Eugene/Stanford: Five Questions

1. Kerley or Norman?

That appears to be the question in the men’s 400m this year, with Americans Fred Kerley and Michael Norman leading the charge for the Diamond Trophy. 

Of the two 400m races so far on the Road to the Final, Kerley and Norman have won one each. Diamond Trophy holder Kerley got his title defence off to a flying start in Shanghai, before Norman, who ran the fourth fastest time ever earlier this year, responded with a fine victory on his 400m Diamond League debut in Stockholm.

The two face each other for the first time this season in Stanford. In fact, they have not met since the US championships two years ago, when Kerley swept to the title. Norman has not lost a 400m race since then, but he may face his toughest test of 2019 on Sunday.

2. Who can catch Asher-Smith?

Great Britain’s Dina Asher-Smith narrowly missed out on the Diamond Trophy last season, but she has thrown down the gauntlet with aplomb in the 200m this year, taking two victories from the opening two meetings in Doha and Stockholm.

Whether she can extend that dominance over the course of the season remains to be seen, and a world-class field in Stanford will be the next big test. Dafne Schippers, who won the 200m in Oslo in Asher-Smith’s absence, lines up alongside Olympic Champion Elaine Thompson, who beat the Brit over 100m in Rome. 

As if the Schippers-Thompson axis wasn’t enough competition, Asher-Smith will also have to overcome home hero Jenna Prandini and an in-form Blessing Okagbare, while 400m Diamond Trophy holder Salwa Eid Naser may also be looking to stick her oar in. 

3. Will Renaud return with a bang?

Look down the standings in the men’s pole vault Road to the Final, and you will see some familiar names. Sam Kendricks has won all three meetings so far and has already booked his place in the Diamond League Final, as has Poland’s Piotr Lisek. Pawel Wojciechowski, Mondo Duplantis and Thiago Braz. But one big name is conspicuous by its absence. 

Seven-time Diamond Trophy winner Renaud Lavillenie is yet to appear on the circuit this year. The Frenchman suffered an injury in January, and only returned to action two weeks ago. 

He makes his first Diamond League appearance of 2019 in Stanford, and with the Road to the Final roaring on apace, he will be keen to get big points on the board and catapult himself into the running for a place in the final and a chance to make it a record-extending eight Diamond Trophies later this year. 

It will be no mean feat, however, with the likes of Kendricks, Braz and Duplantis all joining him on the Stanford start list. 

4. Can Dibaba do it over long distance?

Genzebe Dibaba has all but booked her place in the Diamond League Final in the women’s 1500m with victories in Rome and Rabat this month, but she still has some work to do to lock down her spot in the 3000m/5000m. 

Despite having enjoyed her finest Diamond League performance in the 1500m, when she broke the world record in Monaco in 2015, the longer distance remains the only discipline in which Ethiopian icon Dibaba has ever won the Diamond Trophy. 

That was a few years ago now, and in Stanford as on the Road to the Final in general, she will have to overcome some serious competition. Diamond Trophy holder Hellen Obiri, 2016 title winner Almaz Ayana and Dutch star Sifan Hassan are among those with realistic hopes of snagging maximum points on Sunday. 

5. Revenge for Walsh?

Diamond Trophy holder Tom Walsh admitted ahead of the season opener in Doha that he gets "angry" when he sees American rival Ryan Crouser in good form. 

Walsh went on to lose his showdown with Crouser in Doha, and will no doubt be hoping to return with a vengeance when he takes on the American in his own back yard on Sunday. 

The men’s shot put will not just be round two of Walsh v Crouser, however, with several other in-form big names gracing the field. Konrad Bukowiecki broke the meeting record with 21.97m in Rome earlier this month, while Darrell Hill was not far behind him with 21.71. Brazil’s Darlan Romani has also been a consistent performer with two third place finishes this year, and 2015 Diamond Trophy winner Joe Kovacs is always a force to be reckoned with.