Sprint sensation Kerley, Norman set to clash with de Grasse in Doha

As the Wanda Diamond League (DL) 2023 series gets underway in Doha, Qatar on Friday 5 May, there no shortage of quality form the fields, with the men’s 200m promising to be a thriller.

Global champions from three different distances will meet in the middle in the men’s 200m, where the meeting record of 19.83 could be living on borrowed time.

Omanyala to battle ‘record hunting’ Lyles in Atlanta Games

World 100m champion Fred Kerley and world 400m champion Michael Norman will race over 200m in a field that includes Andre De Grasse, the Olympic champion at that distance.

Kerley has raced, and won, twice so far this year. He ran an incredibly easy looking 20.32 over 200m in Melbourne, then won over 400m in Sydney two weeks later with 44.65.

Norman, who is just as versatile as Kerley across the three sprint distances, opened his season last month with a wind-assisted 10.03 over 100m. De Grasse, meanwhile, clocked 20.41 for 200m in Gaborone last week.

Olympic silver medalist Kenny Bednarek, Canada’s world 4x100m champion Aaron Brown and world mixed 4x400m champion Alexander Ogando are some of the other sub-20-second performers in the line-up.

In the women’s sprints Shericka Jackson, Dina Asher-Smith and Sha’Carri Richardson have already made statements with their sprinting so far in 2023.

Stargirl Faith Kipyegon headlines loaded Diamond League meeting in Doha

World 100m silver medalist Jackson sped to a world-leading 10.82 in Kingston last month, just 0.11 shy of the PB she set last year. Asher-Smith enjoyed an undefeated indoor season earlier this year, reducing the British 60m record to 7.03. Richardson, meanwhile, breezed to a wind-assisted 10.57 clocking in Miramar a few weeks ago.

The talented trio will once again let their feet do the talking as they toe the line in Doha alongside US champion Melissa Jefferson, Oceania record-holder Zoe Hobbs and USA’s Abby Steiner.

World and Olympic silver medalist Rai Benjamin will be the overwhelming favourite in the men’s 400m hurdles. World bronze medalist Trevor Bassitt, France’s Wilfried Happio, USA’s Khallifah Rosser and South Africa’s Sokwakhana Zazini add further quality to the field.

In the women’s 100m hurdles, Olympic champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn takes on 2019 world champion Nia Ali, Olympic bronze medalist Megan Tapper, European indoor champion Reetta Hurske, and rising US duo Alaysha Johnson and Tonea Marshall.

One year after beating Olympic champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo in Doha, Dominican Republic’s Marileidy Paulino will aim to win again over 400m.

The world and Olympic silver medalist takes on world bronze medalist Sada Williams and fellow sub-50-second performers Candice McLeod, Natalia Kaczmarek and hurdles specialist Shamier Little.

Johnathan McKinstry: The gutsy Northern Irishman daring to return Gor Mahia to its glory days

Additional reporting by World Athletics