Dina Asher-Smith, Shericka Jackson and ShaCarri Richardson are among those in a red-hot womens 100m field in Qatar on Friday
The 2023 Wanda Diamond League season is ready to start with a bang on Friday (May 5) with strong line-ups at Doha, Qatar. These include a mouth-watering clash in the womens 100m.
Shericka Jackson, the world 200m champion from Jamaica, takes on former world 200m champion Dina Asher-Smith of Britain, plus Americans ShaCarri Richardson, Melissa Jefferson, Abby Steiner, Teahna Daniels and Twanisha Terry, while New Zealand record-holder Zoe Hobbs completes the field.
After starting my season with a few 400m races, Im excited to drop down in distance to race over 100m in Doha, said Jackson. I know Im in good shape after running my quickest 400m since 2019 this year, but now its time to sharpen up and run really fast.
Shericka Jackson (Getty)
Doha is the first of 14 Diamond League events this summer with the final over two days in Eugene on September 16-17.
Also in Doha the mens 200m sees Olympic champion Andre De Grasse of Canada taking on world 400m gold medallist Michael Norman plus fellow Americans Fred Kerley, the world 100m champion, and Kenny Bednarek, the Olympic and world 200m silver medallist.
Andre De Grasse wins gold (Getty)
In addition, the mens 200m includes Joseph Fahnbulleh, the NCAA champion over 100m and 200m and Liberian record-holder who finished fourth over 200m at the World Championships, together with Andrew Hudson of Jamaica, the NACAC champion.
There will be plenty of home interest in Doha, too, as three-time Diamond Trophy winner Mutaz Essa Barshim competes in the high jump.
Mutaz Essa Barshim (Mark Shearman)
Australias Nina Kennedy, the 2022 Diamond Trophy winner, is up against Olympic champion Katie Moon and fellow American Sandi Morris plus Britains Holly Bradshaw in the pole vault, Kenyas Faith Kipyegon headlines the womens 1500m and Moroccan steeplechaser Soufiane El Bakkali will be hoping to take his superb 2022 form into the new season.
El Bakkali isnt tackling the barriers in Doha, though. Instead he takes on a tough 3000m flat field that includes Ethiopians Berihu Aregawi, Lamecha Girma and Selemon Barega, plus former world 1500m champion Tim Cheruiyot of Kenya.
Lamecha Girma (Getty)
Having become the first Indian ever to win the Diamond Trophy last year, Neeraj Chopra will also be out for more Diamond League success in the mens javelin as he takes on world champion Anderson Peters of Grenada and Olympic silver medallist Jakub Vadlejch of the Czech Republic.
Kristjan Ceh of Slovenia and Daniel Stahl of Sweden are in a strong mens discus line-up that includes Brits Nick Percy and Lawrence Okoye.
Kristjan Ceh (Mark Shearman)
The full start lists are here.
Doha promises to be a great season opener as this meeting 12 months ago saw five world leads, two meeting records plus three area and national records.
READ MORE: Doha Diamond League 2022 coverage
Recent days have seen a spate of athlete announcements relating to events later this summer and here are some of the promised highlights at the Diamond League events that follow hot on the heels of Doha.
Rabat May 28
The Meeting International Mohammed VI will be the first chance for athletes to earn points in the mens 100m, womens 200m and womens 400m hurdles among other events. Kenyan sprinter Ferdinand Omanyala is among the early entries. It would also be a surprise if Olympic and world champion El Bakkali doesnt compete on home soil either.
Rome/Florence June 2
The Pietro Mennea Golden Gala returns to Florence with Femke Bol expected to compete in the 400m hurdles. There is also a great womens long jump showdown between Diamond Trophy winner Ivana Vuleta of Serbia, Olympic champion Malaika Mihambo of Germany, Ukraines Maryna Bekh-Romanchuk, Nigerias Ese Brume, Florence-born Italian star Larissa Iapichino and Britains European indoor champion Jazmin Sawyers.
Paris June 9
The French event is set to be invaded by many of Britains leading athletes with world champion Jake Wightman, Keely Hodgkinson and Asher-Smith among those heading to the city. The latter is set to run the 200m at this Meeting de Paris, while Wightman is due to run 800m alongside fellow Brit Max Burgin.
