26 May, 2016

Eugene: 5 things to look out for

The Diamond League hits the USA this weekend, with more valuable Diamond Race points up for grabs. As ever, we have a quickfire lowdown to get you in the mood for Eugene.

1. Taylor to take ten?

He may have won four Diamond Trophies, but Christian Taylor has only one once at the Prefontaine Classic since it became a Diamond League meeting in 2010. After last year's nailbiting duel with Pedro Pablo Pichardo saw him complete a quadruple of Diamond League titles, Taylor is going for the Big Five this year. A win in Eugene would give him a lead of at least eight points in the Diamond Race. A perfect reason to shine once again in the sun of Hayward Field.

2. Beitia to launch title defence

Ruth Beitia had to fight tooth and nail in a competitive Diamond Race campaign last year, but the experienced Spaniard came out on top to win her first ever Diamond Trophy. Beitia begins her title defence in Eugene, and will be looking to get early points on the board after missing Doha. Current Diamond Race leader Levern Spencer will also be jumping, and hoping to double her Diamond Race points tally to 20.

3. Terrific trio return

The women's 100m hurdles is the only Diamond Race which has yet to get underway in 2016. That will change on Saturday, as the top hurdlers battle it out for the first batch of Diamond Race points. Last year's competition went right down to the wire, with Jasmin Stowers, Dawn Harper Nelson and Sharika Nelvis all level on points and victories when the Brussels final came around. All three of them will be present again in Eugene, while the likes of Tiffany Porter and Brianna Rollins complete a star-studded field

4. Lavillenie playing catch-up

Renaud Lavillenie has never not won the Diamond Race. That is to say that he has claimed the Diamond Trophy in each of the six years since the tournament's inauguration. After Konstantinos Filippidis offered up a fierce challenge to his hegemony last year, however, Lavillenie must have known he had a fight on his hands to claim a seventh title this year. That was confirmed in Shanghai, when Sam Kendricks took a surprise win and an early Diamond Race lead. Lavillenie and Kendricks both return to action in Eugene, as do Filippidis and world champions Shawn Barber. This could be the most competitive pole vault Diamond Race ever.

5. Home heroes in the shot put

Both Joe Kovacs and Reese Hoffa know what it feels like to win the Diamond Trophy. For Kovacs, the memory is as fresh as a daisy, after he won a fearsome, season long duel with David Storl to win last year's title back in September. It crowned a fine 2015 for Kovacs, who is deservedly the favourite in the men's shot put Diamond Race this time around. He suffered an early setback in Shanghai, though, finishing just third as he launched his title defence.Alongside Hoffa, Jordan Clarke and Ryan Crouser, Kovacs forms part of a field packed full of American heroes as the shot put Diamond Race rumbles on in Eugene.