Beatrice Chebet to battle Hassan, Tsegay as Chepkoech, Cheruiyot seek to stake claim in London DL

A huge showdown is expected in the 5000m women’s race in the London Diamond League set for Sunday afternoon as Kenya’s in form Beatrice Chebet is expected to collide against reigning Olympic champion Sifan Hassan and World champion Gudaf Tsegay in a highly billed clash.

As the last stop on the Wanda Diamond League before the World Athletics Championships Budapest 23, the three athletes are expected to test themselves before the global competition which takes place from 19-27 August in Hungary.

Following her well-timed triumph at the World Cross in February, Chebet, who is the reigning Commonwealth champion, heads into the race as one of the favourites after winning the 5000m at the Kip Keino Classic in May, the 3000m at the Bislett Games in Oslo in a world-leading 8:25.01, and the 5000m at the Bauhaus Galan in Stockholm in 14:36.52.

She will however face tough competition from Hassan who presents stiff challenge as the Dutch runner is undefeated across four distances this year, having won over 5000m in Portland last month, and prior to that winning both the 10,000m and 1500m on successive days at the FBK Games in early June.

Her last appearance in London was also a triumphant one, as she won the London Marathon in April on her debut at the distance, clocking 2:18:33.

Similarly, Tsegay is also undefeated this year. The Ethiopian enjoyed a stunning indoor campaign, clocking world-leading times at 1500m, 3000m and the mile. She has raced twice outdoors so far, winning the 1500m in Rabat in 3:54.03 and the 10,000m at Ethiopia’s World Trials in a PB of 29:29.73.

They aren’t the only global champions in the field, either. The line-up also includes four highly promising Ethiopians who have won medals at the World U20 Championships in recent years.

World U20 1500m champion Birke Haylom will be making her 5000m debut in London. The 17-year-old has shown incredible form at her specialist discipline this season, breaking Faith Kipyegon’s African U20 record with 3:54.93, and clocking a world U20 mile record of 4:17.13.

She will be joined by world U20 5000m champion Medina Eisa, 2021 world U20 5000m champion Mizan Alem, who clocked a 10,000m PB of 29:59.03 earlier this year, and triple world U20 medalist Melknat Wudu.

Other contenders include USA’s Alicia Monson, Norway’s Karoline Bjerkeli Grovdal and world steeplechase silver medallist Werkuha Getachew.

In the women’s 3000m steeplechase, world record-holder Beatrice Chepkoech faces fellow Kenyan Jackline Chepkoech. US champion Kristlin Gear and her compatriot Courtney Wayment are also in the field.

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The men’s 1500m features six men who have broken 3:30 this year, led by 2019 world champion Timothy Cheruiyot, US champion Yared Nuguse and Commonwealth champion Ollie Hoare.

In the sprints, World 200m champion Shericka Jackson and US champion Sha’Carri Richardson will lock horns over 100m for the third time this year.

They clashed in Doha at the start of the season with Richardson winning comfortably on that occasion, clocking 10.76 to Jackson’s 10.85.

But their race in Silesia last weekend was a lot closer; Richardson once again clocked 10.76, but this time she won by 0.02, passing her Jamaican rival just metres before the finish.

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Their career head-to-head record now stands at three wins apiece, so Sunday’s race will be something of a decider.

Marie-Josee Ta Lou will also be one to watch, having won in Oslo (10.75) and Lausanne (10.88) last month. US indoor champion Aleia Hobbs and British duo Dina Asher-Smith and Daryll Neita add further quality to the field.

Two-time world 200m champion Noah Lyles contests his specialist distance in London, looking to extend a winning streak that goes back to August 2021.

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He’ll take on world 100m leader Zharnel Hughes, who clocked a slightly wind-assisted 19.77 to win the British 200m title earlier this month, as well as Botswana’s Letsile Tobogo and Alexander Ogando of the Dominican Republic.

World record-holder Wayde van Niekerk will start as favourite for the men’s 400m. The South African appears to be approaching the kind of form that carried him to world and Olympic titles a few years ago.

He recently won in Silesia in 44.08, his fastest time since winning the 2017 world title on the same track he’ll be racing on this weekend. Bryce Deadmon, Vernon Norwood and Ryan Willie form a strong US challenge, while European champion Matt Hudson-Smith carries British hopes.

Additional reporting by World Athletics