As well as Farah, recently crowned world champions and reigning Olympic champions will be in attendance contesting sixteen Diamond League titles in the Letzigrund Stadium, with the remaining finals taking place in Brussels on September 1st.

Six-time world and four-time Olympic champion Farah will take on Ethiopia’s Muktar Edris in the 5000m final, a rematch between the 34-year-old and the man who beat him to gold at the World Championships in London.

World bronze medalist, Paul Chelimo of the USA, leads the challenging pack that includes the top six from London.

Farah, who won his last track race in the UK on Sunday at the 12th Diamond League meet of the season, will focus on road racing and the marathon following Thursday’s final.

Dafne Schippers and Elaine Thompson are joined by Shaunae Miller-Uibo in the 200m final. Schippers, who successfully defended her 200m world title, will hope to finish her season in style with a Diamond League trophy and the US$50,000 on offer to each winner.

However, Jamaica’s Olympic champion Thompson has a point to prove after a disappointing World Championships and comes into the final with a recent victory over 100m in Birmingham.

It will be an interesting final with 400m Olympic champion Miller-Uibo also among the field. The last time the three contested a 200m race Miller-Uibo was the winner.

The World and Olympic champion Caster Semenya goes for a twentieth straight 800m win, starting as the strong favourite in the 800m final. The challengers include world silver medallist Francine Niyonsaba and Margaret Wambui of Kenya.

Meanwhile, in the men’s 1500m final all podium placed athletes at the World Championships line up in the field. Kenya’s world champion Elijah Motonei Manangoi starts as favourite but faces compatriot Timothy Cheruiyot and Norway’s Filip Ingebrigtsen, who won silver and bronze respectively in London, while GB’s Jake Wightman also competes.

USA’s Emma Coburn, who impressively lead an American one-two in London, faces Olympic champion and world record holder Ruth Jebet of Kenya in the 3000m steeplechase final.

Justin Gatlin, the newly-crowned world champion aims for a fourth Diamond League title. The American will face Britain’s CJ Ujah and Adam Gemili, as well as Akani Simbine of South Africa and Jamaican Asafa Powell.

Steven Gardiner of the Bahamas and Isaac Makwala of Botswana lead the field in the men’s 400m final.

Norwegian star Karsten Warholm steps back on the track after his surprise 400m hurdles win at the World Championships.

He goes out hard and holds on for dear life.

Norway’s @kwarholm the dominant force in #IAAFworlds men’s 400m hurdles final. pic.twitter.com/WrKjbAbmj8

— IAAF (@iaaforg) August 9, 2017

Aiming to go one better than the 21-year-old in the 400m hurdles final is the Olympic champion Kerron Clement, and Turkey’s Yasmani Copello, with Britain’s Jack Green also featuring.

World champion Sally Pearson faces Dawn Harper Nelson and Sharika Nelvis and Britain’s Eilidh Doyle in the women’s 400m hurdles final.

Other British athletes in action include the world silver medallists Asha Philip, Desiree Henry, Dina Asher-Smith and Daryl Neita, reuniting to contest the Zurich trophy in the women’s 4x100m relay against strong American, Jamaican and German teams.

The javelin final sees a duel between Germany’s recent world champion Johannes Vetter and Olympic champion Thomas Rohler.

While in the women’s event, the world and Olympic champions also battle it out, Czech Barbora Spotakova and Croatia’s Sara Kolak. The same theme continues in the women’s shot put, with China’s world champion Gong Lijiao facing American and Olympic champion Michelle Carter.

Colombian Caterine Ibargüen has dominated in women’s triple jump in recent years, however she a new adversary in world champion Yulimar Rojas of Venezuela. The pair will battle it for the Diamond League triple jump title.

Newly-crowned world champions lead the way on in the men’s jumps. Luvo Manyonga of South Africa in the long jump, Qatar’s Mutaz Essa Barshim in the high jump, and Sam Kendricks of the US in the pole vault who will all aim to end their season’s with a Diamond League trophy.

The track and field action in Zurich begins a day earlier, with the women’s pole vault on Wednesday (August 23) evening at Zurich’s central train station.

