris Diamond League will take place on Saturday, August 27, and it'll be a hot one--literally and figuratively. The forecast is showing mid-90s tempera

Aug 26, 2016 by Meg Bellino
Top Five Events to Watch at the Paris Diamond League
The Paris Diamond League will take place on Saturday, August 27, and it'll be a hot one--literally and figuratively. The forecast is showing mid-90s temperatures tomorrow, which are great for sprints, but maybe not so great for a world-record attempt in the women's steeplechase.

Follow along on FloTrack from 1:04PM to 2:51PM (CST) for live updates and results!

Here are the top five events to follow in Paris:

1. Women's Steeplechase


Who: Ruth Jebet, Hyvin Kiyeng, Emma Coburn
When: 1:40PM CST
Why: The top three ranked women in the world will meet again just one week after earning gold, silver and bronze in Rio. All eyes will be on the 2016 Olympic champion, Ruth Jebet, to see if she can run her third sub-9:00 steeplechase of the summer. But it'll be warm, and she said in the press conference she will NOT be aiming for the 8:58:81 world record.

However, Emma Coburn did say she wants to beat the women who finished ahead of her in Rio (Jebet, Hyvin Kiyeng) and lower her American record. Tune into the race at 1:40PM CST to see if Coburn can pull the upset over the Olympic gold medalist and make history once again.



2. Women's 1500m


Who: Faith Kipyegon, Jenny Simpson, Shannon Rowbury, Laura Muir 
When: 2:05PM CST
Why: The Jenny Simpson-Shannon Rowbury rivalry is a friendly, but fierce one. Simpson earned the Olympic bronze medal while Rowbury finished behind in a close fourth, but Rowbury holds the American record in a race that saw Simpson finish close behind.

They'll face Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon again, as well as Great Britain's Laura Muir, who closely tailed Kipyegon and Genzebe Dibaba in the Olympic final before fading to seventh.

FloTrack spoke with Jenny Simpson from Paris--watch part one of the interview below:


3. Men's 800m


Who: Taoufik Makhloufi, Pierre-Ambroise Bosse, Boris Berian
When: 1:25PM CST
Why: Boris Berian is going to try to improve from his eighth-place, 1:46 finish in Rio, and he will have the perfect field to do just that. 800m and 1500m Olympic silver medalist Taoufik Makhloufi and fourth-place finisher Pierre-Ambroise Bosse will be there, and if the pace is on a prescribed 49.50 through 400m, Berian could avenge his loss against those who beat him in Rio.


4. Women's 100m Hurdles


Who: Keni Harrison, Cindy Ofili, Jasmin Stowers, Sharika Nelvis
When: 2:20PM CST
Why: Because Keni Harrison said she thinks sub-12 is possible!!!!!!!!!




5. Men's 3000m


Who:
Paul Chelimo, Ryan Hill, and nine other Olympic finalists
When: 2:40PM CST
Why: Newly minted Olympic silver medalist Paul Chelimo and 2015 U.S. champion Ryan Hill will toe the line against nine Olympic finalists (from 1500m to 10K), including three medalists. 

-Hagos Gebrhiwet (bronze in 5K)
-Paul Tanui (silver in 10K)
-Mahiedine Mekhissi (bronze in steeplechase)
-Yoann Kowal (fifth in steeple)
-Abdelaati Iguider (fifth in 1500)
-Albert Rop (seventh in 5K)
-Ryan Gregson (ninth in 1500)
-Yemane Haileselassie (11th in steeple)
-Muktar Edris (DQ in 5K, *would have finished fifth)

Add in world indoor 3K champion Yomif Kejelcha, and we've got ourselves a potentially thrilling race. Gebrhiwet and Kejelcha are probably the favorites on paper, but Iguider's speed and endurance combo could prove lethal in this field.

Follow along on FloTrack from 1:04PM to 2:51PM (CST) for live updates and results!