Pole vaulter Holly Bradshaw is also expected to be in action together with Eilish McColgan, assuming she has recovered from her recent injury problems.
French fans will also have plenty of local talent to cheer, with European 800m silver medallist Rénelle Lamote and world decathlon record-holder Kevin Mayer also on the entry lists.
Avec la crème des Anglais !
BIENVENUE au 𝗠𝗘𝗘𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗗𝗘 𝗣𝗔𝗥𝗜𝗦 Dina Asher-Smith (200 m), Jake Wightman (800 m) et Keely Hodgkinson (800 m) !
Venez les applaudir vendredi 9 juin au stade Charléty !
https://t.co/D5I0K0YaWJ#MeetingParis pic.twitter.com/Rl4MK72gQE
MEETING DE PARIS (@MEETINGPARIS) April 25, 2023
Oslo June 15
Pole vault world record holder Mondo Duplantis set to return to Oslo and South African star Wayde Van Niekerk set to make his Diamond League comeback in the 400m.
Oslo will also see Diamond Trophy winner Valarie Allman of the United States take on long-time Croatian rival Sandra Perkovic in the womens discus.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen has also signed up to several Diamond League events already including Oslo as he sets out to defend his Diamond Trophy.
Jakob Ingebrigtsen (Getty)
Lausanne June 30
The Athletissima is set to see Swiss stars such as Simon Ehammer and Mujinga Kambundji joined by a number of leading international athletes such as Dutch hurdles star Bol, Olympic 1500m champion Ingebrigtsen and world 5000m and 10,000m record-holder Joshua Cheptegei.
Femke Bol (Getty)
Stockholm July 2
Duplantis broke the world record here last year and hes set to return to this BAUHAUS-Galan meeting in 2023.
Mondo Duplantis (Getty)
Silesia July 16
The Kamila Skolimowska Memorial meeting returns to the Wanda Diamond League circuit this year, having become the first ever series meeting on Polish soil in 2022.
Duplantis will return in the mens pole vault, while Ingebrigtsen is due to run the mens 1500m. In the mens high jump, meanwhile, joint Olympic champions Barshim and Gianmarco Tamberi will go head to head.
Monaco July 21
Duplantis is in action again but watch out for the middle-distance track events too as they traditionally feature super-fast times at this Herculis meeting on the French Riviera. In total this event has been elected best meeting in the world seven times in its history. Last year for example Jake Wightman won the 1000m and Lizzie Bird set a UK 3000m steeplechase record.
London July 23
World-class athletics returns to the London Stadium with world and Olympic 800m silver medallist Hodgkinson set to race there for the first time and looking for a good run with the World Championships just weeks away. You can guarantee the event will be announcing more world-class names in coming weeks too.
Were excited to announce @keelyhodgkinson as the first athlete who will be competing in London on 23 July 2023!
Over 34,000 people are coming to watch her London debut and YOU could be there too
Get your tickets now #DiamondLeague @LondonStadium @Diamond_League
London Diamond League (@London_DL) April 27, 2023
Zurich August 31
After a mid-season break in the Diamond League to allow the staging of the World Championships in Budapest, the series returns with the Weltklasse in Switzerland. Taking place just days after the World Championships, you can guarantee there will be a number of rematches and revenge showdowns.
Shenzhen September 2
China has struggled to stage major events post-pandemic but this meeting will take place at the Baoan Stadium, a state-of-the-art arena which has previously hosted football at the 2011 Summer Universiade.
Brussels September 8
World record-holders Sydney McLaughlin-Levrone and Duplantis plus Ingebrigtsen and Yaroslava Mahuchikh have already committed to competing at the Allianz Memorial Van Damme meeting. There is also likely to be home interest with heptathlete Nafi Thiam and distance runner Bashir Abdi.
Eugene September 16-17
The Diamond League finals will be held on US soil for the first time. This season finale at Eugenes Prefontaine Classic will be the only meeting to stage every single Diamond discipline, with all 32 Wanda Diamond League champions to be crowned over the course of two days.