The IAAF Diamond League 2018 meet in Doha was the scene of eight best performances of the year and five meeting records. Five of the winners have confirmed their participation in the Monaco Herculis EBS meeting in July.
After being the first athlete announced last November, Mutaz Barshim kept his status as reigning World Champion to win the high jump ahead of his compatriots, and set the best world performance of the year with a jump of 2m40. Meanwhile, 800m Olympic and World Champion Caster Semenya triumphed at the top distance, beating South Africa’s 1500m record with 3:59.92, also the best performance of the year.
Freshly crowned world champion in pole vault, Sandi Morris will come to Monaco after breaking the Doha meeting record with 4m84. Holder of the record of the Diamond League with 5m00 during the final in Brussels in 2016, Morris will challenge the world champion Katerina Stefanidi already announced last November.
Finally, the winners of the sprint races in Qatar will be looking for valuable points in the finals race in Zurich and Brussels. Marie-José Ta Lou will return to the place of her victory last year on 200m, this time on 100m and as a world leader thanks to her victory in Doha in 10.85. Vice World Champion 100m and 200m last summer in London, Ta Lou will be keen to defend her Herculis EBS title.
Noah Lyles, meanwhile, will come for the first time to Monaco. Winner of the Diamond League in 2017 thanks to his victory in Brussels, he will arrive in the Principality after breaking the Doha meeting record and setting a new personal best in 19.83.