Letsile Tebogo and Masai Russell (Images: All via getty)

Rome Diamond League 2024: Top athletes to watch out for ft. Letsile Tebogo and Masai Russell

Modified Aug 28, 2024 15:52 GMT

The Rome Diamond League 2024 is all set to take place on August 30 (Friday) at the Olympic Stadium. The event will be the 13th Diamond League meeting of the season and will feature numerous Paris Olympic medalists.

The Men's 100m run at the 2024 Rome Diamond League meet will be the most interesting event to watch out for, as the line-up is full of stars. Several formidable athletes, such as Kishane Thompson, Letsile Tebogo, and Fred Kerley, will be competing in the event.

Besides, Italy's hometown boy Marcell Jacobs and three-time World Championships gold medalist Christian Coleman will also provide tough impetus in the competition. Other formidable athletes to feature in the event include Vernon Norwood, Brittany Brown, Anavia Battle, etc.

On this note, let's explore the top athletes to watch out for at the upcoming Diamond League meeting in Rome.

Rome Diamond League 2024: Athletes to keep an eye on

#5. Letsile Tebogo

Following impressive performances in Lausanne and Silesia, the reigning 200m Olympic champion, Letsile Tebogo, is all set to feature in the Rome Diamond League meet on Friday. The Botswana sprinter will compete in the Men's 100m event along with other potent athletes such as Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley.

Tebogo is going through a purple patch in the 200m event and has also produced solid performances in the 100m events. He recently secured podium finishes at the London Diamond League (third) and USATF Los Angeles Grand Prix (second) in the 100-meter event. He will be aiming to maintain this momentum and continue his success at the upcoming event in the Italian capital.

#4. Masai Russell

After a forgetful fifth-place finish at the Silesia Diamond League, the Women's 100m Hurdles Olympic gold medalist, Masai Russell, will look to regain her form and get her season back on track at the Rome Diamond League.

With a personal best of 12.25 seconds, Russell will surely start the event as one of the favorites. However, she will face stiff competition from seasoned rivals such as Cyrena Samba-Mayela, the silver medalist at the Paris Olympics, and Nadine Visser.

#3. Kishane Thompson

Kishane Thompson will be making a comeback to the track after a successful 2024 Paris Olympics campaign that saw him clinch the silver medal in the Men's 100m event. This will also be the Jamaican's first Diamond League event of this season, and he will be looking to make a statement.

#2. Fred Kerley

2024 Paris Olympics bronze medalist Fred Kerley will also be one of the top athletes to watch out for in the upcoming Rome Diamond League meet. The Texas native has been in good form ever since his third-place finish at the French capital (100m) and has clinched back-to-back podium finishes at the Lausanne (200m) and Silesia (100m) Diamond League meetings.

#1. Christian Coleman

The reigning 100-meter Diamond League champion, Christian Coleman, will compete in the Men’s 100-meter event at the upcoming Diamond League meet. This will be the Georgia native’s first tournament since a disappointing show at the Paris Olympics 2024, where he failed to win a medal as part of the U.S. 4x100-meter relay team after being disqualified in the final.

Despite his disappointing Olympic performance, Coleman has demonstrated impressive form in the Diamond League events this season, securing podium finishes in Eugene (Prefontaine Classic), Suzhou, and Xiamen.