1. Schippers faces a fight for the Final – 100m
It has been the year of the Ivorians in the women’s sprints so far, and with Murielle Ahouré already qualified and Marie-Josée Ta Lou with two victories under her belt, fans in the Ivory Coast can be confident that their heroes will be in the 100m IAAF Diamond League Final in Zürich next month. For Dafne Schippers and her Dutch devotees, it is a different story. One of the stars of the last few years, the Flying Dutchwoman now faces a fight to pick up enough points to secure a place in the 100m Final. With just eight points so far, she currently sits a point adrift of the qualifying positions. Lausanne is one of her last chances to break into the top eight, and Schippers will be desperate to steal some points in Switzerland.
2. Big guns battle it out – 110m Hurdles
Ronald Levy notched up his second successive Meeting de Paris victory last weekend, and snuck into top spot in the standings as he did so. With so many big names in contention, the points have been shared so thinly in the 110m hurdles that nobody has qualified thus far. That could change in Lausanne, where many of those big names will face off each against each other. Levy returns to action, Sergey Shubenkov will be looking to make up for his false start in Paris, and Omar McLeod and Aries Merritt complete a star-studded field.
3. Can Stefanidi bounce back? – Pole Vault
Few would have predicted it at the start of the season, but Katerina Stefanidi, who has held the Diamond Trophy for two glorious years, heads to Lausanne just five points clear of 13th place. The danger of missing out on the Final is still a long way off for the Greek star, but Stefanidi desperately needs to pick up some points if she is to guarantee herself a ticket to Brussels at the end of the season. In Lausanne, she faces Sandi Morris, who has already qualified, as well as the likes of Katie Nageotte, Holly Bradshaw and Anzhelika Sidorova, who have a chance to do so with a good points haul at Athletissima.
4. Taylor returns to Lausanne for Pichardo showdown – Triple Jump
Three years ago, Christian Taylor cleared 18 metres with a brilliant victory in Lausanne. The win was a key turning point in an astonishing turnaround which saw him steal the Diamond Trophy from under the nose of Pedro Pablo Pichardo. This year, Taylor returns to Lausanne, and one again faces Pichardo, who beat him in Doha earlier this year. The American will be hoping for another good day in Lausanne as he looks to face down Pichardo and book his place in the Final. In Brussels, he would have the chance to win a seventh Diamond Trophy, drawing level with record champion Renaud Lavillenie.
5. Who can join Semenya in the Final? – 800m
Having already booked her place in the 800m Final, Caster Semenya will compete in the 1500m in Lausanne, in the hope that she can make it a double qualification. Back in the 800m, that leaves a big opportunity for Semenya’s rivals to pick up valuable points and follow her into the Final. With Eunice Sum, Francine Niyonsaba, Lynsey Sharp, Ajee Wilson and Selina Büchel all set to start in Lausanne, it could be a a thrilling 800m battle.