On the track of the Stade Louis-II, the world’s best athletes will take turns from 7 PM to 10 PM. As often, the evening promises to be rich in records and world-best performances. Not to be missed under any circumstances, the men’s 100m and triple jump.
What will the in-form American athlete pull out of his hat? What surprise will the French athletes bring? And why not a world record? The Herculis Meeting is the unmissable mid-July event for athletics enthusiasts. It’s simple, everything you need to have a great evening is here: perfect weather conditions, a full stadium (nearly 18,000 spectators expected), not to mention breathtaking races and performances.
The 2014 edition was very good, vintage as good wine specialists would say. Well, the 2015 edition looks just as excellent. If the meeting’s poster highlights Renaud Lavillenie alone, there’s a reason for it. The star of French athletics is, like everyone else, preparing for the upcoming World Championships in Beijing (August 22-29). After being held back for two weeks, he regained the taste for victory at the French Championships (5.85m). On a track he loves, he could again reach for the stars (a jump beyond 6m).
“Monaco is a place I really appreciate, I’m eager to be on the stadium. I want to continue on a good momentum and regain victory in the Diamond League,” Renaud Lavillenie explained in a press conference.
The main event, the 100m, will be a gathering of the strong. Imagine Gay, Gatlin, Bromell, and the French Vicaut (see his interview), 4 of the world’s top 6 performers. Just that. A fast track, an acceptable temperature (26-27 degrees at the time of the race), and often zero wind, I’ll let you write the next chapter… Finally, how can we forget the triple jump. In the absence of the world champion Teddy Tamgho (Achilles tendon rupture), the Monaco track will welcome the current stars in the form of American Christian Taylor and Cuban Pedro Pablo Pichardo, both over 18m since the beginning of the season. Leading with Jonathan Edwards’ 18.29m, a world record that has stood since 1995.
Finally, for the women, Ethiopian Genzebe Dibaba will be the highlight in the 1500m, where she hasn’t hidden her desire to get closer to the world record. In the 100m hurdles, we’ll keep an eye on French Cindy Billaud facing formidable Americans, and in the high jump, the all-Russian duel between Chicherova and Skholina promises to be intense.
