ZURICH – A stellar women’s 200m lineup headlines Weltklasse Zürich 2016 – IAAF Diamond League on Thursday.
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The world-class lineup includes Olympic champion Elaine Thompson of Jamaica, Diamond League leader and Olympic silver medallist Dafne Schippers from the Netherlands and USA’s Olympic 400m silver medal winner Allyson Felix.
Also facing the starter in the women’s half-lap on Thursday are Jamaica’s experienced sprinter and twice Olympic 200m champion Veronica Campbell-Brown, European champion Dina Asher-Smith of Great Britain and Trinidad and Tobago’s Michelle-Lee Ahye.
Thompson was excellent at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and enters the contest with a blistering season’s best of 21.78 seconds, with Schippers’ 21.88 secs being the only other sub-22 seconds seasonal bests in the starting lineup.
Felix, who owns a personal best of 21.69, has been bothered by a foot problem this season, but looked healthy during her impressive outings in three events at Rio 2016.
The American quickest time this season is 22.54, but she is expecting to improve on that on Thursday.
This lineup in Zürich is one many track and field supporters were hoping to see in Brazil last month, but will be delighted to see it happening on the circuit.
Jamaican champion Simone Facey and Swiss star Mujinga Kambundji will also occupy lanes in the event.
Meanwhile, Olympic men’s 110m hurdles gold medallist Omar McLeod will take on fellow countryman Asafa Powell in the men’s 100m dash.
McLeod, who also won the World Indoor 60m hurdles title earlier this year, has a personal best of 9.99secs, accomplished in Fayetteville, Arkansas, in his only race over the distant in 2016.
Former world record holder Powell, a member of the Jamaica 4x100m relay gold medal winning team at Rio 2016, comes in with a year best of 9.92secs.
The race for the Diamond League title will see leader Ben Youssef Meite (16) of the Ivory Coast and USA’s Mike Rodgers (13) hunting points.
Great Britain pair Adam Gemili and Chijindu Ujah, as well as veteran Kim Collins of Saint Kitts & Nevis are also in the lineup.
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