Olympic and world champion Katerina Stefanidi will take in USA’s Sandi Morris and Robeilys Peinabdo in the non-Diamond League event.

The post Zurich hosts First Diamond League Final, With Mo Farah Facing Edris in Last Track Race appeared first on Fast Running.

35-year-old Gatlin came from behind to cross the line in 9.92, finishing ahead of compatriot Christian Coleman, with eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt finishing third.

Coleman shot out of the blocks, and looked the most likely to disrupt Bolt’s final individual race, but it was Gatlin who stormed up in lane seven to take the win in 9.92, a season’s best performance.

Coleman took the silver medal in 9.94, ahead of Bolt in 9.95.

It was the first time Bolt has failed to win gold in a 100m final at the World Championships or Olympic Games.

Bolt’s focus now turns to next weekend’s 4x100m relay race as he aims to bow out of athletics on a high with one final gold medal.

Gatlin said: “I tuned it out (booing from crowd) through the rounds and stayed the course. I did what I had to do. The people who love me are here cheering for me and cheering at home.

“It is Bolt’s last race. It is an amazing occasion. We are rivals on the track but in the warm-down area, we joke and have a good time. The first thing he did was congratulate me and say that I didn’t deserve the boos. He is an inspiration.”

Justin Gatlin knows #London2017 pic.twitter.com/hk0zzRkio7

— Eurosport UK (@Eurosport_UK) August 5, 2017

Speaking afterwards, Bolt said: “I didn’t execute when it mattered. I am not fully comfortable in those blocks but you have to work with what you have. I can’t complain about that.

“He’s a great competitor. You have to be at your best against him. I really appreciate competing against him and he is a good person.”

Rounding up the 100m, Jamaica’s Yohan Blake finished fourth, followed by South Africa’s Akani Simbine, Jimmy Vicaut of France, Great Britain’s Reece Prescod and Bingtian Su of China.

Also tonight in the London Stadium, world record holder Almaz Ayana ran away with the 10,000m gold. The Ethiopian Olympic champion finished an amazing 46 seconds ahead of compatriot Tirunesh Dibaba in 30:16.32. Kenya’s Agnes Tirop finished in third to take the bronze.

GB’s Beth Potter finished twenty-first in 32:15.88, Charlotte Taylor twenty-seventh in 32:51.33.

Laura Muir and Laura Weightman made it through to Sunday’s 1500m final after qualifying from their respective semi-finals. Muir looked in great form, finishing second behind Faith Kipyegon. Caster Semenya finished third, while Genzebe Dibaba finished sixth.

In a tough semi-final field, Weightman impressively finished fourth, behind first place Sifan Hassan, Meraf Bahta and USA’s Jenny Simpson.

South Africa’s Luvo Manyonga second-round leap of 8.48m secured the long jump gold. Compatriot Ruswahl Samaaiahead finished third, with USA’s Jarrion Lawson taking silver.

Discus gold went to Andrius Gudzius of Lithuania with a final round throw of 67.89m.

The post Justin Gatlin takes 100m gold at World Championships appeared first on Fast Running.

In total the twenty olympians, including 11 medalists from the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, will take to Thomas A. Robinson Stadium to represent the USA.

More than 500 athletes from 34 nations will compete on April 22-23, 2017.

The inaugural World Relays in 2014 welcomed 576 athletes, while 669 athletes competed in Nassau in 2015.

The 2017 IAAF World Relays will consist of five events over four relay disciplines: the 4x100m, 4x200m, 4x400m and 4x800m for both men and women, and a mixed 4x400m which will cap the competition’s second day.

The top eight finishers in the 4x100m and 4x400m for both men and women will earn automatic entry for the 2017 IAAF World Championships in London.

Returning from the 2014 and 2015 World Relays squads to fight for a third Golden Baton are Tianna Bartoletta, Natasha Hastings, Tony McQuay, LaShawn Merritt, Chanelle Price, Mike Rodgers, Shalonda Solomon, David Verburg and Isiah Young. All athletes named to Team USA are eligible to compete in any relay, regardless of pool listing below.

USA World Relay Teams

The post USA announce teams for World Relays, including 11 Rio Olympic medalists appeared first on Fast Running.