Diamond League: Chepkoech, Chemutai renew rivalry as Kipyegon faces Muir in Eugene

Olympics 3000m steeplechase champion Uganda's Peruth Chemutai will be in action at the Prefontaine Classic in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday 28 May where she is expected to renew rivalry with World-record holder Beatrice Chepkoech. 

The two will face-off with American Emma Coburn, the 2017 world champion who will be racing in her first event since the Olympic final, where she fell over a barrier while out of contention on the final lap, crossed the finish line 14th and was later disqualified for stepping off the track amid the stumble. 

Also on the field is American Courtney Frerichs, the Olympic silver medalist who lowered her American record at Prefontaine event last year. This is also her first steeple since last summer.

Diamond League: Kipsang to face Ingebrigtsen, Cheruiyot in Prefontaine

Chepkoech, who finished seventh at the Olympics, is back at her specialist distance after clocking 8:50.74 to finish 12 at the Doha DL 3000m. 

Meanwhile, two-time Olympics 1500m champion Faith Kipyegon will take on long-time rivals Laura Muir and Gudaf Tsegay in her season debut at her specialist distance. 

The 28-year-old Kenyan has not been beaten over 1500m since getting outbattled by Sifan Hassan in Rome last June, but she reversed that result emphatically in the Olympic final. 

Muir was impressive when kicking away to win in Birmingham in a modest 4:02.81 while Tsegay, the world record-holder indoors at 1500m, has not raced since winning the world indoor title in March.

Elsewhere on Friday, the women’s two miles should throw up a riveting duel between Hassan of the Netherlands and Francine Niyonsaba of Burundi. 

Hassan, the Olympic champion at 5000m and 10,000m, has not raced since last September so her form is a mystery, though she will have to be near her best to repel Niyonsaba, who edged two-time Olympic 1500m champion Kipyegon to victory over 3000m in Doha recently, clocking 8:37.70.

Additional information by World Athletics