As the Paris 2024 Olympic Games approach, the Herculis EBS meeting in Monaco on Friday (12) promises an exciting showcase of elite athletic talent. This penultimate event of the Wanda Diamond League is set to feature numerous global champions and world record-holders, creating a buzz ahead of the Olympics.
In the men’s 400m hurdles, a thrilling showdown is anticipated between the top three athletes on the world all-time list: Norway’s world record-holder Karsten Warholm, USA’s Rai Benjamin, and Brazil’s Alison dos Santos. This will be their first meeting since the Diamond League final in Eugene last year, where Benjamin emerged victorious with a time of 46.39 seconds. Warholm, the reigning Olympic and world champion, set a meeting record of 46.51 seconds in Monaco last year. Dos Santos, the 2022 world champion, remains unbeaten in 2023, securing victories across several Diamond League events. Benjamin, the Olympic silver medallist, will make his first Diamond League appearance this year after notable wins in Los Angeles and the US Olympic trials.
Monaco’s reputation as a middle-distance hub continues in the men’s 800m. While Kenya’s Emmanuel Wanyonyi, who recently ran 1:41.58 in Paris, will not be competing, the field remains strong with Algeria’s Djamel Sedjati and France’s Gabriel Tual, both of whom recorded historic times in Paris. They will be joined by Canada’s Marco Arop, who won world gold in Budapest last year and has since triumphed at the Diamond League meeting in Xiamen and the Canadian Championships. Other notable competitors include world bronze medallist Ben Pattison, France’s Benjamin Robert, and Sweden’s Andreas Kramer, who set a national record in Paris.
Australia’s Jessica Hull, fresh off an Oceanian 1500m record of 3:50.83 in Paris, will compete in the 2000m against a formidable lineup including Ethiopia’s Axumawit Embaye, Kenya’s Edinah Jebitok, and Ireland’s Ciara Mageean, who set an Irish record in Monaco last year.
Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigtsen will look for a strong performance in the men’s 1500m as he prepares for Paris. Following his impressive victories in the 1500m and 5000m at the European and Norwegian Championships, Ingebrigtsen won the 1500m in Oslo with a world-leading 3:29.74. He will face off again with Kenya’s Olympic silver medallist Timothy Cheruiyot and France’s Azeddine Habz, alongside USA’s Yared Nuguse, Norway’s Narve Gilje Nordas, and Netherlands’ Niels Laros, who recently set a world U20 1000m record.
The women’s 5000m features Ethiopia’s Tsigie Gebreselama, who won in Eugene with a world-leading 14:18.76, competing against compatriots Marta Alemayo, Likina Amebaw, and Aynadis Mebratu. Italian record-holder Nadia Battocletti, who won the European title, will also be in the mix.
The Herculis EBS meeting in Monaco promises to be a thrilling preview of the athletic excellence we can expect at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, with the world’s best athletes set to deliver unforgettable performances.
