Monaco: Five things to look out for

"There is a beauty in what we are doing right now," declared Alison Dos Santos ahead of the Wanda Diamond League meeting in Paris last weekend when he was asked about the high level of competition in the 400m hurdles. Alongside Karsten Warholm and Rai Benjamin, the Brazilian has been one of three athletes who have revolutionised the 400m hurdles in recent years, pushing it to previously unimaginable heights as they attempt to outdo each other on the track. In Monaco, all three of them will go head to head for what promises to be a dry run for the Olympic final. For Benjamin, it is the first race in his Diamond League title defence. For Warholm, it is about getting revenge after his defeat to Dos Santos on home soil at the Oslo Diamond League earlier this summer. For Dos Santos, it is about notching up a fifth Diamond League win of the season. For all of them, it is a chance to cement their status as the man to beat at Paris 2024. 

While Lyles, Fred Kerley and co. shape up for another showdown in the men's sprints this summer, the women's 100m and 200m are also looking devilishly hard to call ahead of the Olympics. Nine 100m and 200m races in the Diamond League this season have produced seven different winners, with only Britain's Daryll Neita and double Diamond League champion Shericka Jackson managing to win more than once. The 100m in Monaco will feature three women who may fancy their chances of springing a surprise at the Olympics. Dina Asher-Smith won her first major title in five years at the European Championships earlier this year, Ivorian legend Marie-Josée Ta Lou is always a force to be reckoned with, and St. Lucia's world indor champion Julien Alfred is third on the world list this year after setting a new personal best of 10.78 in Kingston last month. 

Last summer, Katie Moon and Nina Kennedy made athletics history when they chose to share the gold medal after a dead heat in the women's pole vault final at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest. Both athletes later swore the decision was a one-off, and remained true to their word in the weeks that followed as Kennedy beat Moon at the Diamond League in Zurich before Moon claimed the series title outright in Eugene. Monaco will be the first time they have been reunited this season, and both women will be keen to get a first win under their belt ahead of the Olympics. Kennedy came second to Britain's Molly Caudery in her only Diamond League appearance of the season so far in Doha, while Moon suffered a similar fate against fellow American Emily Grove in Eugene. 

"This is my first Diamond League win, so I am stoked," declared a delighted Sasha Zhoya after his 110m hurdles victory in Paris last Sunday. As maiden wins go, it was a dramatic one, with Zhoya just edging past Trey Cunningham in a photo finish to deliver a home victory for an adoring French crowd. The 22-year-old will be hoping to repeat the feat on quasi-home turf in Monaco on Friday, though he arguably faces a far sterner test this time around. As well as Olympic and reigning Diamond League champion Hansle Parchment, he also faces world champion and former Diamond Trophy holder Grant Holloway. If ever there was a time to prove that you can beat the very best...

Sanghyeok Woo made history last season when he became the first South Korean ever to win the Wanda Diamond League title. The 28-year-old cleared 2.35m in Eugene to notch up only his second ever Diamond League win and pip traditional favourites such as Mutaz Essa Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi to the title. Woo returns to action in Monaco for what will be the first competition of his title defence, and goes up against a strong field which includes the likes of Juvaughn Harrison and Suzhou Diamond League winner Hamish Kerr.