Sha'Carri Richardson, Christian Coleman Set For Wanda DL Shanghai/Suzhou

Saturday will mark round two for the Wanda Diamond League as athletes return to the track in Suzhou.

Apr 25, 2024 by Brett Haffner

Sha'Carri Richardson, Christian Coleman Set For Wanda DL Shanghai/Suzhou

The Wanda Diamond League continues on Saturday in China as the world's elite track and field stars descend upon the Suzhou Olympic Sports Centre for the Shanghai/Suzhou meeting.

Just a week removed from the Wanda Diamond League opener in Xiamen, Sha'Carri Richardson, Christian Coleman, Fred Kerley and more will double back for another round on the track.

How will they fare?

We broke down three top storylines and three athletes to watch.

A U.S. Duel In The Men’s 100m

One of the marquee matchups of the Shanghai/Suzhou Diamond League meet will be the electric rematch of Christian Coleman and Fred Kerley over 100 meters. The two American stars faced off at last week’s Diamond League meet in Xiamen, with Coleman taking home the win in 10.13 to Kerley’s 10.17.

Last week, Coleman’s polished start gave him the lead early, as the took the win with a wire-to-wire victory. Yet, Kerley was right there behind Coleman the whole way, showing that he’s in a pretty good spot this early into the season.

The battle between these two will be an exciting one, but neither Coleman nor Kerley have the fastest season’s best in the 100m this year.

Akani Simbine brought home the win at the South African Championships last week, running 10.01. That sat as the fastest season’s best in the field. Could he be a sleeper to take down the American stars?

Star-Studded Field Set For Women’s 100m Hurdles

After a fierce battle last week in Xiamen between many of the best women’s hurdlers in the world, the lineup for the women’s 100m hurdles in Shanghai/Suzhou is looking incredible once again.

Reigning Olympic Champion Jasmine Camacho-Quinn got her season off to a great start last week, running 12.45 to narrowly edge out Deynne Charlton (12.49), who will be in the field this week, too.

Danielle Williams and Tobi Amusan, running 12.56 and 12.58 last week, will also be in the race in Shanghai/Suzhou, rounding out an incredible field that will make for a great battle once again.

Selemon Barega Makes Season Debut in 5,000m

Renowned distance star Selemon Barega will make his season debut after a solid indoor campaign, taking his talents over 5,000 meters against a solid field.

One main challenger will be Samuel Chebolei Masai, who ran 13:00 in last week’s 5,000m in Xiamen and also finished fifth in the senior race at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships.

Ronald Kwemoi and Benson Kiplagat have also looked good in their outdoor seasons thus far, running 13:02 and 13:04, respectively, last week in Xiamen.

Nibret Malak didn’t have his best go in Xiamen in the 5000m distance last week, but his lifetime PB of 12:54 is a force to be reckoned with as a challenger in this field.

Don't Miss Out On These Three Athletes

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Mondo Duplantis

The world record-holder in the pole vault has gotten off to a hot start by once again resetting his own world record by clearing 6.24m last week in Xiamen. He’s going to get after it once again in Shanghai/Suzhou, taking flight against a talented field.

Will he soar to new heights once again, literally?

With already vaulting at this high of a level this early in the season, and a clear favorite for Olympic Gold, how many times might we see Duplantis reset this World Record?

Beatrice Chepkoech

As the current world leader in the women’s 3,000m steeplechase, Chepkoech has been the only woman to clock a sub-9:00 mark in this event in 2024, winning last week in Xiamen.

She’s been one of the top women’s steeplechasers in recent memory, finishing second in last year’s World Athletics Championships, in addition to holding the world record in the event, running 8:44.32 in Monaco in 2018.

This will be another good step in her conquest to win her first Olympic medal and challenge for Olympic gold.

Sha’Carri Richardson

After getting beaten by Torrie Lewis in Xiamen last week, Richardson will be seeking her first Diamond League victory of 2024 in the 200m once again.

She’s coming off of an excellent 2023 season, winning the 100m at the World Athletics Championships in Budapest, along with placing third in the 200m as well. She’ll be seeking her first Olympic Medals in Paris this summer as one of the top women’s sprinters on the planet.

As she faces a field with familiar faces such as Tamara Clark and Twanisha Terry, Richardson will be one of the premiere names to watch in her Diamond League appearance this week.

Diamond League Streaming On FloTrack In 2025

In a major announcement on April 10, FloTrack revealed it will add to its five-star live content schedule by streaming the Wanda Diamond League for U.S. audiences and territories beginning in 2025.

FloSports, the global sports media company and operator of FloTrack, signed a multi-year media rights agreement with the Wanda Diamond League to distribute the world's very best track and field meets, including events held in London, Monaco, Stockholm and Rome, among others.

"As a former track athlete, I founded FloSports to cover the sport I love so much," said Mark Floreani, the Chief Executive Officer of FloSports. "To now be the home for the world's preeminent track and field events -- outside of the Olympics -- with Diamond League is near and dear to me.