(MENAFN- The Peninsula) The Peninsula
Doha: The 2018 IAAF Diamond League series will kick off in Doha with unmissable action on May 4 at Qatar Sports Club as a multitude of global champions go head to head in the Women's Pole Vault and Men's Javelin.
Caster Semenya will be the headline name in the Women's 1,500m, fresh off her 2018 Commonwealth Games 800m/1,500m double in the Gold Coast, where she dominated both events.
Doha's large Greek community will have plenty to cheer for as reigning Olympic, World, European and Diamond League Champion, Katerina Stefanidi once again leads the field.
Stefanidi will face stiff competition from 2018 World Indoor Champion and Olympic and World silver medallist, Sandi Morris of the USA, recently crowned Commonwealth gold and silver medallists, Alysha Newman of Canada and Eliza McCartney of New Zealand respectively, 2017 World Championship bronze medallist and 2013 Under 18 World Champion, Robeilys Peinado of Venezuela, and 2013 European Indoor Champion and British record-holder Holly Bradshaw.
Stefanidi has dominated the pole vault for the past two years but it is Sandi Morris who has shown outstanding form already this year. In March, Morris broke Stefanidi's unbeaten streak of 19 straight victories that had lasted over a year when she won this year's World Indoor Championships in Birmingham with a championship record of 4.95m. Stefanidi finished in bronze position with a jump of 4.80m. Morris also has a superior personal best of 5.00m to Stefanidi's 4.91m, and is one of only three women to be a member of the exclusive 5 metre club. The first outdoor head to head of the 2018 season between the pair is set to be intriguing inside Qatar Sports Club on May 4.
Additional challenges will also come from Alysha Newman and Eliza McCartney on the back of a thrilling Commonwealth Games final on April 13th. Newman beat Olympic bronze medallist and favourite McCartney with a first-time clearance at 4.75m, after McCartney had been leading all the way until 4.70m. Both heights beat the previous Games record set in 2006.
Meanwhile, Robeilys Penado is arguably one of Pole Vault's biggest rising stars after the then 19-year-old became the youngest-ever pole vault medallist with bronze at last year's World Championships, and the first Venezuelan to win a medal at the event.
Another fascinating showdown will come in the Men's Javelin as reigning Olympic Champion Thomas Röhler of Germany goes up against all three medallists from London 2017, which includes World Champion and team-mate Johannes Vetter, world silver medallist and 2018 Diamond League Champion, Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic, and world bronze medallist and team-mate Petr Frydrych.
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