OSTRAVA - American Christian Coleman will be the headline act in the men’s 200m, but he will face stiff competition from SA’s Clarence Munyai at the 58th Golden Spike, an IAAF World Challenge meeting, in the eastern Czech city of Ostrava on Thursday.
Coleman, who has clocked world leads of 9.86 and 9.85 in the 100m already this season, has indicated that he's aiming to tackle both short sprints at the IAAF World Athletics Championships Doha 2019 later this year. Coleman, 23, has a 19.85 personal best, but hasn't raced over the distance in almost two years.
He'll be facing Munyai who's gone even faster, clocking 19.69 at altitude in Pretoria in March 2018, less than a month after his 20th birthday.
The field also includes Rio silver medallist Andre De Grasse of Canada who'll be chasing another double in Ostrava, lining up in the 200m 65 minutes after headlining the field in the 100m A race. There, he'll face African champion Akani Simbine of South Africa and Michael Rodgers of the US.
Clarence Munyai of South Africa reacts after competing in the men's 200m race at the IAAF Diamond League athletics meeting in Rabat, Morocco earlier this week. Photo: EPA/Jalal Morchidi
The women's 1500m features Ethiopia’s meeting record holder Gudaf Tsegay, who lowered her career best to 3:57.40 in Rabat last Sunday, and Moroccan Rababe Arafi, who lowered the national record to 3:58.84 in that Rabat race.
On the men's side, Ethiopian Samuel Tefera, the world indoor 1500m champion and world indoor record holder, will face Pole Adam Kszczot, the world indoor 800m champion, in the 800m. It will be the Ethiopian's debut over the distance.