One Week Out From the USATF Outdoor Championships, Many Top Americans Making the Trip to Europe

By Adam Kopet

The complete start lists for Saturday's Paris Diamond League meeting have been released. Americans feature prominently in the Diamond League events, despite the meet coming only a week after the USATF Outdoor Championships.

In past years, there has been a delay in Americans making the trip to Europe after the USATF Outdoor Championships. Athletes often chose to take time to recover, especially those who qualified for either the IAAF World Outdoor Championships or the Olympics. With neither of those competitions taking place this year, more Americans are taking the trip across the Atlantic sooner than in the previous two years.

Ronnie Baker, Mike Rodgers, Jeff Demps, Kimberlyn Duncan, Kyra Jefferson, Jenna Prandini, Jessica Beard, Phyllis Francis, Courtney Okolo, and Shakima Wimbley will all race in Diamond League sprint events. Michael Norman, as we previously reported, will race in a non-Diamond League 200 meters.

Devon Allen, Jarret Eaton, Aleec Harris, Aries Merritt, Kerron Clement, TJ Holmes and Bershawn Jackson will all race Diamond League hurdle events.

Ajee' Wilson and Charlene Lipsey are both entered in the Diamond League 800 meters. Isaiah Harris and Erik Sowinski will race a non-Diamond League 800 meters.

The U.S. will be represented in the jumps by Sam Kendricks in the pole vault and Tori Franklin in the triple jump.

Mason Finley and Whitney Ashley are both entered in the discus.

Of the Diamond League events, only the men's 1,500 and the women's high jump and 3,000 steeplechase are devoid of American entrants.