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Tribune News Network
Doha
The 2020 Wanda Doha Diamond League – the finale of athletics meeting series – will unfold with the participation of a large number of world and Olympic champions at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium track at Qatar Sports Club on Friday evening.
As many as 117 athletes and runners will be seen in action including 10 medalists from the last Olympic Games (Rio 2016) and 17 from the last IAAF World Athletics Championships (Doha 2019), competing in twelve events.
Qatar’s national team players Musab Abdul Rahman and Hamza Darwish will participate in the 1500-meter main race, while Mohammed Al Qarni and Yasser Baghrab will participate in the 1500m race (B). Abdulaziz Salem will participate in the 200m while Jamal Hairaine, the Asian champion, will take part in the 800m.
Assistant Meeting Director Khalid Al Marri at a press conference on Thursday said the championship this year will be without fans at the stadium due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, stressing the arrival of all athletes and champions who were keen to attend and participate confirms their great confidence in the State of Qatar in these exceptional circumstances that the whole world is going through.
Across a high quality program, event highlights are expected to include the men’s pole vault and 1500m, and the women’s 100m and 3000m.
Jamaica’s double Olympic champion (100 and 200m) Elaine Thompson-Herah was humility personified as she expressed her gratitude and relief at being able to race on the Wanda Diamond League circuit.
She raced fairly regularly in low-key competitions in Kingston throughout July and August and then made it to Rome last week, where she won the 100m in a world-leading 10.85.
“I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to race in Rome and Doha,” she said.
“I’d raced a few times in Jamaica but the level and intensity of competition wasn’t the same. I was a little bit surprised with my run in Rome because I hadn’t raced for a few weeks, but I knew I was capable of running fast because I’d put in the work.”
Although 2020 has been an unusual year in many ways, Thompson-Herah says her racing and training experiences haven’t changed too much.
“As a sprinter, you have to learn to block everything else out anyway, so I’ve got used to racing in a stadium without any fans,” she said. “Nothing much has changed with my training. My coach is a genius, though, so I just do what he tells me to do.”
In a year without any major international championships, world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri will experience the next-best thing when she takes to the start line for the 3000m.
“It’s going to be like a championship race,” she said when asked about the quality of the field.
In fact, it’s arguably a higher standard than a championship race, because it brings together medallists in four different events from last year’s World Championships and isn’t limited to just three athletes per nation as would be the case at most championships.
World steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech, world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi, world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop and world 1500m bronze medallist Gudaf Tsegay are just some of the other standout names set to take part.
But Obiri, who won over 5000m at last month’s Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, feels confident.
“I’ve trained well, and when I train well I have no doubts in a race,” said the world cross-country champion. “Whenever I line up for a race, I’m focused on doing my best. I don’t feel the pressure. Maybe I’ll do something special.
“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Doha,” she added. “In 2014 I set my PB over 3000m (8:20.68), and last year I won the World Championships here. I like racing here because it’s favourable to me.”
The men’s 1500m includes Olympic and world 3000mSC champion Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya), world silver medalists over 5000m (Selemon Barega) and 3000mSC (Lamecha Girma), both Ethiopia, and world 3000mSC bronze medalist Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco).
In total, six reigning world champions and three reigning Olympic champions are returning to Doha.
Fellow Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot also has fond memories of Doha as it’s where he won the world 1500m title in Doha last year. It’s also, however, the scene of his last defeat, in May 2019.
He has won 16 consecutive races since then, but tomorrow’s outing will be his first ever 800m race outside of Kenya.
“I chose to do the 800m here because I wanted to test my speed endurance,” he said. “All of my other races at 800m have been in Kenya, so I’m excited to do an 800m in the Diamond League. “I need to work on my speed endurance because it’s an important part of 1500m running. I know I have endurance but I’m lacking a bit in my finishing speed, so that’s what I want to work on.”
Al Marri welcomed all athletes wishing them a good stay and to provide the best performance and level in the tournament, expressing sincere gratitude and praise for their participation in the 2020 Wanda Doha Diamond League.
He affirmed that the Organizing Committee of the championship, headed by HE President of Qatar Athletics Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, provided all facilities and support to ensure the organization of a distinguished tournament round.
Al Marri thanked all sponsors and supporters of official and private bodies that provided support and assistance in order to achieve the desired success.
Ten Olympic medalists from Rio 2016 and 17 World Championship medalists from Doha 2019 will compete Friday at the Wanda Doha Diamond League.Wanda Doha Diamond League ProgrammeWanda Doha Diamond League Programme
(All finals)
100m Youth Men: 17:53hrs
400m Youth Men: 18:02hrs
800m Youth Men: 18:11hrs
Pole Vault Men: 18:18hrs
1500m Youth Men: 18:22hrs
200m Men: 18:33hrs
1500m Men ‘B’: 18:43hrs
400m Men: 19:03hrs
Long Jump Women: 19:08hrs
100m Hurdles Women: 19:12hrs
1500m Men: 19:21hrs
110m Hurdles Men: 19:34hrs
800m Women: 19:43hrs
100m Women: 19:56hrs
800m Men: 20:07hrs
3000m Women: 20:18hrs
Doha
The 2020 Wanda Doha Diamond League – the finale of athletics meeting series – will unfold with the participation of a large number of world and Olympic champions at Suheim Bin Hamad Stadium track at Qatar Sports Club on Friday evening.
