Sha’Carri Richardson and Christian Coleman, both reigning champions in the world of track and field, are gearing up to showcase their speed at the Prefontaine Classic, a highly anticipated event within the Wanda Diamond League series. Scheduled for Saturday, May 25th, in Eugene, this event promises a thrilling competition.
Richardson made headlines with her remarkable performance at last year’s World Championships in Budapest, where she blazed to victory in the 100m event, clocking a personal best time of 10.65 seconds, which also matched the championship record. Adding to her achievements, she played a pivotal role in securing gold for the USA in the 4x100m relay.
Facing stiff competition, Richardson will go head-to-head with Julien Alfred from St Lucia, the reigning world indoor 60m champion, and Marie-Josee Ta Lou from the Ivory Coast, who holds the African record.
On the men’s side, Christian Coleman, the reigning Diamond Trophy holder for the 100m event, will be among the contenders. Coleman’s impressive performance last year, where he equaled the world lead with a time of 9.83 seconds, solidified his status as a top sprinter. Joining him will be Ferdinand Omanyala from Kenya, holder of the African record, and Ackeem Blake from Jamaica, who secured bronze in the world indoor 60m.
The men’s 200m race promises to be equally thrilling, with Erriyon Knighton, Letsile Tebogo, and Kenny Bednarek all set to compete.
Knighton, already a silver medalist in the event at last year’s World Championships, has demonstrated exceptional talent with a lifetime best of 19.49 seconds, achieved before his twentieth birthday.
Tebogo of Botswana has also shown promise, securing consecutive world U20 titles in the 100m and delivering strong performances in the 100m and 200m events at last year’s World Championships. His personal best time of 19.50 seconds puts him in contention with Knighton.
Bednarek, known for his versatility, earned silver at the Olympics in 2021 and replicated that success with another silver at the World Championships in 2022. His ability to excel across various distances sets him apart, as he is among the select few to have broken the 10-second barrier in the 100m, the 20-second mark in the 200m, and the 45-second threshold in the 400m.
