AUSSIE SHOW BOUND FOR SUZHOU DIAMOND LEAGUE PREVIEW

The Suzhou Diamond League will serve as the second stop on the world’s premier athletics series, with 12 Australians looking to follow in the footsteps of Torrie Lewis’ Xiamen triumph to make their mark in the race for Paris 2024.

The 2024 Diamond League, which will be contested on Saturday, April 27, can be viewed live and free via the Diamond League YouTube channel, with the full start list and timetable available HERE.

Women’s Javelin

Mackenzie Little (NSWIS), Kathryn Mitchell

Time: 9:16pm AEST

Two Olympic finalists and two powerhouses of global javelin, World Championships bronze medallist, and New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) scholarship athlete Mackenzie Little (pictured/Angus McEntyre) and Australian record holder Kathryn Mitchell (Uwe Hohn) are ready to fire in Suzhou.

A pair of throws over 60m saw the duo claim gold and silver at the Australian Championships earlier this month, with Little’s 61.85m effort prevailing over Mitchell’s 60.28m, but the pair will reunite with their international rivals on the Diamond League circuit headed by reigning world champion Haruka Kitaguchi (JPN).

On the first of two legs in China to open the 2024 Diamond League, local Qianqian Dai (CHN) took out the Xiamen contest with a 61.25m performance as the only woman in the world-class field to trouble the 60m barrier, with Little and Mitchell looking to rewrite that narrative in Suzhou.

Women’s 5000m

Rose Davies (NSWIS), Izzi Batt-Doyle, Lauren Ryan, Maudie Skyring, Sarah Billings (PACE)

Time: 8:29pm AEST

While not accruing Diamond League points, the Women’s 5000m will be an event of interest for Australian athletics fans as national champion, and NSWIS scholarship athlete, Rose Davies (pictured/Scott Westcott) leads the way for Lauren Ryan (Lara Rogers), Izzi Batt-Doyle (Nic Bideau) and Maudie Skyring (Craig Mottram).

Davies National gold saw her leave the star-studded field in her wake with a punishing kick to clinch the title in Adelaide but is likely to encounter a different style of race in Suzhou, with 12 sub-15 minute athletes in the field headed by 14:06.62 athlete Letesenbet Gidey (ETH).

Davies and Batt-Doyle became the fourth and fifth members of Australia’s sub-15 minute club this February at the Maurie Plant Meet – Melbourne, while Ryan followed suit indoors in Washington to make it six – all striding towards the 14:52.00 qualifying standard for the Olympic Games in Paris.

Men’s 5000m

Morgan McDonald (NSWIS), Jack Rayner, Matt Ramsden, Callum Davies (PACE)

Time: 10:27pm AEST

After delivering one of the races of the 2024 Australian Athletics Championships, the nation’s 5000m men are back and ready to mix it with the world’s best in Shozou, with national champion Matthew Ramsden (Nic Bideau) gearing up alongside the Olympic duo of Morgan McDonald (pictured/Dathan Ritzenehein) and Jack Rayner (Nic Bideau).

While no Australian has chased down the 13:05.00 Olympic qualifying standard within the qualifying window, a mark that would place them behind only Craig Mottram and Stewart McSweyn on the all-time list, Rayner (13:06.00) and McDonald (13:07.30) are closest on career-best form.

In a large field of 20 including Olympic 10,000m champion Selemon Barega (ETH) and a host of athletes who own personal bests in the low 13-minute range, another strong qualification opportunity presents itself for those ready to take it.

Women’s Long Jump

Brooke Buschkuehl

Time: 7:45pm AEST

Australian record holder Brooke Buschkuehl (Russell Stratton) is bound for the first international competition of her 2024 campaign, packing her sixth national title in Adelaide earlier this month at the Australian Athletics Championships.

Standing out on the start list as one of three seven-metre jumpers alongside World Championship silver medallists Ese Brume (NGR) and Tara Davis-Woodhall (USA) with her 7.13m personal best, Buschkuehl will warm into her Diamond League campaign in Suzhou.

Jumping a wind-legal seasons best of 6.50m (+0.3) at her final competition prior to departure, the two-time Olympic finalist will look to grow in confidence on the international stage as she builds towards a third Olympic Games in Paris.

Men’s High Jump

Joel Baden

Time: 8:35pm AEST

Opening his 2024 Diamond League account with fourth place in Xiamen last week, Joel Baden (Sandro Bisetto) returns in Suzhou to launch for the podium in the Men’s High Jump, after missing out on countback last week.

Registering a 2.24m clearance to his name in challenging conditions, equal with Kiwi rival and reigning World Indoor champion Hamish Kerr (NZL), Baden will approach with confidence when meeting the field spearheaded by Olympic champion Mutaz Essa Barshim (QAT).

With a seasons best of 2.28m jumped at the Maruie Plant Meet – Melbourne before soaring to silver at the Australian Championships, the Rio Olympian will continue his chase for the 2.33m Olympic qualifying standard – a mark that doubles as his personal best.

Women’s 3000m Steeplechase

Cara Feain-Ryan

Time: 9:28pm AEST

Fresh off the second fastest time of her career at her Diamond League debut in Xiamen, Cara Feain-Ryan (Ben Norton) is ready to grasp her second opportunity on the world’s premier athletics circuit.

The World University Games champion will be towed along by the world’s best steeplechase women including world record holder Beatrice Chepkoech (KEN) when taking to the 3000m event, but it is the strong contingent of athletes in the 9:20-30 range that will be most appealing to Feain-Ryan.

Yet to secure the Olympic standard of 9:23.00 but clocking a career-best run of 9:29.60 at the 2023 World Championships in Budapest, Feain-Ryan will be looking to make 2024 the year she earns her Olympic debut after promising early-season progress.

Lachlan Moorhouse, Athletics Australia