The women’s 200m is among the top sprint events for this year’s Golden Gala, the fourth stop in IAAF Diamond League Series in Rome, Italy, on May 31.
The top favourites are Jamaican Shericka Jackson, the Commonwealth Games silver medallist, and Diamond League winner in the 100m Marie-Josee Talou.
Americans Joanna Atkins, Felicia Brown and Kyra Jefferson will also face the starter in the event.
Jamaican Janieve Russell, again face-off with American Dalilah Muhammad, over 400m hurdles. Muhammad won in Shanghai while Russell topped the field in Eugene.
Megan Tapper and Danielle Williams, the 2015 world champion, are the Jamaicans in the women’s 100m hurdles. Americans Dawn Harper-Nelson, Brianna McNeal, Sharika Nelvis and Jasmin Stowers are also listed for the event.
Dacres, McPherson and Gayle also in Golden Gala
Other Jamaicans down to take part are Fedrick Dacres in the men’s discus, Stephenie-Ann McPherson in the women’s 400m and Tajay Gayle in the men’s long jump.
The hottest of the clashes, however, could be the men’s 100m with Americans Ronnie Baker and Christian Coleman. Baker won at last weekend’s Pre Classic.
Mike Rodgers and Isiah Young, both American sprinters, will add depth to the field.
Also in the field will be European stars Jimmy Vicaut and Ramil Guliyev, along with two recently improved Italians Filippo Tortu and Lamont Marcel Jacobs.
Commonwealth Champion Akani Simbine, the South African dark horse, could spoil the party.
Another highlight will be men’s 400m hurdles with World leader Abderrahmane Samba of Qatar against World champion Karsten Warholm, who will run his first hurdles race of the year.
World bronze medalist Abdelilah Haroun of Qatar is the favourite for the 400m. He faces Spain´s Oscar Husillos, who is making his season debut.
Fred Kerley leads the US group and Matthew Hudson-Smith is the European leader of 2018.
See preliminary start list here
