1. Miller-Uibo fighting for 400m Final – 400m
Shaunae Miller-Uibo is the Diamond Trophy holder in both the 200m and the 400m. While she is on course for the 200m Final, things are a bit more critical over one lap, with the Bahamian sitting precariously in eighth place. Monaco will also be the last chance to pick up points, so a significant haul may be imperative if Miller-Uibo is to have a shot at defending her title in the 400m. With both Finals falling in Zürich this year, she may in any case have to choose between one or the other.
2. Shot among the yachts – Shot Put
The bumper weekend will actually kick off on Thursday evening, when the men’s and women’s shot put take place in Monaco’s Port Hercule. In the women’s event at 18.00 CEST, Christina Schwanitz will be looking to build on her victory in Rabat as she faces Diamond Trophy holder Lijiao Gong and current standings leader Raven Saunders. In the men’s shot, the likes of Ryan Crouser, Darrell Hill and Tom Walsh have already bagged their place in the Final, but David Storl and Tomas Stanek will be looking to do so with a strong performance in Monaco.
3. Tamberi returns to scene of heartbreak – High Jump
In 2016, Gianmarco Tamberi suffered the ultimate heartbreak in Monaco, when he picked up a freak injury which ruled him out of that summer’s Olympic Games. The charismatic high jumper showed immense character to fight back to top form last season. On Friday, he returns to Monaco, hoping to exorcise the demons of 2016 but also to pick up enough points to steal a place in the Top 12 and secure passage to the IAAF Diamond League Final.
4. Schippers up against the best at key moment – 100m
With 13 points so far, Dafne Schippers is a whisker away from booking her spot in the 100m Final, and a chance to win the 100m Diamond Trophy for the first time. Monaco is the last chance to pick up points, and Schippers needs to do so against a hugely tough field, with the likes of Murielle Ahouré, Marie-Josée Ta Lou, Blessing Okagbare-Ighoteguonor and long-time rival Elaine Thompson also competing at Herculis. A handful of points may be enough to see Schippers over the line, but with the likes of Jenna Prandini and Mujinga Kambundji still able to overtake her in the standings, the Dutchwoman knows that she needs a strong performance to reach the Final.
5. Jager and Kipruto target Final – 3000m Steeplechase
After his victory in Rabat, Benjamin Kigen is the only man to have secured his Final spot in the men’s 3000m steeplechase. With just five points separating second and twelfth places, it remains an extremely open fight for the remaining spots. For some big names, such as Diamond Trophy holder Conseslus Kipruto and the USA’s Evan Jager, anything less than qualification for the Final would be a failure, and Monaco is the chance to pick up enough points and make sure that they can compete with Kigen for the Diamond Trophy in Zürich next month.