Silesia Success Awaits | Diamond League Preview

The heavy-hitters of Australian athletics will be on show when the Diamond League stops in Silesia, Poland as world champion Eleanor Patterson and Olympic silver medallist Nicola Olyslagers take on the world, while 17-year-old Cameron Myers' meteoric rise lands him a Diamond League debut.

Australian audiences can tune in live and free from 12am AEST on Monday July 17 via the Wanda Diamond League YouTube Channel. Full start lists and more information can be found here.

Women’s High Jump (10pm AEST, Sunday July 16)

It’s the Aussie match-up that athletics fans have all been waiting for almost one year as world champion Eleanor Patterson (Alex Stewart) makes her return to competition, facing some of her biggest rivals around the globe including none other than friendly foe, fellow Australian and current world leader Nicola Olyslagers (Matt Horsnell).

Olyslagers remains unbeaten in eight competitions this year and just a fortnight ago cemented her status as world lead when reaching a height of 2.02m – the Australian record she shares with Patterson.

As one of only three women to clear two metres in 2023, the 26-year-old from NSW’s Central Coast will be looking to continue her winning ways in her attempt to break the Australian record once again. Olyslagers will face three of her biggest rivals in her fellow 2023 two-metre jumpers, Ukranian duo Iryna Gerashchenko and Yaroslava Mahuchikh, as well as compatriot Patterson.

Patterson has not been seen on the circuit since February when fracturing her take-off foot in competition. While the world champion soared over heights of 1.93m in the lead up to her injury, Patterson has kept her cards close to her chest since coming back to full health. With solid training blocks now under her belt, the two-time Olympian is now ready to unleash.

The four key players in the event have not competed together since the World Athletics Championships last year, and Silesia is an opportunity for the quartet to get reacquainted with just over a month to go until the Budapest World Athletics Championships commence.

Women’s 1500m (11.34pm AEST, Sunday July 16)

Though not a Diamond League event, the Women’s metric mile looms as a race to watch as former Australian record holder Linden Hall (Ned Brophy-Williams) joins a field that boasts a formidable line up of international talent.

The Olympic finalist has been a model of consistency with a seasons best of  4:02.43 to her name over her five European races thus far, but will be looking for a major breakthrough as team selection for the Budapest World Championships fast approaches.

Hall’s quest for the podium will not be without its challenges, as she contends the likes of three sub-four minute runners in Ethiopian trio Birke Haylom, Diribe Welteji and Worknesh Mesele, as well as Commonwealth bronze medallist Melissa Courtney-Bryant (GBR) and Ugandan Janat Chemusto - who have all run faster times this year.

Men’s Pole Vault (11.45pm, Sunday July 16)

2023 is looking to be the year of Kurtis Marschall (Paul Burgess and James Fitzpatrick), with the 25-year-old full of confidence after back-to-back personal bests and a trajectory that looks sky high. Just last week, the Western Australian cleared 5.95m for the first time and is edging closer to becoming just the fourth Australian to join the six-metre club alongside coach Paul Burgess.

Marschall’s 5.95m clearance is the fourth highest in the world this year but the Commonwealth champion will not be guaranteed his first taste of a Diamond League podium, with a trio of six-metre jumpers taking to the stage in Silesia.

Reigning Olympic champion and world record holder Armand Duplantis (SWE) has so far reached heights of 6.12m outdoors this year, while Tokyo fourth-place getter KC Lightfoot has cracked the six-metre twice in 2023. Marschall’s strongest chance for a podium finish is in defeating Ernest John Obiena (Phillipines) – a feat he achieved en route to his personal best in Sotteville France last week. Obiena vaulted to six-metres in June but has not come close in his last few competitions.

Men's High Jump (12.08am, Monday, July 17)

A major player on the high jump circuit for some years now, Brandon Starc (Alex Stewart) hasn't had the best of luck this season. A broken collarbone in April halted the Commonwealth silver medallist's progress, and when the time came to finally resume competition in Stockholm, he was unlucky to face heavy rain, knocking about his confidence to unleash. 

Despite his slower start, the 28-year-old has every chance for success in Silesia, with only two athletes having jumped higher than he has in 2023. 