As many as 117 athletes and runners will be seen in action including 10 medalists from the last Olympic Games (Rio 2016) and 17 from the last IAAF World Athletics Championships (Doha 2019), competing in twelve events.
Qatar’s national team players Musab Abdul Rahman and Hamza Darwish will participate in the 1500-meter main race, while Mohammed Al Qarni and Yasser Baghrab will participate in the 1500m race (B). Abdulaziz Salem will participate in the 200m while Jamal Hairaine, the Asian champion, will take part in the 800m.
Assistant Meeting Director Khalid Al Marri at a press conference on Thursday said the championship this year will be without fans at the stadium due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, stressing the arrival of all athletes and champions who were keen to attend and participate confirms their great confidence in the State of Qatar in these exceptional circumstances that the whole world is going through.
Across a high quality program, event highlights are expected to include the men’s pole vault and 1500m, and the women’s 100m and 3000m.
Jamaica’s double Olympic champion (100 and 200m) Elaine Thompson-Herah was humility personified as she expressed her gratitude and relief at being able to race on the Wanda Diamond League circuit.
She raced fairly regularly in low-key competitions in Kingston throughout July and August and then made it to Rome last week, where she won the 100m in a world-leading 10.85.
“I’m really grateful to have had the opportunity to race in Rome and Doha,” she said.
“I’d raced a few times in Jamaica but the level and intensity of competition wasn’t the same. I was a little bit surprised with my run in Rome because I hadn’t raced for a few weeks, but I knew I was capable of running fast because I’d put in the work.”
Although 2020 has been an unusual year in many ways, Thompson-Herah says her racing and training experiences haven’t changed too much.
“As a sprinter, you have to learn to block everything else out anyway, so I’ve got used to racing in a stadium without any fans,” she said. “Nothing much has changed with my training. My coach is a genius, though, so I just do what he tells me to do.”
In a year without any major international championships, world 5000m champion Hellen Obiri will experience the next-best thing when she takes to the start line for the 3000m.
“It’s going to be like a championship race,” she said when asked about the quality of the field.
In fact, it’s arguably a higher standard than a championship race, because it brings together medallists in four different events from last year’s World Championships and isn’t limited to just three athletes per nation as would be the case at most championships.
World steeplechase champion Beatrice Chepkoech, world 5000m silver medallist Margaret Chelimo Kipkemboi, world 10,000m bronze medallist Agnes Tirop and world 1500m bronze medallist Gudaf Tsegay are just some of the other standout names set to take part.
But Obiri, who won over 5000m at last month’s Wanda Diamond League meeting in Monaco, feels confident.
“I’ve trained well, and when I train well I have no doubts in a race,” said the world cross-country champion. “Whenever I line up for a race, I’m focused on doing my best. I don’t feel the pressure. Maybe I’ll do something special.
“I’ve always enjoyed racing in Doha,” she added. “In 2014 I set my PB over 3000m (8:20.68), and last year I won the World Championships here. I like racing here because it’s favourable to me.”
The men’s 1500m includes Olympic and world 3000mSC champion Conseslus Kipruto (Kenya), world silver medalists over 5000m (Selemon Barega) and 3000mSC (Lamecha Girma), both Ethiopia, and world 3000mSC bronze medalist Soufiane El Bakkali (Morocco).
In total, six reigning world champions and three reigning Olympic champions are returning to Doha.
Fellow Kenyan Timothy Cheruiyot also has fond memories of Doha as it’s where he won the world 1500m title in Doha last year. It’s also, however, the scene of his last defeat, in May 2019.
He has won 16 consecutive races since then, but tomorrow’s outing will be his first ever 800m race outside of Kenya.
“I chose to do the 800m here because I wanted to test my speed endurance,” he said. “All of my other races at 800m have been in Kenya, so I’m excited to do an 800m in the Diamond League. “I need to work on my speed endurance because it’s an important part of 1500m running. I know I have endurance but I’m lacking a bit in my finishing speed, so that’s what I want to work on.”
Al Marri welcomed all athletes wishing them a good stay and to provide the best performance and level in the tournament, expressing sincere gratitude and praise for their participation in the 2020 Wanda Doha Diamond League.
He affirmed that the Organizing Committee of the championship, headed by HE President of Qatar Athletics Federation and Chairman of the Organizing Committee Dr. Thani bin Abdulrahman Al Kuwari, provided all facilities and support to ensure the organization of a distinguished tournament round.
Al Marri thanked all sponsors and supporters of official and private bodies that provided support and assistance in order to achieve the desired success.
Ten Olympic medalists from Rio 2016 and 17 World Championship medalists from Doha 2019 will compete Friday at the Wanda Doha Diamond League.Wanda Doha Diamond League ProgrammeWanda Doha Diamond League Programme
(All finals)
100m Youth Men: 17:53hrs
400m Youth Men: 18:02hrs
800m Youth Men: 18:11hrs
Pole Vault Men: 18:18hrs
1500m Youth Men: 18:22hrs
200m Men: 18:33hrs
1500m Men ‘B’: 18:43hrs
400m Men: 19:03hrs
Long Jump Women: 19:08hrs
100m Hurdles Women: 19:12hrs
1500m Men: 19:21hrs
110m Hurdles Men: 19:34hrs
800m Women: 19:43hrs
100m Women: 19:56hrs
800m Men: 20:07hrs
3000m Women: 20:18hrs
