The 48th edition of the Allianz Memorial Van Damme, scheduled for Friday, September 13, and Saturday, September 14, at the King Baudouin Stadium in Brussels, Belgium, will be the grand finale of the Wanda Diamond League 2024 series. The programme features finals in 32 disciplines spread over two days for the first time in the meeting’s rich history.
Another feature is an extensive Paralympic programme featuring six disciplines and 20 Paralympic medallists. There will be complete equality in all Diamond League disciplines between men and women and between the various disciplines, including the prize money (equal prize money for female discus winner and male 100m winner).
Alfred vs. Richardson: The final showdown
Some must-see events include the women’s 100m featuring newly minted Olympic champion Julien Alfred facing off with the brash American speedster Sha’Carri Richardson, whom she humbled at the Paris Olympics. Richardson, who skipped the Paris press conference, will seek revenge in the final showdown with Alfred this season. Alfred, who also won the World Indoor 60m title early in the year, is looking to close out a successful season. “I just want to finish the season in a good way. For the same reason, I don’t worry about the time either.”
The men’s 100m will be missing a number of its stars, such as Olympic champion Noah Lyles and runner-up Kishane Thompson. Nevertheless, it should provide fireworks with American duo Fred Kerley, Christian Coleman, and Jamaica’s Ackeem Blake. Another Jamaican entrant, Rohan Watson, who edged the red-hot Letsile Tebogo by one point to qualify for the final, will hope to justify his inclusion in this stellar line-up.
Hudson-Smith hunting for glory
Great Britain’s Matthew Hudson-Smith has been in the form of his life. He lost the Olympic title by a whisker and aims to finish his season on a high. Zambia’s Muzala Samukonga is another athlete who has improved by leaps and bounds this season after claiming Olympic bronze. This has not gone unnoticed in his country, where he is now famous. Hudson-Smith, Samukonga and Grenada’s Kirani James should ensure that the meeting record of 44.03 seconds set in 2021 is in the departure lounge.
Tebogo to floor the accelerator.
All eyes will be on Botswanan star Letsile Tebogo in the men’s 200m final. The world leader with 19.46 seconds has promised to go full throttle in Brussels. The track has a reputation for being fast and is the venue for the second-fastest 200m (19.26) of all time set by Yohan Blake in 2011. Tebogo will have five Americans for company including the combative Kenneth Bednarek, Fred Kerley and Erriyon Knighton.
The women’s 100m hurdles should captivate the audience with red-hot world leader Jamaica’s Ackera Nugent matching strides with the equally impressive Jasmine Camcho-Quinn of Puerto Rico. Two-time world champion Danielle Williams and Grace Stark should provide lustre to this unpredictable event.
New champion to be crowned
Three-time world and Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion Karsten Warholm missed the 400m hurdles final after failing to accumulate enough points. Warholm got injured following his 100m face-off with Armand ‘Mondo’ Duplantis in Zurich, which forced him to withdraw from the meeting the following day. With Olympic champion Rai Benjamin also missing, this has opened the door for a new champion this season. Jamaica’s Roshawn Clarke, fresh from his season’s best 47.49 seconds, will carry that momentum into the final. He will face a stiff challenge from his teammate Malik James-King and the dangerous Brazilian and 2022 World Champion Alison dos Santos.
The women’s 400m hurdles will feature Dutch star Femke Bol, who will undoubtedly aim to close out her season on a high note. Olympic silver medallist Anna Cockrell will be her biggest threat and the vastly improved Shiann Salmon of Jamaica. Cockrell’s teammate Shamier Little is another quality participant who could shake up things in the home straight.
Pinnock and Tentoglou lock horns again.
Wayne Pinnock’s morale-boosting victory in the men’s long jump in Zurich over Miltiadis Tentoglou would have drawn considerable attention following the World and Olympic champion’s post-event comments. This is a mouth-watering face-off that should have the crowd truly engaged.
An additional 400m event is scheduled for Friday evening, which will signify the end of an era for one of Belgium’s greatest sons. It will serve as the final 400m race of Kevin Borlée’s illustrious career. On Saturday night, he and his twin brother Jonathan, who is also retiring, will be honoured.
Over 70,000 tickets have already been sold for both nights, breaking the Memorial’s ticket sales record and the previous Wanda Diamond League finals.