There are many great races in Brussels, I'm looking forward to this classic meet.
***********************************************
Rudisha-Kaki head to head one of 16 sparkling Diamond Race finale clashes in Brussels – PREVIEW – Samsung Diamond League
David Rudisha on his way to breaking Sebastian Coe's stadium record in the 800m in the Oslo Diamond League(Mark Shearman)
relnews
Brussels, Belgium – David Rudisha’s return to the track after his stunning 800m World record and another 100m outing by red-hot Tyson Gay will be just two of the eagerly anticipated highlights at the Belgacom Memorial Van Damme on Friday (27) as the curtain will be drawn on the inaugural Samsung Diamond League season in Brussels.
The Koning Boudewijn Stadium will provide the setting in which 16 more Diamond Race winners will receive their trophies before yet another sell-out crowd of 47,000 – the norm since the meeting’s first edition and the 13th consecutive capacity crowd since the stadium’s current configuration. The unseasonably wet and cool conditions in the forecast for the Belgian capital may not be ideal for some of the athletes’ ambitions, but that will hardly put a damper on what promises to be a fiercely competitive programme across the board. As Meeting Director Wilfried Meert notes, “The athletes say they always get a big boost from the crowd and the atmosphere, and that they can easily forget that it’s cold or wet.”
After displaying their dominance and endurance since the 14-meeting series opened in Doha on 14 May, no less than eight athletes will arrive in the Belgian capital with insurmountable leads* in their respective Diamond Races. But with double points on offer at this second of two Diamond League finals – the first was at the Weltklasse Zurich last week Thursday (18) – several of the battles for the dazzling Diamond Race Trophy and $40,000 cash prize will come down to the proverbial wire.
Event winners in Brussels will add eight points to their season-long tallies, with four points rewarded for second place, and two for third. In mathematical terms, six of the 16 event titles up for grabs in Brussels are yet to be determined.
Rudisha’s WR follow-up
One of those Diamond Race titles still up for grabs is the men’s 800m, where David Rudisha arrives with a six point lead over arch rival Abubaker Kaki. But there can’t be too many who would bet against the 21-year-old Kenyan sensation winning the Diamond Race less than a week after he became the fastest man ever over the distance.
Rudisha, the African champion who has significantly rewritten the event’s all-time list this season, broke Wilson Kipketer’s 13-year-old World record in Berlin last Sunday where he clocked a jaw-dropping 1:41.09, eclipsing the legendary Kenyan-born Dane’s mark by 0.02. Rudisha’s unbeaten in nine starts over the distance this season, has the year’s three fastest performances and seven of the quickest nine. But the race will hardly be a post-World record celebration for Rudisha, who bagged one of the first big meet victories of his career here in 2007 as a relatively unknown 18-year-old.
Kaki, Sudan’s two-time World indoor champion, will ensure that Rudisha has the swiftest of company on Friday evening when the pair square off for the second time this year. The duo were the key players in the Oslo 800m in June, one of the season’s most thrilling and memorable races, where Rudisha edged Kaki 1:42.04 to 1:42.23. Kaki’s run, the fastest-ever non-winning performance, moved him up to the No. 5 spot all-time. Notable footnote: To date the pair have met seven times head-to-head, with Kaki carrying a significant 5-2 advantage.
*from IAAF.
The Koning Boudewijn Stadium will provide the setting in which 16 more Diamond Race winners will receive their trophies before yet another sell-out crowd of 47,000 – the norm since the meeting’s first edition and the 13th consecutive capacity crowd since the stadium’s current configuration. The unseasonably wet and cool conditions in the forecast for the Belgian capital may not be ideal for some of the athletes’ ambitions, but that will hardly put a damper on what promises to be a fiercely competitive programme across the board. As Meeting Director Wilfried Meert notes, “The athletes say they always get a big boost from the crowd and the atmosphere, and that they can easily forget that it’s cold or wet.”
After displaying their dominance and endurance since the 14-meeting series opened in Doha on 14 May, no less than eight athletes will arrive in the Belgian capital with insurmountable leads* in their respective Diamond Races. But with double points on offer at this second of two Diamond League finals – the first was at the Weltklasse Zurich last week Thursday (18) – several of the battles for the dazzling Diamond Race Trophy and $40,000 cash prize will come down to the proverbial wire.
Event winners in Brussels will add eight points to their season-long tallies, with four points rewarded for second place, and two for third. In mathematical terms, six of the 16 event titles up for grabs in Brussels are yet to be determined.
Rudisha’s WR follow-up
One of those Diamond Race titles still up for grabs is the men’s 800m, where David Rudisha arrives with a six point lead over arch rival Abubaker Kaki. But there can’t be too many who would bet against the 21-year-old Kenyan sensation winning the Diamond Race less than a week after he became the fastest man ever over the distance.
Rudisha, the African champion who has significantly rewritten the event’s all-time list this season, broke Wilson Kipketer’s 13-year-old World record in Berlin last Sunday where he clocked a jaw-dropping 1:41.09, eclipsing the legendary Kenyan-born Dane’s mark by 0.02. Rudisha’s unbeaten in nine starts over the distance this season, has the year’s three fastest performances and seven of the quickest nine. But the race will hardly be a post-World record celebration for Rudisha, who bagged one of the first big meet victories of his career here in 2007 as a relatively unknown 18-year-old.
Kaki, Sudan’s two-time World indoor champion, will ensure that Rudisha has the swiftest of company on Friday evening when the pair square off for the second time this year. The duo were the key players in the Oslo 800m in June, one of the season’s most thrilling and memorable races, where Rudisha edged Kaki 1:42.04 to 1:42.23. Kaki’s run, the fastest-ever non-winning performance, moved him up to the No. 5 spot all-time. Notable footnote: To date the pair have met seven times head-to-head, with Kaki carrying a significant 5-2 advantage.
*from IAAF.
Congratulations to Molly Huddle on setting an American Record in the 5,000m in 14:44.76 at today's Diamond League Meet in Brussels!
ReplyDeleteRudisha (1:43.50)over Kaki (1:43.84). In the women's 800M Jepkosgei over Savinova, Semenya finishes third.