In Stockholm, Starc battled slippery confiditions to finish equal fourth with a clearance of 2.12m but even his competitors know he poses as a threat. At the Australian Athletics Championships in April, Starc walked away with a 2.29m clearance, and one that eans him the second highest season's best in the field alongside Olympic champion Gianmarco Tamberi (ITA) as well as Thomas Carmoy (BEL). Only two other athletes have gone higher than the Australian in the field in Hamish Kerr (NZ) who took the crown in Stockholm and Cuba's Luis Enrique Zayas.

While the field of 10 are all very close in standard, what separates Starc will be his hunger to get the job donE with only a short build up left to prepare for Budapest.

Women’s 3000m (12.26am, Monday July 17)

A late addition to the Women's 3000m line up, Lauren Ryan (Bob Braham) is gearing up to make her Diamond League debut in the 3000m.

With lifetime bests achieved in the 5000m (15:11.84) and 10,000m (32:09.82) achieved over the last few months, Ryan will be leaning on her career-best form to propel her forward in a classy field as she hunts for ranking points on her quest for Budapest selection.

The 2022 World Athletics Indoor representative will rub shoulders with distance greats including Ethiopian Olympic medallist Gudaf Tsegay who holds the fastest seed time of 8:25.23, as well as Lilian Kasait Rengeruk (8:25.90).  Adding to the depth of the field will be Ugandan Sarah Chelangat and Elly Henes (USA), who boast season and lifetime bests of 8:32.53 and 8:36.86 respectively.

Women’s Javelin Throw (12.53am, Monday July 17)

Australia will go into battle with a two-pronged approach in the Women’s Javelin as back-to-back world champion Kelsey-Lee Barber (Mike Barber) and Lausanne Diamond League winner Mackenzie Little (Angus McEntyre)  look to tighten their grip on world-class javelin.

While Barber goes in with a career best of 67.70m – more than a metre further than that of her nearest rival in Norway’s Sigrid Borge, the big-stage performer has not yet hit her stride this season and is seeded sixth based on her seasons best of 62.54. Barber will be eager to remind the field of her grit and talent as the countdown to the Budapest World Championships continues.

Medicine student and Commonwealth silver medallist Little has enjoyed a dream run this year with wins in six of her seven competitions, including her first Diamond League win when launching to a new lifetime best of 65.70m a fortnight ago.

While only Borge has gone better than Little this year, the full field has potential to launch large with each athlete having registered marks of 63m+.

Women’s 800m (1.27am, Monday July 17)

Australian record holder Catriona Bisset (Ned Brophy-Williams) returns to the track for her fourth Diamond League appearance of the season and is knocking on the door of a breakthrough, with strong results across the year.

With a second place finish at the Rabat Diamond League and a seasons best of 1:58.32 from the Australian Track and Field Championships, Bisset has proved she is able to perform under pressure but will need to do so again to succeed in Silesia.

Seeded third in the 13-strong field, Bisset is a strong contender for another podium place but will be challenged as Kenya’s Mary Moraa takes command, as well as five other athletes with season best times of 1:58.

Men’s 1500m (1.38am, Monday July 17)

In a race that has distance fans across the world in a frenzy, 17-year-old Cameron Myers (Dick Telford) will take a dive in the deep end of middle distance running, as some of the world’s most prolific 1500m specialists converge in Silesia.

The prodigious teenager has sensationally lowered his Under 18 record five times this year while dismantling Ryan Gregson’s Under 20 record in the process, but will find himself up against a wealth of international experience as Olympic champion Jakob Ingebrigsten (Norway) attempts to break the world record that has stood for 25 years.

With 11-athletes in the field having met the qualifying standard for Budapest, Myers will no doubt relish the opportunity to learn from the experience and could be pushed to a faster time for a third consecutive race.  Could a qualifying time for Budapest be on the cards for the young gun?

Former Australian record holder Stewart McSweyn (Nic Bideau) will also make an appearance in the race, acting as pacer for his long-time friend and rival Ingebrigtsen.

By Sascha Ryner, Athletics Australia
Posted: 12/7/202