Rojas shocked Ibargüen in Rome earlier this season, becoming only the second person to defeat the Colombian in recent years. The Olympic Champion and Diamond Trophy holder will be looking to fight back in Monaco, though she will face tough competition not only from Rojas but also from Olga Rypakova. Monaco is only the third chance for the women’s triple jumpers to pick up Diamond League points, and Ibargüen will be after a first victory in her title defence this season.
The men’s javelin will also see the top three in the world in direct competition, as Germans Thomas Röhler, Johannes Vetter and Andreas Hoffmann face off at Herculis. Röhler’s 93.90m in Doha kickstarted an astonishing season, which now sees Vetter hold a world lead of 94.44m. While both of those two are already qualified for the Diamond League Final, this is the last chance for Hoffmann and Olympic silver medallist Julius Yego to secure a qualification spot.
In the men’s 3000m steeplechase, the likes of Conseslus Kipruto and Evan Jager also have one more chance to tie down their place in the Final. Olympic Champion and Diamond Trophy Holder Kipruto is all but there, but Jager is making his first Diamond League appearance at Herculis, and will need a strong finish if he is to earn qualification. That won’t be easy in a strong field which includes the likes of Benjamin Kiprop Kipruto and World Champion Ezekiel Kemboi.
Diamond Trophy holder Almaz Ayana will continue her title defence in the women’s 3000m, facing a tough field which includes 5000m Olympic silver medallist Hellen Obiri, 3000m indoor world record holder Laura Muir, and the Americans Molly Huddle and Shannon Rowbury.
In the women’s 800m, meanwhile, Olympic Champion and Diamond Trophy holder Caster Semenya will face the other two in the current top three: Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui. Those three have already qualified for the Final, but the likes of Sifan Hassan, Ajee Wilson and Charlene Lipsey have the chance to pick up valuable points at Herculis.
Perhaps most excitingly of all for the home fans, however, is the appearance of pole vault world record holder and seven time Diamond Trophy winner Renaud Lavillenie. Though he has already qualified for the Final, Lavillenie is yet to pick up a victory in the IAAF Diamond League this season, and will hope to do so against Thiago Braz, the Brazilian who beat him to Olympic gold last summer. Also present will be World Champion Shawn Barber and Pawel Wojciechowski, who jumped higher than Lavillenie in Lausanne, and is only a few points away from securing his place in the Final.